This is a recipe for Instant Pot Pinto Beans with Chorizo Sausage. Seasoned with New Mexico chile powder, onions and tomatoes, this is a meal in itself. Or a side dish for your Mexican themed dinner. Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans are no soak and easy!
Make Instant Pot Pinto Beans and Sausage on a Sunday and use them all week long. Sprinkle them in tacos, burritos, salads or even Huevos a la Mexicana (Mexican Scrambled Eggs).
I’m not big on kitchen “gadgets” but I must admit, I use my Instant Pot about once a week, and sometimes more. It’s worth it’s weight in gold to make hard boiled eggs, and performs some tasks better than stove top, oven or slow cooker.
A pressure cooker is a master when it comes to cooking starchy foods. It cooks pastas beautifully, case in point my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Chipotle Mac and Cheese. I’ve read the science behind what a pressure cooker handles starch. It was complicated, but potatoes and pasta seem to thrive cooked under pressure.
Beans are a starchy food, and I’ve used my Instant Pot to cook several different kinds of beans. Dried black beans, red kidney beans and of course, pinto beans.
And for me, it settles the debate on whether to soak beans before cooking or not. Each variety needed no pre-soaking and cooked up beautifully in a pressure cooker situation.
Surprisingly, every time we cooked dried beans at Culiinary School we used a pressure cooker.
This recipe comes from a day at school when we needed a last minute side dish for Albobdigas en Chipotle. The chef decided on beans, out came an old fashioned stove top pressure cooker and we had a side dish in pronto time and without fuss. Surprising, because Culinary school can be all about “fuss”
For this recipe we take advantage of the saute feature to cook the chorizo, then using the pressure cooker method for the pinto beans. This method builds layers of rich flavor.
You simply can’t beat the luxury of a quicker cook time for these Instant Pot Pinto Beans with Chorizo.
Let’s take a look at my recipe I call “chorizo beans”
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Broth: To add more flavor, we’ll use chicken broth instead of water to cook the beans. You can use vegetable broth, beef broth or water.
- Canned Tomatoes: I like Red Gold Petite Diced tomatoes. The tomatoes are cut smaller than other brands, which means they break down better and with smaller pieces, you’ll have a better consistent texture.
- Dried Pinto Beans: You can use red kidney beans, Mayocoba Beans, or even dried black beans.
- Mexican Chorizo: Don’t confuse Spanish Chorizo for Mexican Chorizo. Spanish chorizo is a completely different product that’s been cured. Choose bulk Mexican chorizo.
- New Mexico Red Chile Powder: Chimayo preferred. Or you can substitute cayenne pepper. Use a single blend chile powder rather than chili powder seasoning.
- Neutral Oil: Canola or vegetable oil will work well here.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Vinegar is an acid and it’s used here to brighten flavors.
- Fresh Garlic: Chopped.
- Bay Leaves: Remove before serving.
How To Make Chorizo and Beans In The Instant Pot, Step by Step
- Step 1: With fingers, tear the chorizo into small chunks. Add it to the instant pot along with the cooking oil. Press the Sauté button, then adjust the temperature dial to medium.
- Sauté the chorizo in the oil, without a lid, until it becomes slightly crispy on the edges, stirring often.
- Once the chorizo is almost fully cooked, add the onion and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and transparent. Stir in the garlic and spices.
- Step 2: Add the unsoaked beans, broth and bay leaves to the pot. Cook on high for 35 minutes.
- Add the undrained tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Change the setting to Sauté, medium heat level. Let the mixture simmer, stirring often, until the beans are very tender and the liquid has thickened.
No. The only reason I soak beans is to insure a shorter cooking time. And the Instant Pot has already taken care of that for us.
Yes. A good sized Dutch Oven will work very well. Here’s what I’d do. Cook chorizo in the Dutch Oven, when it’s almost browned, add onion and cook until softened, add garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove this mixture from Dutch oven and place in the refrigerator. Continue with the recipe simmering beans, bay leaf and broth for 3-4 hours (with lid slightly ajar), until beans are tender. Then finish the recipe by adding back in the chorizo mixture, tomatoes, and seasonings. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes to blend flavors. Remove bay leaf and serve.
Tips For Success:
- The age of dried beans will dictate how quickly they cook. Old beans may take longer to soften. Seek out dried beans from a bulk section of a reputable grocer or better yet, locally grown beans.
- Purchase bulk chorizo that is sold in a package resembling ground beef. Chorizo in a tube will cook much differently and result in much less volume and texture.
- Don’t skip rinsing the beans and sorting out the misfits.
- Try adding a 4-ounce can of roasted, chopped green chile peppers.
The Colorado dry bean industry has been a global supplier of edible dry beans for more than 60 years. Growers partner with several dealers to produce and ship over $30 million of beans annually. 85% of Colorado bean crops consists of Pinto Beans.
Colorado pinto beans are known for their bright color and creamy texure. These characteristics increase their value compared to other pinto beans grown in the United States and imports from other countries.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve pinto beans with chorizo with tortilla chips and scoop them up like a dip.
- Serve the beans over a bowl of rice or with warmed flour tortillas, with optional toppings like cheese, cilantro, green onions, or a finely diced red onion.
- Sprinkle them in salads, tacos, burritos or even scrambled eggs.
Pinto Beans and Chorizo As a Side Dish:
Storage
Store any leftover chorizo and beans in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. I like to use the microwave, reheating in 30 second increments for leftovers.
