Instant Pot Ranchero Beans {nourishing, soaked, no gas!}
Every Mexican-inspired meal needs a side of Instant Pot Ranchero Beans! Soaking for 36 hours eliminates the phytic acid that causes gas and bloating, so you can savor the smoky flavor of these nourishing beans without paying for it later!
Ahhhh, the poor bean.
It’s so underappreciated and misunderstood.
There are whole communities of people who eat a steady diet of beans because they refuse to eat meat…
And then there are whole other communities of people who won’t eat them at all because they’re not a food our ancestors would’ve eaten or because they’re not meat or maybe they don’t even know why they’re not eating beans but they read on several Paleo websites that beans are bad, so they stay away.
Whew. I need to catch my breath after that sentence!
Anywho, the poor bean!
Let’s Give Beans Some Credit, Shall We?
While I do believe there’s a time and place for avoiding beans — like when trying to heal your gut — I also think there’s a time and place to include them. Because…
- They’re super, duper budget-friendly. Even organic!
- Beans are high in the kind of fiber that helps with blood sugar stability, bowel health, and weight loss.
- They’re readily available. Numerous varieties of beans are in every, single store out there… even gas stations sell dried beans!
- Beans are filling. Because they’re so high in fiber, a small serving of beans goes a long way.
- Happily, beans are full of B vitamins, magnesium, copper, and other phytonutrients.
- They’re abundant in an essential amino acid called lysine — one of the rare plant sources of this amino acid.
- Beans are versatile! Hummus aside, beans can serve as a thickener for soups or chili, added to meat to stretch it, and even turned into brownies and cakes! They go well in ethnic dishes and easily take on Mexican, Indian, and Asian flavors.
These Instant Pot Ranchero Beans are just one example of how the budget-friendly bean takes on flavors and is so filling!
If you’re going to have any Mexican-type meal, you gotta have Ranchero Beans! Tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, burritos… Instant Pot Ranchero Beans fill a BIG, gaping hole on the plate!
But, Beans Give Me Gas!
Yeah, tell me about it… Beans used to give our family gas, too. Like, clear the room gas.
And, now they don’t!
So, what changed?
I learned how to properly prepare them. 🙂
Years ago, when we rarely used beans because of the gas factor, I was buying canned beans. Many people, who do cook dried beans, get gas, too. Well, canned beans and cooking dried beans have 1 thing in common:
The beans aren’t given a long soak first!
Soaking — a minimum of 24 hours — is absolutely the trick to eating beans without the bloating, bellyache, and gas later! Not only does it significantly reduce the phytic acid (which causes the stomach upset), it makes all the wonderful nutrients in the beans available to nourish our bodies.
Many say that an 8-hour soak is plenty, however I strongly disagree. I don’t go by the time as much as I go by how the beans look while soaking.
Unless there’s a pretty thick layer of white bubbles formed on the top of the soaking beans, they’re not done soaking. Now, that might happen in 8 to 12 hours, but it’s unlikely.
Typically, that layer of bubbles begins forming on my soaking beans after 24 hours. Therefore, I ALWAYS soak my beans for a minimum of 36 hours — and sometimes as long as 48 hours!
Here are my beans after soaking for 24 hours:
And here are my beans after soaking 36 hours!
Notice how many more bubbles have formed — and not just in the center but around the edges of the bowl, as well. More bubbles in the bowl means less gas bubbles for you later! 😛
How To Soak Pinto Beans For Instant Pot Ranchero Beans
Since these nourishing Instant Pot Ranchero Beans are made with pinto beans, here’s how I soak them (note: this is how I prepare pinto beans whenever I cook them):
- Place 2 to 3 cups of dried pinto beans in a glass bowl.
- Cover with water. I don’t measure the water. About 2 inches above the top of the beans is how much I add.
- Cover with an airtight lid and set aside for at least 24 hours, but plan on 36 hours if possible.
- Check the beans. Are there a lot of white bubbles and foam on top? Or is the top of the water clear?
- Once there is a nice formation of white bubbles, drain the beans into a colander.
- Rinse well with cool water until the water runs clear.
- Now, the beans are ready to cook!
I love, love, love my Instant Pot for beans! I mean, c’mon! 17 minutes?! That sure beats hours on the stove or in the Crock Pot, making my entire house smell bean-y! 😉
Instant Pot Ranchero Beans
If you're going to have any Mexican-type meal, you gotta have Ranchero Beans! Tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, burritos... these soaked, flavorful beans fill a BIG, gaping hole on the plate!
Ingredients
- 3cupssoaked and rinsed pinto beans
- filtered water to cover the beans by 2 inchesThis was 7 cups for me.
