How To Thicken Pinto Beans 6 Best Tips For Your Dishes
Pinto beans are famous worldwide due to their versatility, soft texture, and benignness. Compared to other beans, it is easier to digest, full of nutrients, and available in multiple forms, from dry to canned.
Different from other beans, pinto beans are creamy, nutty, and earthy. With such a flavor, it works well as a filling for burritos and soup.
However, there is one common question among new cooks: how to thicken pinto beans? The beans seem soft, so are there any tips you should know to avoid losing its flavor? Scroll down this post to find out!
Instant Pot Bone Broth Recipes
If you have been with me for a while, you know that I love to make bone broth. And I will be honest with you, I was skeptical about making bone broth in the Instant Pot. I was worried that the high pressure would diminish the nutritional benefits of bone broth.
But after I spoke with the customer service folks at Instant Pot, I learned that to guarantee that my bone broth would come out rich and gelatinous, I should set my Instant Pot pressure to low, not high.
And they were right! Be sure to watch the videos below to learn more tips on how to guarantee that the bone broth in your Instant Pot comes out great every time! I have you covered with Instant Pot recipes for:
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How To Make Refried Beans
The secret to creamy refried beans is the cooking liquid. Yep, its magical!
I usually remove a little more than half of the beans to freeze for later and leave the remaining beans in the pot with enough cooking liquid to cover the top of the beans.
Then turn the Instant Pot to Saute and allow the beans to reach a low boil. Continue to have the beans simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so they dont burn on the bottom of the pot.
Once the beans have simmered for a couple minutes, turn off the instant pot, and start mashing them with a masher. Keep mashing until you reach your desired consistency.
If you like them extra creamy you can run them through a blender. My kids love eating beans this way. Its perfect as a bean dip, in a bean and cheese taco, or any recipe that calls for re-fried beans.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, but I havent froze re-fried beans yet. Instead I get the frozen whole beans with liquid, thaw, and mash them in a skillet after theyve been heating in the pan.
Im using Peruvian beans, but the exact same process and methods can be used for Dried Pinto or Black beans.
Feel free to customize with any spices or flavors to jazz up the beans. This is a base recipe, and if you are using Peruvian Beans, the flavor is delicious on its own. You can add some onion, garlic, bacon, and jalapeno to Pinto and Black beans.
Not sure what to serve Peruvian Beans With? Here are 11 Recipesto use them in.
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Perfect Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Posted by chelsea | Mar 14, 2018 | Featured, Instant Pot, Recipes, Sides | 8 |
Perfect Instant Pot pinto beans are a snap to make with the Instant Pot! These beans are excellent in tacos, on nachos, in a taco bowl, or anywhere else you would use beans with a Mexican flavor. I love beans, but they used to require quite a bit of time. I would make a big batch and freeze them so that I could have them on hand when wanted, but now I make smaller batches in my Instant Pot because they are so quick and easy to make. A bonus is I have more space in my freezer!
The Instant Pot can make beans from dry to done in about an hour! I still like to soak my beans, however. We in the traditional foods camp, believe in soaking, souring, or sprouting our grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes whenever possible to release their phytates. Phytates are what keep these foods from sprouting too soon, before conditions are just right. These phytates bind up some of the minerals in these nutritious foods, saving them for when the seed needs them. So, to get the most nutrition out of your grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts, you should soak, sprout, or sour them. A very important side benefit of this is that these items are much easier on the digestion. With so many people having digestion issues these days, this is a benefit that shouldnt be ignored.
How To Make Instant Pot Pinto Beans:
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Do You Need To Soak Beans Before Pressure Cooking
You dont need to soak beans before cooking them in an Instant Pot. Unsoaked beans will cook evenly and fairly quickly in a pressure cooker. In my experience, unsoaked beans split apart less during pressure cooking. So if you forget to soak your dried beans or you just dont want to soak them, you can still make delicious pinto beans in your Instant Pot.
However, soaking beans for 8 to 12 hours before cooking may make them easier to digest. Soaking helps to remove some of the gas-causing sugars from the beans. Soaked beans will also cook faster.
When I remember to plan ahead, I soak my beans because its hardly any more effort. You can decide what works best for you and your schedule.
