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Instant Pot Charro Beans

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Instant Pot Charro Beans are a great side or even a full meal with cornbread on the side! Have you ever forgotten to soak the beans prior night? Have you ever cooked dried beans in your Instant-Pot? This best Instant -Pot Charro beans recipe is a great place to start with and get your hands adjusted to the Instant-pot! It can be served as a main dish topped with Pico de Gallo and tortilla or Mexican fiesta rice on the side! Video Recipe included

Instant pot best charro beans

Why make Charro Beans in an Instant Pot?

Charro Beans is a super flavorful dish, however it requires a good amount of time to make them. Soaking them overnight, and slow cook them for the best flavor. It requires a whole lot of time. What if i told you that you can get the same authentic flavor with fraction of a time and NO SOAKING !! Interested? Charro Beans is actually Pinto beans, so if you search for Charro beans and you get results for Pinto beans, you may be on the right page. Making Charro Beans in an Instant Pot takes less than an hour and not have to worry about whether it is cooked properly or not. Get the guesswork out of your cooking by using the Instant Pot. Best part of this recipe is that it is a dump and start recipe!

Instant pot best charro beans

What are Charro Beans?

Charro Beans Is An Authentic Mexican Recipe from the northern part Of Mexico .“Charro” actually means traditional horseman or cowboy in Spanish??   this is why we might sometimes see this recipe titled “Cowboy Beans.” Charro beans is nothing but pinto beans prepared in a specific way and ingredients. For my Indian friends, when fully cooked, these beans are similar in taste to Kidney beans or Rajma as we commonly call it .

This best Instant pot Charro Beans recipes is one of those dump and forget about it instant-pot meals. Its is a perfect option for your fall nights! Full of hearty protein & fiber, these beans are great for warming you up and keeping you nourished.  I love using pinto beans because they are a little bit thicker and they’ve got more texture to them. They go really well with the thicker puree and the creamy texture here.

Instant pot best charro beans

Ingredients for Vegan Charro Beans

Pinto Beans: You are going to need a lot of pinto beans to make this recipe. You can find bags of them anywhere, including online. When I make Charro Beans, I tend to make a lot of extra beans so that I can freeze them. Make sure you clean the debris by thoroughly rinsing them in cold water.

Pablano Peppers: The secret to this spicy, delicious, vegetarian charro beans is poblano peppers. You should ideally have the remaining spices in your pantry.Poblano (Capsicum annuum) is a mild chilli pepper originating in the state of Puebla,  If you’re wondering how hot a pepper is specifically, it measures 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville heat units.

Instant-pot: You don’t have to use an Instant-pot to make these, but you definitely can. I love this instant pot – it works perfectly and I use it multiple times every week.

The Instant-Pot charro Beans recipe is so easy to make in instant-pot. It’s perfect for the chilly winter weather coming up in the next couple of months. All you have to do is throw everything into the Instant-pot and press a button and dinner is served.

What is the difference between refried beans and charro beans?

Charro Beans and Refried beans are made from Pinto Beans. Possibly that is the only similarity between them in terms of flavor and texture. Refried beans are cooked pinto beans that are mashed together and usually broth / lard is added for flavor. It has a nice, smooth and creamy texture. Charro Beans are usually cooked with Ham or pork rinds to add additional flavors, however this Charro Beans recipe is perfectly vegetarian and does not need the meat for infusion of additional flavors.

Do you need to soak Pinto Beans for making Charro Beans?

Did you forget to soak the beans overnight? Not to worry. Cooking in the Instant-pot basically,  means you don’t have to baby sit the Charro Beans. It’s done in about 45 mins. Soaking the Charro Beans helps cook the Pinto beans quicker, however you really do not have to soak them. These are the best kind of recipes for us busy people. Or people who don’t love to spend all their time in the kitchen. This is the instant-pot I have and I love it. 

Instant pot best charro beans

Do Instant Pot Mexican Beans require meat?

