Learn how to cook pinto beans from scratch with this simple step-by-step tutorial. Covering three different ways to cook dried pinto beans, you'll end up with creamy, perfectly-cooked beans every time. Cooking pinto beans is easy, cheaper than canned beans, and makes the best, most tender, creamy pinto beans you've ever had!
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It's no secret that we're huge fans of beans here on HNL! We've already covered How to Cook Black Beans and How to Cook Black Eyed Peas, among others, and today we're going to get into pinto beans, which are without a doubt some of our favourites!
Dried pinto beans are a staple in my pantry - they're inexpensive, way tastier than their canned counterparts, and incredibly easy to make. Cook up a big batch and eat them on their own, or use them in soups, salads, tacos, burritos, and more. You can even use them to make your own refried beans from scratch!
If you've never cooked dried pinto beans before, worry not - I'm going to walk you through three different cooking techniques (stovetop, Instant Pot, and slow cooker) with step-by-step instructions. Once you see how easy it is to cook pinto beans from scratch, you'll never need cans again!
Ingredients
To cook up a batch of pinto beans from scratch, all you really need is two ingredients - but we'll add an optional third to make sure the beans are extra delicious.
- Dried pinto beans --> I've used a full pound of dried beans here, but we'll cover bean math below so you can scale this recipe up or down as needed.
- Water --> Regular ol' tap water is how I roll. This is fine unless you have very hard water.
- Salt --> We'll cover the myth of not salting your dried beans below. Salt 'em up! They'll taste better!
The Three Ways to Cook Pinto Beans
We're going to cover THREE different techniques for cooking dried pinto beans from scratch to yield perfectly cooked delicious beans every single time. This is the only pinto beans recipe you'll need!
Stovetop
Cooking pinto beans on the stovetop is probably the most straightforward method. You can check the beans anytime you want, and can pull them off the heat the moment they're perfectly done.
All you need to do to make this pinto beans recipe is combine well-rinsed beans, water to cover, and a bit of salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a strong simmer, and simmer with the lid off for 40-60 minutes.
The cooking time will depend on whether or not your beans are soaked (more on that below), the age of your beans, and whether your water is soft or hard.
Instant Pot
I love cooking dried beans in my Instant Pot. The pressure cooker is fast, it's easy, and there's no soaking required. All you need to do is combine dried pinto beans, water, and a bit of salt in your Instant Pot, and you're good to go.
We've tested a number of different cook times for pinto beans in the Instant Pot, and have come to the conclusion that the best results are with 42 minutes on high pressure for perfectly cooked, tender beans.
If you prefer really soft beans, for example for making a batch of Bean Burgers, you could cook them for 45 minutes on high pressure. If you're looking for a firmer bean, maybe for salads, you could cook them for 40 minutes. But 42 minutes on high pressure will yield great results every time. Please note that these cooking times are for beans that have NOT been soaked ahead of time.
If you're looking for seasoned, saucy pinto beans that are ready to serve, be sure to check out our recipe for Instant Pot Pinto Beans!
Note! Letting the pressure release naturally results in a better bean. Quick-releasing the pressure causes the temperature inside the Instant Pot to increase dramatically, which causes the beans to bash around inside. This often results in mushy beans, which a natural release will avoid.
Slow Cooker
Making dried pinto beans in your slow cooker is by far the slowest (duh!) cooking technique. However, it is hands-off, and all you need to do is add the water, beans, and salt - then set it and forget it for 4-6 hours.
As with the stovetop and oven techniques, you can easily remove the lid and check your beans at any time when you cook pinto beans in the slow cooker. This is a great option if you want to come home to a batch of freshly cooked beans - but you will definitely have to plan in advance.
I gave away my slow cooker and these days use my Instant Pot with a glass lid for all of my slow cooking needs (hence the above photo), but the results are the same!
Seasoning Recommendations
Depending on how you're planning to use your pinto beans, all you really need to season them with is a little salt. If you're cooking up a big batch of dried beans as part of your weekly batch cooking (see: Batch Cooking for Beginners) I recommend going minimal on the seasonings so you can use them in place of canned beans in any recipe.
If you like a bit of heat, adding some smoky chipotle pepper or chili flakes is a great option. You can always add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, or stir through some tomato paste to add flavor - but be sure to leave acidic ingredients like these out until the beans are fully cooked, otherwise you may end up with tough beans.
If you want to make a batch of seasoned pinto beans that are ready to eat as is, you've got options! I love making a batch of our Instant Pot Pinto Beans and seasoning them with cumin, chili powder, chopped onion, garlic, and bay leaf - among other things. They're great as a side dish, in burritos, tacos, etc.
Pinto Bean Conversion and Yield
If you're wondering how many pinto beans you'll end up with, or how many dried beans to cook if a recipe calls for a can of pinto beans, worry not! We've crunched the numbers and taken the guesswork out of it for you.