Health Benefits Of Pinto Beans
In this post all aboutInstant Pot Dried Beans we discussed the many health benefits of beans. Pinto beans are exceptional!
A 1/2 cup of beans contains 7 grams of protein, less than a half gram of sugar, and are loaded with fiber which makes them very filling and satisfying.
They are an excellent source of vital nutrients for vegans and vegetarians, but there’s a catch . . .
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Do Pinto Beans Have To Be Soaked Before Cooking
No, you do not have to soak the beans before making them in the Instant Pot. Just make sure to rinse the pinto beans and pick out any pebbles or dirt before starting. You can place the dried beans in a colander to easily rinse them.
These Instant Pot pinto beans with bacon are a delicious side dish that will turn any main course into a homestyle meal. If youre looking for serving ideas, may we suggest our Pork and Beef Meatloaf, our Sage Brown Butter Skillet Cornbread, or this Sausage and Rice Skillet Dinner?
Pop leftovers into the fridge to enjoy the next day, or divide these up for meal planning throughout the week. This Instant Pot pinto beans recipe makes a dish that is truly versatile, which means a pot of flavorful beans will go with almost any meal!
How To Make Instant Pot Beans
- Rinse and sort your dried beans–just look over your dried beans to be sure there are no rocks that have snuck in!
- Place 1 pound dried beans with 8 cups water in your Instant Pot.
- Cook on high pressure for the directed time.
- Once cook time has released, let the pressure release naturally for at least 20 minutes before trying to do a quick release of pressure.
- Once beans have finished cooking, add in a splash of apple cider vinegar and salt. The salt flavors the beans, the vinegar helps make the beans easier to digest.
- I do like to store cooked beans in a bit of the cooking liquid to keep them moist and tender while they sit in the fridge, this is not necessary, but suggested.
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How To Use Them
I love that these instant pot pinto beans can be eaten as is, or used in other recipes! Here are some of my favorite ways to use them.
Add a bit of cilantro, and eat them as is. You can strain them, or serve them with the liquid. I love them with a scoop of cottage cheese, as well.
Use them in enchiladas. Some of my favorites are these Easy Enchiladas or these Garlic, Bean and Chicken Enchiladas, using the pinto beans in place of the cannellini beans.
These beans are perfect for topping Navajo Tacos!
They are great in most chili recipes, like this Crock Pot Chili. If the recipe calls for another kind of bean, I will often use pinto beans.
These pinto beans are perfect for Refried Beans!
Can I Freeze Cooked Beans
Sure! Go ahead and make a big batch of beans and freeze some for later. Freeze the beans in a Ziploc bag, removing as much air as possible. You can drain the beans or freeze them in the bean broth they cooked in. Freeze smaller portions to replace the use of canned beans. About 1 ½ cups cooked beans equals a 15-oz can of beans
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Do You Soak Beans For The Instant Pot
Someone is going to ask this question: Do I need to soak dried beans before cooking? No. Especially not for Instant Pots or pressure cookers. Soaking beans speeds up cooking. On the stovetop, that means soaked beans cook for hours less than un-soaked beans. But in a pressure cooker, the difference isnt that big of a deal. It takes 40 minutes at high pressure for un-soaked beans, vs. 20 minutes for soaked. Thats why Im a fan of Instant Pot beans Im not organized enough to soak beans overnight, but I can still make a weeknight pot of beans.
At its most basic, this recipe can be pinto beans and water, but there are a couple of small finesse items I add to my Instant Pot Pinto Beans recipe. The first is quick-releasing the pressure. Quick releasing brings the pot to a sudden boil, which roughs up the beans and stirs some of their starch into the pot liquid. The second thing is adding salt to the cooking water. Yes, its OK. It wont harden the beans, and it seasons them more thoroughly. The last one is adding an onion and bay leaves. Theyre not necessary, but they add a hint of sweet and herbs to the beans.
How To Make The Best Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Get the printable recipe with options for using soaked and unsoaked beans
This recipe for the best Instant Pot Pinto Beans includes the no soaking method, which only takes 30 minutes to cook! Learn more about Tex Mex Pinto Beans and get a printable recipe with options for using soaked and unsoaked beans, as well as instructions for making Pinto Beans in the Instant Pot, stovetop, and slow cooker.
