Learn how to make the best easy pinto beans from scratch, or with a stove top, slow cooker, and even with Instant Pot instructions.
Pinto beans are easy to prepare, flavorful, and healthy. As a side dish, pinto beans compliment BBQ meals, fried chicken, ham, and cornbread and mashed potatoes.
If you’re a vegetarian, pinto beans are a source of protein and naturally gluten-free.
What Are The Different Types Of Pinto Beans?
There are many pinto bean varieties. Here are a few of the most popular pinto bean strands available on the market today.
- Alava are dark red pinto beans that originated in the town of Anana in northern Spain’s Basque region.
- Lariat pinto beans were developed by North Dakota State University in 2007. The beans are larger than other varieties and have a high seed yield.
- Stampede pinto beans, also developed in 2007, produce a high seed yield.
- Maverick pinto beans are from the Northern Great Plains.
- Burke pinto beans are the newest addition to the pinto family, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The beans are adept at fending off harmful plant viruses.
- Grand Mesa pinto beans were developed by Colorado State University. The pinto seedlings produce high yields, are resistant to rust races, and have a higher field tolerance to white mold.
Family Holiday Pinto Bean Recipe
Pinto beans go with almost anything. From BBQ brisket and ribs to a steaming bowl with cornbread, pinto beans are an excellent side-dish for many meals. Sometimes I freeze half of them for later or make baked beans.
This pinto bean recipe is easy to prepare and doesn't cost a fortune to make. First, start with a pound of dried beans. Next, add a flavoring. Now, you’ll have a hearty batch of tasty, steamy pinto beans.
How Are Pinto Beans Healthy?
Pinto beans are a source of fiber, iron, vitamin B, and potassium. The beans are grown and harvested like other vegetables, so they’re naturally healthy.
How To Cook Pinto Beans From Scratch
- Soak your pinto beans overnight. Put the pinto beans in a large bowl and fill it up with water until the beans are fully submerged. In the morning, drain the water and rinse the beans when you’re ready to start cooking them.
- Put the pinto beans in a large pot with your other ingredients. Bring the beans to a boil over medium-high heat for one minute.
- Lower the heat and allow the pinto beans to simmer. Keep the beans covered between two to four hours or until they are tender.
Mexican Pinto Beans
Mexican-style pinto beans add flavor and variety to your favorite south-of-the-border dishes. Add a can of diced tomatoes, ½ teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin along with the other ingredients.
How To Make The Best Pinto Beans
- Soak the pinto beans overnight and before you cook them, or you'll have to do a quick soak the day you want to cook them.
- Add salt to taste.
- The longer the beans cook, the better they will taste.
How To Store Leftover Pinto Beans
Put your leftover pinto beans in an airtight container and store them in a refrigerator for four days. The bean can also be stored in your freezer for three months. When you’re ready to eat them, reheat the beans on a stove or in the microwave.
How To Do A Quick Soak
If you forget to soak pinto beans, you can perform a 'quick soak' instead. Add rinsed and drained beans to a pot, cover with three inches of water and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 1 minute, then turn off the heat, cover, and let soak for one hour. Drain and proceed with the recipe.
Pinto Beans FAQ
Both will work just fine. One time, I cooked pinto beans for 24 hours in a slow cooker and they were extra delicious. With a slow cooker, follow the instructions but cook the pinto beans at a high temperature for 3-4 hours. When using an Instant Pot, follow the cooking instructions, but include 8-10 minutes on high pressure (or 25-30 minutes for unsoaked beans) then let the pressure release naturally.
Soaking pinto beans is a necessary part of the rehydration process. Until pinto beans are properly soaked, they cannot be consumed. Studies have found that soaking pinto beans in cold water decreases their flavonoids. To maintain their flavor and starch content, pinto beans should be soaked in warm or room temperature water. If you have a pot filler, use that as your water source for soaking pinto beans.
Before you start growing pinto beans in your backyard, there are a few necessary steps you should take. First, your soil must be prepared accordingly. Fertile soil with a pH of 7.0 is recommended. Mix compost into the soil. Pinto beans only take about 90 days to cultivate.