Typically, dried pinto beans will triple in volume once cooked. So 1 cup of dried beans will yield 3 cups of cooked pinto beans.
- A 15-ounce can of pinto beans contains roughly 1.5 cups of beans when drained
- ½ cup dried pinto beans = 1.5 cups of cooked beans
- ½ cup dried pinto beans is equivalent to a 15-ounce can of beans
- 1 pound of dried pinto beans yields about 6 cups of cooked beans
- 1 pound of dried pinto beans is equivalent to 4 x 15-ounce cans of beans
Should you Soak Pinto Beans Before Cooking?
That is up to you! Common wisdom suggests that soaking your beans overnight will both speed up the cooking time and lead to more evenly cooked beans. But this myth has been busted in food labs.
Turns out that soaking your beans overnight will only save you about 10 minutes in cooking time when using the stovetop technique, so I rarely bother with this. Additionally, beans that have not been soaked tend to have more flavour, and a better texture once cooked, with more intact beans at the end.
Some folks prefer to soak their beans and discard the soaking water to reduce the flatulence-causing compounds that beans are known for. Soaking also breaks down some of the complex sugars in beans that make them hard to digest. So if you're got a sensitive tummy, by all means soak your beans before cooking them.
You also may benefit from soaking your beans if you don't know how old they are. Fresher beans tend to cook much faster, so if you've had that bag of beans kicking around in the back of your cupboard since the beginning of time, you may want to give them a soak.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be frustrating to spend ages cooking dried beans that just won't soften. The most common culprit for hard beans is actually the beans themselves - if you have old or poor-quality beans, they can take ages to cook.
If you live in a place with hard water, you may struggle to get your beans to fully cook as the calcium in the water can prevent the beans from softening.
Acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes or lemon juice, can also result in hard beans. It's best to add these ingredients after the beans are fully cooked.
Cooked beans have a relatively short lifespan. If stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, your pinto beans will last for 3-5 days.
To freeze pinto beans, portion them into a freezer container (I love these silicon freezer bags) along with a little bit of the cooking liquid. Pinto beans will last for 3-6 months in the freezer.
This can depend on many factors, including the age of the beans, whether the beans have been soaked, whether you have hard or soft water, and the altitude you live at.
In general cooking a pot of dried pinto beans from scratch could take between 45-90 minutes on the stovetop. If you're using an Instant Pot, or other pressure cooker, the cook time for unsoaked beans is 40-45 minutes, plus the time it takes to build and release pressure.
If you're in a rush for your beans, you've got a few options:
1) Use your Instant Pot. This is by far the quickest cooking method for any dried beans.
2) Soak your beans. This will shave off about 10-15 minutes of cooking time for the stovetop method, and 2-3 for Instant Pot. You can use a quick hot soak if you didn't plan in advance - but at that point you may as well just keep boiling them and save an hour of soaking time.
Other recipes you might enjoy
You'll find plenty of inspiration in our archive of Bean Recipes. Here are some of our favourites:
Instant Pot Black Beans
Instant Pot Pinto Beans
How to Cook Mung Beans
How to Cook Adzuki Beans
How to Cook Black Eyed Peas
How to Cook Black Beans
How to Cook Kidney Beans
How to Cook Pinto Beans - Easy From Scratch Recipe
Equipment
Instructions
Instant Pot Pinto Beans
- Check the beans for any stones or broken beans. Rinse well.
- Add dried pinto beans, 3* cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt to your Instant Pot.1 cup dried pinto beans, 4 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual / High Pressure for 42 minutes.
- When the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Then, flip the vent to "releasing" and quick-release the remaining pressure.
Stovetop Pinto Beans
- Check the beans for any stones or broken beans. Rinse well.
- In a large pot, combine dried pinto beans, water, and salt.1 cup dried pinto beans, 4 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt
- Place the pot on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer with the lid off until the beans are tender - about 50-70 minutes.
Slow Cooker Pinto Beans
- Check the beans for any stones or broken beans. Rinse well.
- Transfer the pinto beans along with 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to your slow cooker.1 cup dried pinto beans, 4 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt
- Slow cook the beans for 4 hours at high, 6 hours on low, or until the beans are tender.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only, and are based on 1 cup of dried pinto beans serving four people.
- *If you're cooking beans in the Instant Pot, you can reduce the water to 3 cups.
- This recipe can easily be scaled up or down depending on what quantity of beans you want to cook.
Brenda
Hi, thank you for sharing how to make pinto beans and how to measure them so I don't make to much. Thank you, Thank you
Katie Trant
You're so welcome, Brenda!
Sarah
I make a batch of these almost monthly to freeze, and I use your foolproof Instant Pot method.
I eat a small portion of pinto beans with my breakfast to keep me super full until lunch.