As a lifelong Texan, most of our celebratory meals include a side of beans – typically pinto beans, that’s the Lone Star way. However, during this recent Corona Virus situation, I couldn’t find a single pinto bean or dried bean of ANY variety on the store shelves to pair with a brisket taco recipe I was delivering to Mom’s house for birthday!

That got me to thinking about the abundance of “this” and “that” that I already have piled up in my pantry — half empty bags of various food staples that “I’ll get around to finishing up sometime.” Well, “sometime” was TODAY and I created Instant Pot Tex-Mex Bean Medley using only the mish-mash of beans, canned goods and dried spices that I already had on hand!

If you’ve ever wondered how to make beans in the Instant Pot or other brand of electric pressure cooker, it is incredibly simple and this Instant Pot bean “recipe” works for most any type of dried beans or mixture of beans (if they are similar-sized). Since this dried bean recipe doesn’t require any fresh produce (only canned tomatoes, a bouillon cube, and dried spices), it’s the perfect bean side dish if you are hunkering down and “sheltering in place.” Also, it’s just pretty dang awesome for clean-eating meal prep.

Take a pound of dried beans. Use a couple varieties of dried beans (that’s why I’m calling this Instant Pot bean recipe a “medley), just try to use similar sized beans for even cooking. I used black beans, pinto beans, and white navy beans. Also, feel free to use just one type of bean . . .it’s a versatile Tex-Mex bean recipe. Dump beans in colander, rinse and pick through for duds or pebbles. 

Toss inspected, rinsed beans in Instant Pot with bouillon cube, can of diced tomatoes (or Rotel) and dried spices. Add 3 cups of water, depending on how much bean “juice” you want at the end. Pressure cook beans in Instant Pot for 45 minutes and let steam naturally release for 15 minutes.

Instant Pot Tex-Mex Bean Medley is so easy, so healthy! Beans are a great way to add fiber, protein and other nutrients into your diet. Plus, they are filling, economical and easy.

We use these Instant Pot beans as a warm side dish, served cold on salads, mixed in egg scrambles and breakfast tacos, mashed up and “refried,” and in various recipes that use beans. Tex-Mex Instant Pot beans will stay good in the fridge for 4 or 5 days stored in an air-tight container. You can also freeze beans made in Instant Pot by cooling them completely, draining from liquid and storing in freezer zip-top bags or containers. They should remain good in the freezer for several months.

10-second Take-away: 1 pound (2 cups) of most any type bean along with 3 cups of water (and desired spices) can be pressure cooked tender in about 35 to 45 minutes, with a natural pressure release afterward.

5 from 4 votes

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Instant Pot Tex-Mex Bean Medley

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

It's so easy to meal prep this easy bean side dish made entirely from pantry staples. Beans are a great way to add more protein, fiber and other important nutrients to your diet.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican, tex mex, texan

Servings: 8 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dried beans (2 cups) (assortment of black bean, white navy bean and pinto bean
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 10 oz can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles like Rotel
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dried cilantro or can sub dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
• 3 cups water

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain the beans and pick out any little pebble or dud-looking beans.
2. Place rinsed beans in 6-qt Instant Pot.
3. Add vegetable bouillon cube, tomatoes, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, dried cilantro, dried red chili flakes and water to pot, and stir to combine.
4. Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on HIGH pressure for 45 minutes. When the timer goes off, allow the steam to release naturally for 15 additional minutes. Remove the lid.
5. May be stored in refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Or, let beans cool completely, drain off most juices, and store in zip-top freezer bags in freezer for up to 4 months.