As a rule of thumb, anything that is high in carbs is not keto-friendly. Pinto beans are naturally high in carbohydrates, which means they’re not keto-friendly.
One tablespoon of pinto beans contains 42 calories. Meanwhile, one cup of boiled pinto beans with salt has 245 calories. Pinto beans are high in fiber which means they’re effective in helping you lose weight.
Did you make this pinto beans recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!
PrintThe Best Easy Pinto Beans
The best easy pinto beans from scratch, with stovetop, slow cooker and Instant Pot directions. They are an easy, flavorful and healthy side dish to go with all of your Tex-Mex, Mexican, and BBQ meals, or a simple, hearty vegetarian dinner. (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian option)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: About 6 cups 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry pinto beans
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- Small ham hock, slice of bacon, or pork bone
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (optional)
- Water
For Mexican version:
- Add 1 can diced tomatoes, ½ teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Soak beans overnight: Pour beans into a large bowl or pot. Sift through and pick out any small rocks that may be present. Cover beans with water (at least 3 inches over beans) and let sit on the counter overnight. If you forgot to soak the beans (it happens!), use the quick soak method (see notes).
- Drain and rinse beans. Place in a large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and ham hock, if using. Add spices (this is also the time to add tomatoes and Mexican spices if you are making that version). Add chicken broth if using and fill with enough water to cover beans at least 2 inches with water.
- Place lid on the pot and heat over medium-high heat. Boil beans for 1 minute, then turn heat to low.
- Simmer 2-4 hours or until beans are tender.
Notes
- Omit bacon/ham hock for vegetarian.
- For quick soak method, rinse and drain beans. Add to a pot and cover with at least 3 inches of water. Cover, turn heat to high, and bring to a rapid boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let soak, covered, for 1 hour. Then drain and proceed with the recipe.
- For slow cooker, follow directions as written, but add beans to your slow cooker instead of a pot on the stove. Cook on high about 3-4 hours or until tender.
- For Instant Pot, add all ingredients to the pot of the Instant Pot. Close and lock lid and seal vent. Cook on high pressure for 25-30 minutes for unsoaked beans or 8-10 minutes for soaked beans. Let pressure release naturally before removing the lid.
- For Mexican version, add the tomatoes, chili powder and cumin along with the other ingredients.
Keywords: the best pinto beans, easy pinto beans, easy crockpot pinto beans
Diane Snyder says
Hands down the best beans recipe I made them using the overnight soak and then 4 hours on high in my slow cooker. I could eat these every day. THANK YOU!
★★★★★
Dan says
Simmer with the lid on or off? Not everyone is a mind reader and I justifiably dislike cooking (or any) instructions that are not thorough and well thought-out.
Jayne says
Step 3: PLACE LID ON POT, boil for a minute then turn heat to low and simmer 2-4 hours. Why be so nasty? SMH.
I have made this recipe many times and it is one of our favorite with white rice and topped with chopped white onion, avocado, cilantro and lime. YUM!
★★★★★
Kevin says
Right it didn’t say to then take the lid off and turn it to low. No need to be Nasty. Anyway, I made this and it was delicious!
Clint says
Some with the lid on. The lid will basically recirculate the stream to keep water present throughout.
Fred says
Says so in Step 3. Read the entire recipe next time.
Josh says
Damn, Dan.
HERNAN says
Ok, Dan. Skip the recipe since you can't think for yourself.
★★★★★
Nancy says
These were amazing! So creamy and the jalapeno gave it a nice kick. Thanks so much for the recipe. It reminds me of my mother in laws from West Virginia.
★★★★★
Sophia Franklin says
Should you cook the bacon before adding it to the beans or let it cook slowly with the beans?
Kaleigh says
I add it without cooking.
Kapro says
I don’t have a jalapeño pepper and we’re having a snow storm. Can I make without or use diced pickled jalapeño ?
Kaleigh says
You can definitely make them without the jalapeño! I've never tried it with pickled, but I'm sure it would be great. Also if you haappen to have either canned green chiles or canned chipotle in adobo, one of those would work too.
Kelly Young says
Delicious recipe and so easy. I really like the ability to make it 2 different ways with this recipe!
