Learn how to cook pinto beans at home easily! This recipe is so amazing you'll never buy them again. Stove top, Instant Pot or crockpot!
I could live on rice and beans! Okay, I may need some guac and salsa too...but the point is you can make SO many things with simple sides and this recipe will be on your regular rotation!
Dried beans are super inexpensive and have a long shelf life, so they make a great pantry staple. Once you know how to cook pinto beans the possibilities for cheap and convenient meals are endless!
Plus, when making your own you can control things like how much salt you add if you're watching your sodium intake (to learn more about how to figure out what is in those store bought beans check out this guide on reading food labels).
Ingredients
In order to get insanely flavorful beans, you'll need to gather the following ingredients:
- Dried pinto beans
- Red onion
- Red pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Broth
- White wine
- Liquid smoke
- Seasonings
How to Cook Pinto Beans
Making pinto beans on the stovetop is so simple! Here's what you'll need to do:
- Sautรฉ onion, pepper and garlic.
- Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Simmer until done.
- Enjoy!
How to Cook Pinto Beans in an Instant Pot:
If you want to speed things up a little, you can use your pressure cooker.
- Use the sautรฉ setting to sautรฉ the onions, peppers and garlic.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on manual with the valve on the seal setting for 30 minutes.
- Allow pressure to naturally release for 15-20 minutes.
- Turn the valve to vent to finish releasing pressure.
How to Cook Pinto Beans in the Crock Pot:
If low and slow is more your style, try cooking them in your slow cooker.
- Sautรฉ the onions, peppers and garlic on the stove.
- Add them to the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8. Check at 3 or 6 hours for doneness and add more broth if needed. You want the liquid to cover the beans so they donโt burn.
Serving suggestions
Whether these pinto beans are a side or main dish, I love to top them with fresh cilantro, salsa, and even Vegan Sour Cream! Once they've been dressed up, serve alongside any of these tasty dishes:
- Simple Mexican Rice
- Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
- Crispy Potato Tacos
- Lentil Walnut Tacos
- Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
- Mexican Coleslaw with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- The Ultimate Mexican Nacho Burger
- Mexican Pasta Salad
Tips and tricks
For the best pinto beans, be sure to follow these helpful suggestions:
- You can substitute the broth for water, but the flavor will be more bland.
- If you donโt soak the beans, they will need to cook longer. 20-30 minutes more on the stove, about 5-10 in the Instant Pot and Crock Pot.
- You can do a quick soak by adding the dried beans and twice the amount of water to a large pot. Bring to a boil then remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 1 hour.
- Broth can be used instead of white wine if you donโt have any, or don't want to use it.
- Make sure to check for doneness, you don't want to overcook the beans, they'll start to split and get too mushy.
- Pinto beans can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- Store cooked pinto beans even longer in the freezer, for up to 3 months.
Common Questions
First, you should soak the beans for optimum results. Then, combine dried beans, liquid, and seasonings and simmer until done. You can also use your pressure cooker or slow cooker.
It is highly recommended that dried beans are soaked before cooking, but it is not absolutely necessary. If they are not soaked, it will take a bit longer to cook.
It takes jut over an hour to cook pinto beans on the stovetop if they have been soaked.
Make sure the pinto beans have been soaked, then use your Instant Pot to cook them quickly.
You can follow this recipe and sautรฉ veggies, then add in the canned beans and seasonings and simmer for 10 minutes. It will add a ton of extra flavor!
More Vegan Sides
Side dishes are sometimes the real star of the show, and these plant based sides are sure to be real crowd pleasers!
- Creamy Vegan Coleslaw
- Baked Eggplant Fries
- Patatas Bravas
- Lentil Quinoa Salad
- Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
How to Cook Pinto Beans From Scratch
Equipment
- pressure cooker (optional)
- slow cooker (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans , about 2 cups (soak overnight, see note)
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup chopped red pepper
- 3 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- Drizzle of oil or broth to sautรฉ
- 4-5 cups broth (see note)
- ยฝ cup white wine , sub more broth if you donโt have or want
- ยผ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- chopped cilantro , to top (optional)
For cooking in the Instant Pot:
For cooking in the crock pot:
Instructions
- Sautรฉ onion, pepper and garlic with drizzle of oil or broth until softened.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a rapid boil. About 10 minutes.
- Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for about an hour. Check for desired done texture preference along the way.
- Serve however you want! These thicken as they sit, and get thicker in the fridge. They are even more flavorful the next day!
To cook in the Instant Pot:
- Use the sautรฉ setting to sautรฉ the onions, peppers and garlic, or sautรฉ on the stove.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on manual with the valve on the seal setting for 30 minutes.
- Allow pressure to naturally release for 15-20 minutes.
- Turn the valve to vent to finish releasing pressure.
To cook in the crock pot:
- Sautรฉ the onions, peppers and garlic on the stove.
- Add them to the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8. Check at 3 or 6 hours for doneness and add more broth if needed. You want the liquid to cover the beans so they donโt burn.
Notes
- You can sub water for the broth but the flavor wonโt be as good.
- If you donโt soak the beans, they will need to cook an extra 20-30 minutes on the stove, about 5-10 in the Instant Pot and towards the end of the range for the crock pot. See the post for the quick soak method.
- Makes about 6 cups beans, serving size is 1 cup.
Recipe by Veggies Donโt Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Paula O.
Another great recipe from Sophia! I have been wanting/planning to try this recipe for months but somehow never got around to it. Yesterday, it was time to make refreshed beans for taco salad. I used this recipe as my starting point. I didnโt have red pepper so that was missing; otherwise, I made it as written and it was wonderful! It will become a regular for us as I usually make large batches of instant pot beans at the beginning of each week.
veggiesdontbite
I'm so happy you liked it Paula!! Thanks so much!
Marlene
By red pepper, do you mean a red bell pepper? I would like to make these.
veggiesdontbite
Hi Marlene! Yep, red bell pepper. Let me know how it goes!
Laurie
Delicious, we loved it!! Thank you!
veggiesdontbite
So happy you liked it Laurie!
Sam
I love homemade beans and made these along with the Mexican rice and they were amazing!
veggiesdontbite
That's our favorite combo too!