*Affiliates note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My videos and blog posts may contain affiliate links to products and services. If you click through and make a purchase, Ill receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay.
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How Do You Cook Dried Beans In An Instant Pot
You can cook any type of dried beans in your Instant Pot pressure cooker. Water and beans are all you need, seasoning is optional. Check the cookbook that comes with your Instant Pot for guidelines on how long to cook each type of bean. Easy, easy, easy! I love to make Black Bean Soup in my Instant Pot.
For 1 Pound Of Unsoaked Pinto Beans
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How Long Does It Take To Cook Beans In The Instant Pot
When it comes to actually cooking your beans in the instant pot, the time varies by bean type. Chickpeas, for example, can take upwards of 40 minutes to cook, whereas lentils take less than 10.
And then theres the soak factor. If youve soaked your chickpeas, they only take about 10, whereas soaked black beans take about 5. So reallyits bean dependent!
To make it easy for you, Ive put together a free printable cooking chart that outlines the various cooking times for 11 of the most common beans . And weve even included the different times for soaking vs. not soaking!
How To Make Drunken Beans
To start the party, sautébacon, chopped onions, jalapeño peppers, and garlic in a Dutch oven until the bacon is cooked and the veggies are softened. Deglaze the pan with a bottle of dark Mexican beer. I like to use Modela Negra.
Now its time for your beans to party. Dump the pinto beans in the pan, along with broth, molasses, brown sugar, and seasonings. The beans will absorb the beer and the broth, and get soft. Let them simmer for at least a couple of hours, stirring occasionally to make sure they arent sticking.
Check the beans to make sure theyre not drying out. If you need to, add more broth. Remember, its all about the juice.
When the beans are tender and youre ready to serve them, stir in some fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. DO NOT skip the lime juice. It adds just the right note of tanginess. You may even want to add more! I like to serve them with tortilla chips and homemade pico de gallo.
Serve drunken beans in a bowl with a spoon so everyone can scoop up all that yummy juiciness.
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How Long Do Pinto Beans Take To Cook
Typically, when cooked over the stove top, pinto beans take at least over an hour to get them perfectly tender and full of flavor.
However, the Instant Pot is a major win here because its such a huge TIMESAVER. The beans cook on high pressure in the Instant Pot for 45 minutes tops!
A little more time is necessary to sauté the bacon and release pressure from the Instant Pot, but this pinto beans recipe is still extra efficient when compared to the stovetop method.
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How To Cook Pinto Beans In Instant Pot
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Nothing beats the taste of home-cooked beans, especially if you season it right. In this recipe, were showing you how to cook pinto beans in an Instant Pot in less than an hour without soaking the beans. The beans come out flavorful and creamy.
Cook a big batch of pinto beans and freeze some for later.
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Ingredients For Cooking Pinto Beans In Instant Pot
- Pinto Beans: Use fresh dry pinto beans although beans have a relatively long shelf life, older beans with varying dryness may take a much longer cooking time to be softened. Sometimes the dry pinto beans can get so old & stale that they wont cook properly even after long cooking time. So best to use fresh dry beans if possible.
- Ground Cumin: We like to freshly ground our cumin seeds with a Mortar and Pestle, as the flavor & aroma come out more intense and fresh. However, you can use store-bought ground cumin seeds.
- Jalapeno: You can keep the jalapeno seeds to make the dish spicier. This dish is mildly spicy without the seeds.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes: Its critical to use a high quality can of fire-roasted tomatoes as it is one of the stars of the dish. You can also roast your own tomatoes over fire if you like.
- Bacon: Use bacon with some smoky flavor & aroma to maximize the depths of flavors for this Mexican pinto beans recipe. It pairs well with the pinto beans.
- Regular Soy Sauce: Adding regular soy sauce will add another layer of umami flavor.
- Unsalted Chicken Stock Different brands or even different boxes of the same brand of salted chicken stock can differ in levels of sodium, so we prefer to develop recipes using unsalted chicken stock for more control & consistency on the dishs flavor profile. Best if you can make your own chicken stock .
