FROM THE ARCHIVES!

ORIGINALLY SHARED ON MY FORMER BLOG – JULIE & KITTEE

VEGAN + GLUTEN-FREE / SOY-FREE / NUT-FREE / CAN EASILY BE OIL-FREE

I’m sharing Creamy Dreamy Pinto Beans by request, this is easily one of my most popular recipes, and a staple recipe in our home.

The cooking method I’m sharing here results in very soft, well-cooked beans in a thick gravy or sauce. If you’re familiar with New Orleans red beans, you’ll understand exactly what I mean!

If you’re more familiar with canned beans, these are very different! They’re most similar to refried beans, however, instead of being processed into a puree, these are left whole. They’re cooked until verrry tender and practically melt in your mouth.

Usually, this style of beans are simmered in a big pot, all day long until the beans are soft and their liquid has thickened into a sauce. This Instant Pot method is much faster and reduces the cooking time substantially. Of course, you can always put these in a crock pot or simmer them on the stove for hours, too.

Notes from my original blog post read:

“These beans are great made ahead and kept in the fridge all week. They’re so easy to turn into tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas or bean bowls. I love serving these over cheesie grits, with mac n cheese, or other Southern sides like greens and cornbread.”

 

If you’re an Instant Potter and like beans, you’ll roll-your-eyes-up-in-your-head love these.”

You can adapt this method of cooking pintos to other bean varieties as well. I often make black beans, white beans and red beans similarly, although I change up the seasonings depending on the flavor profile I want. Recipes coming soon for Black Beans and Red Beans!

In the same way, you can change up the seasonings here as well. I often make these without the dry oregano and cumin, and use more fresh oregano, since it’s abundant in my garden.

You can also make these without oil! That’s my way these days, and we honestly don’t even notice a difference. See recipe notes for more information.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot! Creamy-Dreamy Pinto Beans.

2

These Instant Pot beans are cooked until very soft and practically melt in your mouth!

They're great stored in the fridge for several days and make fabulous, fast meals. Serve with a starch and vegetable, for a perfect meal.

Please read the recipe notes before proceeding with the recipe!

Course: Beans and Legumes, Main, Protein, Side

Cuisine: Beans, Instant Pot

Keyword: Easy to be Oil-Free, From the Archives, Gluten-Free, high protein, Instant Pot, Legumes, Main, Nut-Free, Oil-free, Palm-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Side, Soy-Free, Vegan, WFPB

Servings: 6 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil optional
• 1/2 onion finely diced
• 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups dry pinto beans soaked
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon vegan bouillon optional
• 1 sprig oregano, thyme or parsley optional
• 4-5 slices pickled jalapeno
• Splash pickled jalapeno brine, or vinegar

Instructions

• Press the sauté setting on the Instant Pot, and let it get hot while you prep the onion and jalapeno.
• Add the optional olive oil into the hot Instant Pot. Quickly add the onion, jalapeno and salt. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables soften and begin to brown.

  [For oil-free beans, please read the recipe note below].
• Add the garlic and dry spices. Continue to cook and stir for another minute. Be careful - minced garlic can burn easily!
• Add the water, beans, optional bouillon, liquid smoke and fresh herbs, if using. Stir to combine.
• Cover, lock the Instant Pot lid in place, close the vent and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes [to change between the sauté setting and high pressure, temporarily turn the Instant Pot off].
• Carefully, quick-release the beans. They should be very soft with quite a bit of liquid on top.
• Turn off the Instant Pot, remove the lid and stir. If using fresh herbs, pick out any visible stems.
• Add the pickled jalapenos and brine, or vinegar.
• Turn on the bean setting and bring the beans to a steady, full simmer. Be careful! The beans tend to sputter and are very hot!
• Stir often, until the water has reduced, the beans are creamy and the liquid has turned into a thick gravy. To speed up the process, you can mash a few spoonfuls of beans against the inside wall of the cooker.

  It will take about about 10-12 minutes of devoted stirring to thicken the gravy.
• Season to taste with salt and devour! The beans will continue to thicken as they cool.

Notes

• The easiest way to soak dry beans is to cover them in water and rest overnight in the fridge. You can also cover them in boiling hot water and rest for an hour. Either way, drain the beans before proceeding with the recipe.

 

• To make these beans without oil, simply sauté the onion and jalapeno in a hot, dry Instant Pot. You can add a little water or broth if they begin to stick. Sometimes I even add a stalk of minced celery, which keeps them pretty moist until the rest of the ingredients are added!

 

• On days where I am not rushed for time, after the initial cooking time, I will allow the beans to release steam naturally. Then I'll set the beans on the "slow cook" setting for a few hours, stirring vigorously every 30 minutes or so until the liquid has thickened and the beans are creamy.

Creamy Dreamy Pintos on a charred corn tortilla topped with a fresh fruit salsa and avocado.

I’m hoping to build the recipe section of this site to be a mix of new and old recipes you may have seen before. I want my best recipes culled from my old projects to have a place where I can access and share them easily, and I want a place for new recipes, too!

If this is a recipe you really appreciate, please leave me a tip or consider joining my Patreon! Even a couple of dollars is appreciated and motivates me to continue to share recipes.