These Mexican-spiced Pinto Beans have a warm, earthy, and savory flavor with just the right amount of spice and depth. The combination of cumin, chili powder, garlic, and paprika gives them that classic Mexican-inspired taste; comforting and full-bodied with the option of spicy-hot! These savory beans are perfect for tacos, burritos, topped on a salad, or even just as a protein-packed side with your meal.
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 hard 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.
- Looking for plain pinto beans? You can absolutely omit all of the spices and just follow the recipe for cooking time, especially if you’re using these beans in another dish that calls for plain beans.
- 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!
To soak or not to soak?
I used to be very adamant about soaking beans before cooking because I had terrible experiences in the past with cooked beans being inconsistent; overcooked on the outside, crunchy on the inside. I gave cooking un-soaked beans another shot and sure enough, my they came out just fine! 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 overnight but if I want to cook beans spur of the moment then I just use the longer cooking time in the Instant Pot and the beans come out perfect!
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
Their incredible fiber content is what makes pinto beans true superstars. Fiber supports heart health by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, helps regulate blood sugar, and may reduce inflammation. It’s also one of the most important nutrients for cancer prevention, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, especially in breast and colorectal cancers.
So while everyone’s busy focusing on protein, don’t forget the real hero nutrient: fiber!
Recipe Inspiration!
My absolute favorite way to use these Mexican-spiced pinto beans are in burritos! This is the recipe that I use, just swap out the black beans for the pintos!
Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Beans (soaked or un-soaked!)
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried pinto beans
- 4-5 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 small onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño, ½ or all seeds removed minced (optional for spice)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp paprika
- ¾-1 tsp salt to-taste
After cooking
- handful of fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- *If soaking: Place 2 cups pinto beans in a large pot and cover with several inches of water. Soak overnight.
- When ready to cook, use colander to drain water if soaking and rinse beans.
- In the Instant Pot, press the "sauté" option. Once hot, sauté onions in a splash of water or a drizzle of oil until softened. Press "cancel" to turn off heat, then stir in garlic and jalapeño.
- Add pinto beans and all the spices.For soaked beans: add 4 cups of water and cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes. For un-soaked beans add 5 cups of water and cook on High Pressure for 55 minutes. Allow a full natural release.
- Once pressure has released, open lid and test to make sure beans are tender. (If not at desired softness, seal lid and cook another 5-10 minutes.) Taste, and add any more seasoning or salt needed, then and stir in chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Store beans in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer.
- Don’t 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.
I don’t know what was different about this recipe vs others Ive made in the instant pot, but this recipe came out PERFECT. beans were cooked to perfection and flavor was on point! A go to recipe for future vegan bowls!
So glad you enjoyed these pinto beans and they turned out perfectly! Years of trial and error and tweaking things here and there, I’m happy to be able to share the recipe!
Delicious savory beans great for tocos!
Glad you enjoyed! I love these for tacos and burritos!