Pinto beans are one of the cheapest and most nutrient dense foods that you can purchase today. This pinto bean recipe should be in most of our budget-friendly meal plans. Beans are so inexpensive, they can be added to many different meals, and offer a great source of protein and dietary fiber.

Are Beans Good For You?

Beans are legumes. Legumes can be found all over the world. Every region has its specialty of bean dish. Okinawan eat soy beans, Brazilians eat black beans, Mediterraneans eat chickpeas, and lentils can be found in many Indian curry dishes. I understand that we can now find most of these beans all over the world, but you get what I’m trying to say. We associate these beans with different regions and varies recipes.

Beans are at the center of our culture, and for good reason. Beans are high in fiber, iron, protein, potassium, folic acid and antioxidants, and they also help lower our cholesterol, protect us from type 2 diabetes, and feed our good gut bacteria which optimizes our gut health. We should all be eating beans on a regular basis, especially with this pinto bean recipe. Beans are definitely good for you, and you should not have any fear with eating beans. If you’ve ever studied the Blue Zones, longest people groups around the world, then you will see they eat beans every day.

Do I Need To Soak Beans?

The best way to cook beans is, to first soak them. Soaked beans make an even creamier bean. If you cook your beans in a pressure cooker, which is what I recommend, then you can have a creamier bean that way too, but soaking is important. When we soak our beans for at least 6-8 hours (longer is better, I typically aim for 12 hours) before cooking, the beans release phytic acids which helps our bodies absorb all of the wonderful nutrients found in the beans like protein, iron, zinc, etc. By removing the majority of phytic acid before cooking, now we can enjoy the health benefits better.

Another benefit to soaking beans is that it removes the indigestible sugars that cause us to pass gas when we’ve eaten beans. Passing gas is nothing to worry about, and is completely normal, but to lessen this issue, soaking beans can alleviate this from happening.

Best Way To Cook Beans

The best method for cooking this pinto bean recipe is by using a pressure cooker. I have never had a better cooked bean than when I use my Instant Pot. Cooking beans on the stove or in the crockpot works, of course, but it’s a whole new level of creamy and flavorful beans when you use an Instant Pot. You will love how yummy these are, and I bet your pantry will quickly acquire many varieties of beans from here on out!

I have several varieties of beans in my pantry because we eat beans every day. We like to enjoy them in our plant based burger patties, burrito bowls, and soups. I’ve heard people enjoy beans on toast, but I haven’t tried that yet.

How to make refried beans:

To make these into refried beans, cook the beans an additional 10 minutes. That’s 60 minutes on manual and a 10 rest. Use a potato masher to mash them up, and you are good to go!

We used my refried beans on our sopes a few weeks back and they were definitely a favorite!

Just add a little garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper to the mashed beans.

Best Place To Buy Beans To Make This Pinto Bean Recipe

Beans are going to be the cheapest if you purchase in bulk. I prefer purchasing my beans in bulk through Azure Standard. Azure Standard is a co-op that offers bulk food items at great prices. Definitely check them out. I show my Azure Standard hauls each month on my YouTube channel.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Instant Pot Pinto Beans

Eating Healthy Spending Less

Pinto beans are so flavorful when cooked in a pressure cooker. Enjoy the flavor and health benefits of these delicious beans.

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Cuisine Instant Pot, Main Dishes, Recipes

Ingredients

4 cups dry pinto beans rinsed
9 cups water
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped

Instructions

Sort through your pinto beans and pull out all the broken pieces and rocks.
Rinse them good, then place in a large bowl and fill with water. 3-4 inches over the top of the beans.
Let the beans sit overnight, or for at least 6-12 hours. *NOTE: if you're in a hurry, you can do a quick soak. Put beans in a pot with water, heat on the stove until just starting to boil. Shut off the heat and let the beans soak for 2-4 hours.
Rinse beans again before adding to the pressure cooker. Add 9 cups of fresh water. Cover the pressure cooker with the lid. Make sure your valve is on "sealing." The valve is on top of the lid.
Push the Manual button and set to 50 minutes, then just walk away.
Once the pressure cooker beeps and is done, let is rest for 10 minutes (or more).
Quick release (by turning the valve to venting). Allow all the pressure to escape and the red button goes down. If you have time, you can let the pressure come down naturally.
Open the lid and season your beans with salt (about 3 teaspoons). You're done! Store in the fridge for 5-6 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.

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