This recipe will also freeze well. Just store in a freezer safe container for up to three months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and slowly reheat stovetop or oven.
Recipe for Instant Pot Pinto Beans with Chorizo
These Instant Pot pinto beans and chorizo are super flavorful and creamy, soaking up savory goodness from the Mexican chorizo and the bay leaf. And some beautiful spice and warm heat from the New Mexico chile powder.
And the best part about it, it’s quick and easy.
These chorizo and beans could be considered a meal in itself, served with flour tortillas. Or a side dish to your favorite Southwestern main course like this Pollo Asado Recipe.
Related Recipes
If you’re a fan of cooking with dried beans like we are, check out these recipes.
- Instant Pot Refried Beans. A must have recipe for any Southwestern kitchen.
- This recipe for Bolita Beans with Red Wine, Smoked Paprika and Jalapeno is a great example and I’ll always use the slow cooker method for this recipe. For no other reason than I know it works well.
- Cowboy Chili with Kidney Beans. Rich and robust, this is our favorite chili recipe.
And the most popular dried bean dish on my site for 15-Bean Soup (Crockpot Recipe). And if you’re looking for another bean side dish, take a look at this recipe for Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans. Easy and delicious.
I hope you give this pinto beans with chorizo a try. It’s one of our go-to favorites.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
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Instant Pot Pinto Beans with Chorizo
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Vegetable oil
- ½ pound Mexican Chorizo bulk
- 1 Sweet onion Rough chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic pressed in a garlic press
- 2 cups Dry pinto beans
- 2 Bay leaves
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 teaspoon New Mexico Chimayo Chile Powder or Ancho
- 15 ounce can Diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon cider vinegar
Instructions
- With fingers, tear the chorizo into small chunks. Add it to the instant pot along with the cooking oil. Press the Sauté button, then adjust the temperature dial to medium.
- Sauté the chorizo in the oil, without a lid, until it becomes slightly crispy on the edges, stirring often.
- Once the chorizo is almost fully cooked, add the onion and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and transparent. Stir in the garlic.
- Add the beans and bay leaves to the pot and wait a moment to let the beans absorb some of the heat and prevent the broth from splattering when it hits the hot pot.
- Add the New Mexico Chimayo Chile Powder and stir.
- Add the broth to the pot, stir briefly to combine, then place the lid on the Instant Pot. Select high pressure and set the time button to 40 minutes.
- After the beans have cooked 40 minutes, let the pressure natural release for 5 minutes.
- Press the steam release to quick release and remove the remaining steam. Once the pressure valve has fallen, remove the lid. Discard the bay leaf. Add the undrained tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Change the setting to Sauté, medium heat level. Let the mixture simmer, stirring often, until the beans are very tender and the liquid has thickened.
- Stir in the cider vinegar and remove to a serving bowl.
- Serve the beans with tortillas, tortilla chips, or over a bowl of rice, and with optional toppings like cheese, cilantro, green onions, or finely diced red onion.
Notes
-
- The age of dried beans will dictate how quickly they cook. Old beans may take longer to soften. Seek out dried beans from a bulk section of a reputable grocer or better yet, locally grown beans.
-
- Purchase bulk chorizo that is sold in a package resembling ground beef. Chorizo in a tube will cook much differently and result in much less volume and texture.
-
- Don’t skip rinsing the beans and sorting out the misfits.
-
- Try adding a 4-ounce can of roasted, chopped green chile peppers. Just stir them in at the end.
Nutrition
Instant Pot Pinto Beans … It’s What’s for dinner.
This recipe for chorizo and beans was first published June of 2018 and updated January of 2024 with step by step instructions.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
This maybe the best bean recipe I have ever used. I have made it several times, this time I substituted dried Cranberry beans, it is still a winner.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Suzanne – what a compliment. Thank you! And thanks for taking the time to let me know. And I’m so glad it worked with cranberry beans. I’ll try it next time. Have a delicious day!
Hi, I made these and they were delicious! However, my beans weren’t quite cooked all the way–I would have liked them softer. Next time, I will let them cook for an additional 5 minutes (is that enough?) or if I’m really organized, I might soak them over night.
LEA, these recipes look great! It’s awesome to see so many delicious recipes in one place.
Sounds like the instant pot is really working out for you. You’re making some dynamite dishes! I just happened to have pressure cooked a pot of pintos yesterday to eat on this week and used all of your ingredients minus the tomatoes and chorizo. So that will be easy to add for a great meal tomorrow. Nice looking bowl of beans Lea Ann.
Looks wonderful. I love my pressure cooker. At this altitude I can’t cook dried beans without it.
Perfect for summer outdoor events
Lea Ann, I’m not one to jump on any bandwagons, but you ARE tempting me to jump on the Instant Pot bandwagon. I’ve resisted so far, but you are someone whose opinion counts with me! And I’ll take a big bowl of these beans too!
FInally! The instapot! Manservant loves pintos. Must be his Texas roots. Though I still don’t have THE POT you can bet I will still attempt this recipe! Yummy!
I will totally be making these pinto beans! I use a Cuckoo, rather than an IP, and will fill her up w/your goodliness! xo
I’ve made loads of Mexican-style bean dishes, but have never included chorizo for some reason. I should — love the stuff! And in an Instant Pot? How easy! Good recipe — thanks.