Low Sodium Pinto Beans Recipe
These Low Sodium Instant Pot Pinto Beans are:
- Earthy
- Spicy (but can be less spicy if desired)
- Warming
- Filling
- High Protein
- Vegan & Gluten Free
- Low in sodium
Low Sodium Beans are Best From Scratch!
What’s In These Spicy Instant Pot Pinto Beans?
I stock up on produce with Misfits Market – they have a fantastic selection of in-season fruits & veggies, low so pantry items, and great food finds for a fraction of grocery store prices! You can get $10 off your first $30 box by clicking here!
- Dry Pinto Beans – I like these organic pinto beans which have a fantastic texture and flavor when cooked. Beans are a healthy addition to any meal – add them to your breakfast burritos, enjoy in a soup for lunch, or turn them into refried beans to enjoy with dinner.
- Onion
- Olive Oil: I like to use this fruity Zoe olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry. For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
- No Salt Seasoning Blend – I like this no salt seasoning by Badia (I use almost all of their spices) which is loaded with garlic, onion, pepper, and parsley. A great alternative to salt.
- Chili Powder: for a really nice flavor in this dip – the chili powder isn’t spicy but will give you a rich and bright flavor.
- Cumin: also adds a really nice flavor to this recipe – cumin has a lightly smokey flavor found in a lot of chili recipes.
- Red Chili Pepper Flakes: for a little heat! I like to add a few shakes to this recipe to give this dish a nice complex depth of flavor.
- Jalapeno pepper
- No Salt Vegetable Stock or Bouillon: I love this no salt vegetable base for my recipes because it has a great flavor and is lower in sodium. I only develop my recipes with low sodium ingredients so the ingredients shine. You can always add salt to a recipe if it needs it, but it’s almost impossible to take it out! By starting with a low sodium broth or bouillon, you can build bright vibrant flavors and add more salt later if needed. This soup base is also gluten free!
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
One of the Best Low Sodium Beans Recipes
This spicy pinto beans recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal! It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards – most of which you probably have on hand. Keeping a low so pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious and healthy meals using a few staples you can rotate. I made a list of my Favorite Low Sodium Pantry Staples that I always keep stocked. By stocking up on healthy whole ingredients you can cook delicious salt-free & low so recipes without a trip to the store!
How Do I Make These Salt Free Pressure Cooker Beans?
Canned Beans Versus Homemade
While I love the convenience of canned beans, I also love cooking dry beans from scratch in my Instant Pot. I use the 8-Quart Instant Pot Ultra, which is larger than standard models (which are only 6 quart) so I have extra room to meal prep and batch cook more meals for the week. The Instant Pot works wonders for cooking dried beans fast, no soaking required! While canned beans are super convenient, they are often loaded with sodium. If you buy canned beans, I always recommend using a no salt added variety so you can control the amount of salt in your dish. Next time you reach for the canned beans, think about a pressure cooker instead! Homemade beans are incredibly cost efficient, and you can add seasonings and spices to the beans while they cook for extra flavor.
More Low Sodium Dinner Recipes You’ll Love!
Low Sodium Sloppy Joes Recipe (No Salt Added)
Low Sodium Pasta Salad Recipe (No Salt Added)
No Salt Added Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
Low Sodium Pesto Sauce Recipe (No Salt Added!)
Low Sodium Spaghetti Sauce Recipe (No Salt Added)
Get the Same Ingredients for this No Salt Added Pinto Beans Recipe!
*Note when I wrote this recipe, the products linked below are all low sodium and have no salt in the ingredients. That being said, third party pages and products can change, so please double check all ingredients and nutritional content before purchasing or eating, especially if you follow a strict low sodium diet.
As always, if you make this low sodium pinto beans recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @lowsorecipes on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of recipe recreations!
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Twitter, & my Youtube channel– I’d love to connect with you there!
Low Sodium Pinto Beans
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb dry pinto beans
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon no salt adobo seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 5 cups No-Salt-Added Vegetable Stock
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 lime juiced
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode, add Olive oil and onions and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, and set to Manual/Pressure Cook mode for 45 minutes.
- Allow the beans to naturally release for 20 minutes or so.
- Drain beans if desired, and garnish with extra chopped cilantro or onions. Enjoy!
Notes
Save Money on Fresh Groceries & Pantry Staples!
I get all the fresh produce for my recipes from my garden and from Misfits Market – they sell organic produce at a discounted price, and it’s purchased direct from farmers to reduce food waste. We get Misfit boxes every other week and love picking out our favorite seasonal produce for delivery. You can save up to 40% off grocery store prices. If you think produce delivery is too expensive… think again, and give Misfits Market a try!Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify sodium amounts.
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I’m new to your site and to low-salt eating. Is there any indication what size the servings of your recipes are?
I tried the pinto beans last night (minus the vegetable stock and adobo sauce, which our store doesn’t carry) and was pleasantly surprised. It will be a bit of an adjustment because my previous pinto beans recipe was very high in salt, but it’s a change I need to make.
Hello Colleen, the serving size is usually in the recipe card (you can go right to the card by clicking the ‘Jump To Recipe’ button at the top of the site). For this recipe it’s 8 servings, which is about 1/2 cup each. I’m glad to hear you were pleasantly surprised – it can take your palette a while to get used to low sodium cooking, but after a few days or weeks everything starts tasting amazing!
What would be the cooking instructions for a crockpot instead of an instant pot?
Hi Mary,
For the crockpot, add all the ingredients and cook on high for 8 to 10 hours until the beans are tender. Let me know if you try it!
– Kelly
Hi:
Why this recipe has sodium if it doesn”t has salt in the ingredients?
Hi Lety, that’s a great question!
Some foods do contain natural amounts of sodium. In this recipe, for example, cilantro naturally has ~35mg and a whole onion has ~25mg… it’s a small amount but it does add up! And if you’re adding any processed foods (like canned or jarred vegetables) they can contain sodium from preservatives, even if it doesn’t taste salty.
Hope that helps!
Thanks,
Kelly