★★★★★
Michele Matous says
This really is the BEST AND EASIEST recipe for beans. But don't trust me -- try it for yourself!! You will not be disappointed!!!!
★★★★★
Alan Keith Edwards says
You can boil beans without soaking and not add anything but salt at the end and they are delicious. The add-ons are where the fun begins, but beans and salt has its won magic.
Charlotte says
I love cooking pinto beans and frying cornbread in the skillet, they look like pancakes , fried cornbread is delicious 😋
Kerri says
Thanks for the tip! I'm making mine in the skillet tonight with my beans. Yum!
★★★★★
Lori says
Can I use garlic powder instead
Of fresh garlic. I know fresh is better but I don’t have any and cooking them now
Kaleigh says
Yes, you can use garlic powder! I'd use about 1/2 tsp.
Sansy says
Made pretty much as directed. Did not add any salt, before or after. (Might add a pinch, but am watching sodium intake and they really don’t need it.) Used slow cooker on high 4-5 hours and on low/warm for another approx 4 hours. So check the beans and keep cooking until they are done/soft. Very tasty! Thanks
★★★★★
snowbird says
I make a vegetarian version omitting the meat/bone and adding some nutritional yeast, vegetable stock in place of water, and a good amount of cumin and double the amount of fresh cilantro, onions and garlic (in addition to the other ingredients listed). I let them cook for a long time, adding water as may be necessary. After cooking, I add more chopped, fresh cilantro
Barry Lippard says
Hi, Can you just cook pintos by themselves without any ingredients? Hope this is not a silly question.
Kaleigh says
Hi Barry, You can certainly cook them with just water and salt, but they wouldn't be very flavorful.
Theresa says
They are very flavorful with just water and salt. In Northern NM they are made this way often. Just don't add too much water because then you do take away from the flavor. Bacon or some substitute is often added but rarely is cumin, garlic, stock, jalapeno, green chili, cilantro added while cooking. Some of these are used as toppings after they are cooked.
Shirla says
Can be cooked with oil and water salt and pepper and onion.
Martha says
I cooked a ham and saved the fat and bone. Can I use them to add flavor to the beans? First time cooker, thanks
Kaleigh says
Absolutely! We do that often. I'd do just the bone and maybe a small amount of the fat.
Patti Whelan says
When the beans are fully cooked would drain the liquid the store in Frig.
Leroshia loud says
Thank you so much kaleigh for your Pinto recipe my son in law asked me to cook some and I was so afraid to tell him I never cooked Pinto beans but I found your recipe and he loved it please post more recipes thank you so much
★★★★★
Kaleigh says
I'm so glad y'all enjoyed it!
Leah O says
These are the best tasting pintos I’ve ever had.
Kaleigh says
So glad you love them!
John Smith says
Before using a slow cooker for these beans, please google "under cooked beans and diarrhea" for a cautionary note about dried beans that may have cooked for hours but never got above 160 degrees. My personal experience with this was somewhat dramatic.
★★★
Sansy says
If the pinto beans appear light tan/hard during cooking continue to cook until darker/soft. Imo it would be impossible to eat these beans undercooked. They are scrumptious. Now just need some collard greens (thesouthernladycooks.com) and cornbread.
Sansy says
The greens website is grandbaby-cakes.com. Have made her greens and they are the truth just like these beans.
Marius P. says
If they are undercooked and may potentially cause gastronomic distress, the best thing to do is take them to a potluck.
Jolene says
I am living in abilene tx .I love pinto beans and want to try this recipe.
Becky says
Easy and delicious. I had never added the cilantro before. Great flavor!
★★★★★
Jim says
Hi Kaleigh...I'm a native Texan (born in Merkel, as was my mother). I'm using the quick soak method this time around because I got hungry for a pot of beans NOW and I didn't want to wait until tomorrow! Anyway, here goes,,, they are soaking now...
Kaleigh says
Hi Jim, I live in Abilene now, not too far away. I hope you enjoy the beans!
Lisa says
Hi I live in Lubbock -born in Abilene & lived in Merkel 6 years in grade school. Love this recipe for beans. I always add a can of Rotel tomatoes.