These Mexican-Spiced Pinto Beans cook up quick and easy in the Instant Pot with no soaking required and come out perfect every time! Great for tacos and burritos, topped on a taco salad, or even just as a protein-packed side with your meal.
You don’t have to soak?!
I used to be very adamant about soaking beans before cooking because I had terrible experiences in the past. I gave it another shot, though, and sure enough—my un-soaked beans came out perfectly! My failed attempts in the past may have been old beans, the hard water, or a combination of both. If I plan ahead then I’ll soak my beans in ¼ tsp baking soda overnight (just soak with baking soda, don’t cook beans with it!) but if I want to cook beans spur of the moment then I follow this recipe!
Tips for success
- Use fresh beans!! If your beans come out crunchy on the inside and overcooked on the outside, the problem is very likely old beans. 2-3 years is the absolute maximum shelf life for dried beans, and the newer the better! Toss expired beans and start anew.
- Hard water can also make a difference with cooking beans and will usually require longer cooking times. If your beans aren’t old but they don’t come out perfect, it could be because of the water. Seal the Instant Pot and cook another 5-10 minutes using your best judgement on how much more time you think they need and make a note of it for next time so you know (because it’s easy to forget!)
- Did you know that ground spices lose their potency after 3-6 months? Spices won’t mold or make you sick, but they won’t be as flavorful as fresh spices! The best way to always use fresh spices is to buy whole and ground them yourself, but if you don’t have time for that then just make sure you buy small amounts at a time and go through it quickly so it doesn’t sit on the spice rack too long!
Do you have to add all the spices?
Spices aren’t required, it all depends on what you’re using the beans for! If you’re looking for plain beans to use in a recipe for, say soup, which is already going to have loads of spices tailored for the soup, you don’t need to use any. But if you’re looking for Mexican-spiced pinto beans for burritos? Use all the spices I list for ultimate flavor!
What dishes can you use these beans in?
These beans are perfect for a variety of dishes! Some of my favorites are:
- Tacos or burritos
- Topped on a colorful salad along with another grain like rice or quinoa
- Used in a soup or chili (without adding the spices listed)
- Blended with an immersion blender with a little water to make non-fried refried beans
How healthy are beans?
Beans of any variety are incredibly nutritious and loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals! 1 cup (171 grams) of cooked pinto beans contain:
- Calories: 245
- Carbs: 45 grams
- Protein: 15 grams
- Fiber: 15 grams
- Fat: 1 gram
- Phosphorus: 20%
- Thiamine (vitamin B1): 28%
- Iron: 20% of the daily value
- Magnesium: 21% of the DV
- Potassium: 16% of the DV1
Beans are not only delicious and nutritious but come with a whole bunch of health benefits including weight loss, and reduced risk for diabetes, obesity, heart disease, as well as cancer! There’s one nutrient in particular behind all the major protective properties and it never gets the attention it deserves: fiber.
Everyone is obsessed with protein even though no one is protein deficient in developed countries if they are eating enough calories, but the spotlight should be on fiber! The fiber in beans help reduce risk for heart disease (the #1 killer in the U.S.) by lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising your HDL (good) cholesterol, which results in lower blood pressure and inflammation. 2 Cholesterol attaches onto fiber where it then is flushed out of the body.
The fiber in beans also provides protection from cancer, too! (The #2 killer in the U.S.) The American Institute for Cancer Research published a detailed analysis of diet and cancer, which was reviewed by 21 of the top cancer researchers. One of the recommendations for cancer prevention is to eat whole grains and/or legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc) with every meal, with fiber being a major reason for the protective benefits3 in all cancers, but especially in breast and colorectal cancer.4
Print
Mexican-Spiced Pinto Beans in the Instant Pot (no-soak!)
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Mexican-Spiced Pinto Beans are packed full of flavor, quick and easy to make, and no soaking necessary!
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry pinto beans
- 5 cups water
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small jalapeño (1/2 or all seeds removed), minced
Spices
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp paprika
- 3/4–1 tsp salt (to-taste)
After cooking
- handful of fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté onion in Instant Pot in a splash of water or oil until softened. Stir in garlic and jalapeño and then turn Instant Pot “off”.
- Add 2 cups of dried pinto beans, 5 cups water, and all the spices. Seal lid and set on High Pressure for 55 minutes. Allow a full natural release.
- Once pressure has released, open lid and taste beans to make sure they’re cooked perfectly. If they need more time (this could be from old beans or hard water) seal Instant Pot and cook another 5-10 minutes, depending on how much more time you think they need.
- Stir in optional cilantro and enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Never leave beans sitting out at room temperature for too long! Beans (and rice) are prone bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses if left out at room temperature for 2 or more hours.
- Store beans in a well-sealing container for up to 5 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Instant Pot gaining and releasing pressure: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: sides
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American, Mexican
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/pinto-beans-nutrition#1.-Loaded-with-nutrients-
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthiest-beans-legumes#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
- https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/recommendations/wholegrains-veg-fruit-beans
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10255454/#:~:text=While%20some%20studies%20have%20shown,9%2C10%2C11%5D.
Delicious savory beans great for tocos!
Glad you enjoyed! I love these for tacos and burritos!