1. Rinse and pick through the beans to remove any small pebbles or any other form of dirt.
2. Optionally, you could soak the beans for 8 hours at least, and up to 12 hours at room temperature in a big bowl of water (try to use filtered water if possible). Rinse the soaked beans thoroughly in a colander.
3. In the Instant Pot, add the pinto beans, either in soaked and drained or unsoaked form, depending on what you decide on. Pour water into the instant pot, stir together with the beans and the remaining ingredients, except the salt.
4. Adjust the steam release valve to the sealing position and close the Instant Pot lid. By using the Pressure Cook or Manual button on high pressure, set the cook time as follows; 30 minutes for unsoaked beans, or  15 minutes for soaked beans
5. It will take roughly 10 to 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to reach pressure, after which the cooking time will begin to count down. Allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 15 minutes after the cook time has ended by letting the Instant Pot stay undisturbed.
6. Then, to ensure that all of the pressure has been released, move the steam release valve to the venting position. Open the lid of the Instant Pot carefully once the pin has dropped. Toss the beans and season with salt to taste.
7. After the beans have cooled, they can be kept in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.

Recipe Notes

• You can skip the fresh onion, garlic, and jalapeno if you’re short on time. In addition to the other flavors, you can also add ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
• The amount of water for unsoaked beans can be increased from 4 to 5 cups. This ensures that the beans are cooked more uniformly.

This instant pot pinto beans recipe takes a total duration of 1 hour to cook, including a prep time of 10 minutes and a cook time of 25 minutes. For more recipe ideas for instant pot pinto beans, check out this video recipe.