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Rotina Diária

Everyday Meals

Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans

Make homemade pinto beans with a thick, flavorful broth. This easy recipe covers soaking, pressure cooking, and a garlic-and-onion seasoning base, plus essential pressure-cooking safety tips.

  • Total time 9 h 5 min
  • Prep time 15 min
  • Cooking 50 min
  • Rest or chill time 8 h
  • Makes 8 ladlefuls of beans
  • Difficulty Easy

Soaking the beans in water for a few hours softens their skins and reduces cooking time. It also helps remove some of the sugars that can cause gas, so the soaking water is discarded.

Here’s a simple trick for thick broth: once the beans are cooked, mash some of them into the sautéed garlic and onion, then return everything to the pot. The starch from the mashed beans thickens the broth.

Ingredients

Amounts for 8 servings (8 ladlefuls of beans).

Cooking

Seasoning

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Colander
  • Pressure cooker
  • Frying pan

Instructions

  1. Step 1 Sort and soak the beans

    Spread the beans on a tray and remove any small stones or damaged beans. Rinse them, then cover with the soaking water in a bowl. Let them soak for 8 to 12 hours.

    • 1 lb pinto beans
    • 2 liters of water for soaking

    About 8 h

  2. Step 2 Drain

    Discard the soaking water and rinse the beans in a colander.

  3. Step 3 Pressure-cook the beans

    Add the beans, cooking water, and bay leaf to the pressure cooker, filling it no more than two-thirds full. Lock the lid, bring to high heat, then reduce to medium once the cooker starts hissing. Cook for 25 minutes.

    • 1 1/2 liters of water for cooking
    • 2 leaves of bay leaf

    About 25 min

  4. Step 4 Release the pressure safely

    Turn off the heat and let the pressure release naturally until the pressure pin drops. Never force the valve or open the cooker before then. Check that the beans mash easily between your fingers; if not, pressure-cook for 5 more minutes.

    About 10 min

  5. Step 5 Make the seasoning

    Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the onion until golden. Add the garlic and salt, and stir for 1 minute. Add two ladlefuls of beans with broth, then mash the beans with a spoon.

    • 2 tablespoons oil
    • 1 chopped onion
    • 4 cloves of crushed garlic
    • 2 teaspoons salt

    About 5 min

  6. Step 6 Thicken the broth

    Stir the sautéed mixture into the pot, with the pressure released, and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth thickens. Taste and adjust the salt.

    About 10 min

Tips for success

  • Forgot to soak the beans? Pressure-cook them without soaking for 35 to 40 minutes.
  • Fry a piece of bacon or smoked sausage with the onion for a smoky flavor.
  • Newer beans cook faster; beans that have been stored for a long time may need more time under pressure.

Substitutions

Pinto beans
Black beans, with the same cooking time.

How to store

Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

Allergens

None of the major allergens are listed among the ingredients.

Packaged ingredients may contain traces of other allergens. Always check the labels of the brands you use.

Published October 13, 2026. US measurements: 1 cup = 240 mL, 1 tablespoon = 15 mL, 1 teaspoon = 5 mL; 1 oz = 28 g.