These No Soak Instant Pot Pinto Beans are perfect for a main meal or as a side dish with your favorite Mexican food. Flavored with kielbasa sausage, onions, garlic and spices, this dish is sure to become a family favorite.

These No Soak Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Beans are a favorite meal in our home. It’s rare to find a meal that every single person in our home loves (big family problems) and these Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Beans are that meal!

We love to eat them as a main meal but they’re also wonderful to have as a side dish. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, no worries! I have also included stove top directions below.

As a busy mom of 8, I love this pinto bean recipe because it’s an inexpensive source of protein to keep my family full. Using dry beans makes this a super affordable meal and one of my favorite Instant Pot Recipes.

The taste and texture of this Instant Pot Pinto Beans Recipe is so flavorful. Everyone who has made the Mexican Pinto Beans said that it’s a great recipe and a keeper!

The great thing about this recipe is that you don’t have to pre-soak the beans. Just pop your dried beans into your Instant Pot for a little over an hour and you’ll have the most tender and flavorful Mexican pinto beans of your life!

If you’re new to the Instant Pot

If you’re new to an Instant Pot, have no fear! This is the Instant Pot that I have.
Here is a Beginner’s Guide to Using Your Instant Pot. It takes all the guess work out of it for you!

Ingredients Needed

Bacon (you could also use ham hocks for flavorful Instant Pot Pinto Beans)
Kielbasa Sausage
Red Onion
Garlic
Chicken Broth (or Vegetable Stock)
Canned Diced Tomatoes
Dried Pinto Beans
Kosher Salt
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Water
Cilantro

Serving Suggestions for No Soak Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Beans

Serve the Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Beans with a side of cornbread. This is one of our favorite ways!
Serve the Instant Pot Mexican Pinto beans in a bowl with all your favorite Mexican toppings. We love to use shredded cheese, red onions, sour cream and tortilla chips.
Use as a filling for bean and cheese burritos.
Serve them as a side to all of your favorite Mexican dishes.

Step by Step Instructions

Push the Sauté button on your Instant Pot.

Wait for the bottom of the pot to heat up, then you’ll add in your bacon, sausage slices, onion and garlic.

Wait a minute for it to heat up, then you’ll add in your bacon, sausage slices, onion and garlic. Saute until the bacon is fully cooked, sausage slices are brown and your onions are softened.

Leave the bacon grease in the bottom of the Instant Pot and add in your chicken broth, diced tomatoes, dry pinto beans, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder and water. Stir well.

Put the lid onto the Instant Pot and close securely.

Turn the Instant Pot onto Manual mode with high pressure selected for 50 minutes.

Once cooked, allow for the Instant Pot to do a natural release, this usually takes about 30 minutes. This last 30 minutes of cooking will give you tender beans.

Open the Instant Pot once it has naturally released the pressure (you will not use the quick pressure release for this recipe). Before opening the Instant Pot make sure to turn the steam valve to make sure all of the pressure has been released. Let the beans sit for another 5 minutes. Then top with all of your favorite toppings!

Do you need to soak the Pinto Beans before cooking?

If you’re using your Instant Pot, you do not need to soak the pinto beans. The Instant Pot is a pressure cooker and cooks your beans to perfection.

Can you use your stove top instead of an Instant Pot?

Yes! The cooking time will just take quite a bit longer for this recipe. There is still no need for an overnight soak.

Below are the steps if you are making this recipe on the stove.

Soak the dried beans and your chicken broth and water in a big pot for 2 hours. I prefer to use my Dutch Oven.
At the 2 hour mark of soaking in a large pot, you’ll want to start browning your other ingredients in a separate pot.
In a separate pan, sauté your sausage, bacon, onions and garlic. Then set aside.
Boil the beans in the same liquid that they soaked in. Put the pot on your stovetop and bring to a boil.
Lower the bean pot to a simmer. Then add in your browned sausage, bacon, garlic and onion. You will also add in your diced tomatoes, kosher salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir well. Then cover.
Simmer on low for 3 hours. If you find your beans are soaking up too much of the liquid, add in more chicken broth. I like to keep adding extra chicken broth as needed (you can also add in cups of water).
Feel free to continue adding more broth as the beans simmer.
Once the beans are done cooking you can add in salt and black pepper. The amount of salt will vary depending on taste.

Can you use your slow cooker instead of your Instant Pot?

Yes! Below are the directions how to make this meal in your crockpot.

On the stove you’ll brown your sausage, bacon, onions and garlic. Once they’re browned, add them to the bottom of your slow cooker.
Add in the rest of your ingredients and stir.
Cook on low for 8 hours. Make sure to keep an eye on the liquids. If you find your beans are beginning to absorb too much liquid, just add another cup or two of chicken broth.

How do you store leftover Pinto Beans?

I put our leftover pinto beans into an airtight container. Leftover beans will have a creamy texture to them and also make a delicious soup base.

Can you freeze leftover Mexican Pinto Beans?

Yes! Add your cooled beans to an airtight freezer bag or container. They freeze wonderfully and the next time you need a quick meal you’ll have one ready.

Can you use a different kind of dried bean?

Yes! Feel free to use another kind of bean such as white beans or black beans. This is a simple recipe that is easy to adapt using different types of beans.

Can you make this recipe into Refried Beans?

Absolutely! I would leave out the kielbasa sausage if you are planning on turning this into a refried beans recipe.

Once your instant pot beans are finished cooking, you can use a stick blender to make a batch of creamy beans.