Like most recipes, there are various versions of the recipe depending upon locality. Depending on what part of Mexico you are in, there are slight variations depending upon the ingredients and spices. This Easy Charro Bean recipe also happens to be vegetarian, and EASILY vegan if you skip the sour cream and cheese garnish.   It’s so warm, comforting and delicious, it doesn’t even need meat. OK you guys, bust out that Instant-Pot and start cooking!!

This uber easy and crazy flavorful Vegetarian Charro beans can be made in a pressure cooker, slow cooker, or on the stove, making it one of our favorite make-ahead recipes! You can add some heat to it by including chipotle peppers or jalapeños together with the tomato, onion, and cilantro.

Pin the best Charro Beans recipe for later.

I brought this to a Potluck a few weeks back and it was a huge hit, which confirmed that I needed to share it on the blog. So, I really hope you enjoy it and make it for your loved ones!

Instant pot best charro beans

Charro Beans Instant Pot Recipe

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Time to build Pressure: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This best Instant -Pot Charro beans recipe is a great place to start with and get your hands adjusted to the Instant-pot! It can be served as a main dish topped with Pico de Gallo and tortilla or Mexican fiesta rice on the side

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tomato diced
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 pablano pepper
  • 1 pound dry pinto beans thoroughly rinsed
  • 5 cups low sodium veggie broth / water (1/2 cup more for well done)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 bay leaves

Instructions

  1. Using an electric pressure cooker, set to saute. Add olive oil.
  2. Add Minced garlic & chopped Poblano pepper.
  3. Add in the onion , tomato, and tomato paste . Cook until tender.
  4. Add salt to taste, cumin powder, paprika,dried oregano .
  5. Add in the beans and broth. drop in the bay leaves.
  6. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes/ 50 minutes for well done. Allow a complete natural release.
  7. Serve Immediately.
  8. Optional - garnish with pico de Gallo, cilantro, and avocado

Notes

If you want to speed up cooking time, soak for 3 hours before, then cut 10 minutes off the cook time.

Remember it takes time for the instant pot to prepare the desired pressure, so keep that in mind. To speed things up, I like to use hot water.

Let naturally release for a time, but after 15 minutes you can just quick release.

Use 1/2 cup of water/broth more and 50 minutes of cook for restaurant like mushy texture / well done beans.

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Wilma Murphree

Sunday 4th of June 2023

I made this tonight. We really enjoyed the beans! I modified it a bit. I didn’t have any tomato paste (my bad), so I used about 1/3 can of tomato sauce. I par boiled the beans for 10 minutes, and then drained and rinsed them. I also used chicken stock instead of vegetable broth. My husband got seconds. He never does this. Thank you for the delicious, healthy recipe. Using the instant pot for a pretty quick cook was great.

Amy Daniels

Tuesday 18th of April 2023

I doubled the recipe and found them to be very, very liquidy. And a little bland. Can anyone suggest what to do with the liquid amount for a double batch? And how to make them a bit more flavorful? Thank you!

Monica

Friday 6th of October 2023

@Amy Daniels, I added 3 cups veggie broth and 2 cups water. I also add chorizo (about 1/4 cup) instead of the poblano pepper.

Soniya Saluja

Wednesday 19th of April 2023

Hi Amy , reduce the water or broth by 1 cup and adjust the seasoning according to your taste preference.

annie

Tuesday 31st of January 2023

Really great recipe-- my whole family loved it!

Soniya Saluja

Wednesday 1st of February 2023

So glad to hear that!

Jamie

Sunday 21st of August 2022

I soaked my beans last night so what would recommend for cooking time in Instant Pot? Thanks

Soniya Saluja

Friday 26th of August 2022

HI Jamie, sorry for the late reply . If your beans are soaked overnight . Cook it for 30 Mins and let the pressure release naturally. Hope this helps !

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Tuesday 2nd of August 2022

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