- 1tablespoonsalt
- 1tablespoonchili powder
- 1tablespooncumin
- 1teaspoonblack pepper
Instructions
- Place the beans, water, and spices into the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot.
- Press the Manual button, set the pressure to high, and adjust the time to 17 minutes.
- Make sure the seal is closed.
- When done, manually release pressure.
- Serve!
Recipe Notes
Pro Tip: For "refried beans", simply add the cooked beans along with a small bit of the cooking liquid to a high-speed blender and process until smooth and creamy!
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve these beans as a side dish with any Mexican-inspired meal.
- Add them whole or blended to sprouted or cassava flour tortillas for bean burritos.
- Add them to your favorite chili recipe.
- When the flavor fits, add them to Mexican-inspired soups to stretch it!
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Do you soak your beans to reduce phytic acid and gas? What’s your favorite way to cook beans?
Updated 05.02.2018
Hi,
I have a question, I soaked my white beans for 36 hours covered with a towel. I changed the water every 12 hours. My beans smell vomit like, I guess they fermented? Are they safe or should I just toss them?
If they smell like that, I would toss them. They shouldn’t smell at all. Perhaps your house was warm and they began fermenting or required less soaking time. The warmer the environment, generally, the less time they need to soak. Also, try using an actual lid, not a towel. It’s possible too much air got in and with it, mold spores or yeasts from the air.
Any concern about bacteria or mold with the long soaking time, presumably not in fridge?
If you keep the beans covered, they shouldn’t mold. I’ve never had any mold. And don’t soak them in the fridge. They need to be at room temperature. Hope that helps!
I see you mentioned using baking soda, but I can’t find where you indicate how much to use.
Also, is there any problem of growing mold or anything when one soaks the beans for 36 hours?
I can’t find where I mention baking soda in the recipe, Niki. Would you mind telling me where you see it? It’s not in the recipe ingredients or text that I see, but it’s totally possible that my hot tea hasn’t kicked in yet and I’m missing it! 😉
You emotion it multiple times in the comments and responses, but it isn’t in the recipe at all.
I just re-read the entire post and don’t see baking soda mentioned anywhere. Can you please copy/paste where you see it? Thanks!
Okay…I’ve yet to hop on the IP wagon and seeing this recipe for beans cooked in just 17 MINUTES might finally make me cave. Plus they look so perfectly cooked. An excellent tutorial on both soaking and cooking in the IP – thank you!
Can I use this method with all types of beans?
Yes! All beans should be soaked for a good, long time prior to cooking. When I use ACV for pinto beans, they don’t cook properly for some reason. But you can still watch the bubbles when you’re soaking any variety of bean!
I love anything made in an instant pot – so easy! Loving the spices you have used in this recipe – YUM!
Thank you for this really informative and encouraging post Lindsey – the bean does get a hard time doesn’t it! Your soaking tips were really useful and I’m inspired to buy some dried beans 🙂
SO many good points here. I need to try beans on our bellies again, with this longer soaking time. And love what you said about the IP preventing the beany smell throughout the whole house, haha, SO true. Okay, lovely recipe; can’t wait to try again!
Haha, ever since going grain free, just looking at beans makes me gassy and I miss it! I really need to try your soaking method to see if I can digest them better.
I hope you do, Jean! It makes all the difference!
Hahaha… Lindsey, you got me laughing so hard! You know I am with you on the bean topic – it’s nuts out there between the pro-beans and anti-beans. I love your method by watching the bubbles! Although I always see bubbles on top of my soak, I still go by a rough time range, as I never made the connection that watching the bubbles alone is enough indication. I will totally use this method! Soaking beans are so worth it to reduce cooking time too. Again I don’t know any other way, as beans are always soaked when I was… Read more »
How wonderful that you grew up with soaking! I did, too, although I didn’t know why until many years later! Glad you’re not a bean-hater! 😉
I love how hands off soaking beans is…even though it takes awhile, it is a no brainer, and we notice a difference in gas too!! I have never tried baking soda before, always ACV, will give that a shot next time!!! Such simple ingredients here, love it!
When I use ACV with pinto beans, they don’t cook properly. I can use ACV with black beans, but not pinto.
Thank you for this tutorial! I have been afraid to make a big batch of beans in the IP yet because I don’t want to ruin them! Ha!
You won’t ruin them! They’re so yummy!
Such great (and very, very helpful) tips!
Thanks, Linda!
“Let’s give beans some credit, shall we?” LOL you have me cracking up over here. But seriously though, I wish more people knew the importance of this method. Thanks for sharing how to make them this way AND how to cook them in the IP.
Hahaha!
Love me some beans! Especially with that spice mix!