Mexican Pinto Bean Soup
Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Bean Soup (Charro Bean Soup) packs just the right amount of heat and is full of healthy protein in a rich and flavor-packed tomato-beer broth.

This pinto bean soup recipe comes from a fun new cookbook written by my fellow food blogger, Karen Lee Young, which I was sent to review. It’s called The Electric Pressure Cooker Soup Cookbook and filed with 100 Fast and Flavorful Soups to make in a pressure cooker.
Instant Pot Soups are so quick and easy, and there’s so many creative, delicious pressure cooker soup recipes in this cookbook, you’ll want to try them all.
This recipe is called Mexican-Inspired Charro Bean Soup and can be found on page 52 of the new cookbook. It’s a riff on the author’s favorite Tex-Mex soup recipe, and it packs some serious spice.
This is my adapted version of her recipe. I added directions for a quick soak option and I mellowed out the heat for my family. I’ve noted the original ingredients if you like things spicy. Either way, it’s a warming dinner for fall or any time of year.
How to Make Mexican Pinto Bean Soup
This Pinto Bean Soup recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
This recipe starts with dried pinto beans—you can use an overnight soak or the quick soak method.
For the soup, you build the flavorful base with smoky bacon, savory garlic, onion, and a broth infused with beer and green chilies.
Blending the Soup to Thicken
After pressure cooking, the soup is partially puréed. I like to use an immersion blender for this, as you can blend right in the pressure cooking pot. However, you can also transfer some of the soup to a high-speed blender or even a food processor.
You don’t need to blend the soup totally smooth, but a few pulses enhances the flavor of the broth and gives the soup a chunky texture that I love. Of course, you can blend the soup more if you like, or enjoy it as-is straight from the pot!
Soaking the Beans
If you’re good about planning ahead, you can soak the beans overnight before you prepare the soup.
If you’re like me, however, and usually forget the overnight soak, use the quick soak method. All you have to do is cover the beans with water and cook at high pressure for 1 minute, then simply let the beans soak for 1 hour.
How to Flavor the Soup
The original recipe for Charro Bean Soup from the cookbook has quite a kick, due to the minced jalapeños, diced green chiles, and chipotle in adobo.
For my kids, I omitted the jalapeño peppers and replaced them with a can of diced green tomatoes. The remaining chiles in the recipe add enough heat to flavor the soup without being overpowering.
Play around with the amount of spice that’s right for you!
What Kind of Beer Is Best for Mexican Pinto Bean Soup?
The cookbook recommends a Mexican-style beer for the soup broth to help enrich the flavor. I used a bottle of Modelo Especial.
The book includes a helpful note that if you’re concerned that pressure cooking doesn’t cook off the alcohol fully, you can use the Saute function to bring the cooked soup to a simmer. I decided to deglaze the pan with the beer before pressure cooking to eliminate that concern.
You can also substitute the beer with chicken broth if you like.
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
Try these protein-packed soup recipes for a pressure cooker next:
- Instant Pot Garden Fresh Minestrone Soup is made with beautiful garden produce, beans, and tender pasta.
- Pressure Cooker 15 Bean Soup is a savory soup made for bean lovers, and the perfect use for your hambone.
- Moroccan Chickpea Soup from Two Sleevers is another hearty vegan dish starring creamy garbanzo beans.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Mexican Pinto Bean Soup
This pressure cooker / Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Bean Soup recipe packs just the right amount of heat, plus protein-packed beans, onion, and garlic in a tomato-based broth.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 6 bacon slices, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 jalapeños, deseeded and diced, optional
- 1 bottle (12-ounces) Mexican-style beer**
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can (4-ounces) diced green chiles*
- 2 cans (10-ounces each) diced tomatoes with green chiles (we used Rotel Mild)
- 1 small chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Quick-Soak the Beans
- In the pressure cooking pot, combine the beans with 8 cups of water. Seal the lid in place and select High Pressure and a 1 minute cook time. When the timer beeps, turn the pressure cooker off and let beans soak for 1 hour. Remove the lid, rinse and drain the beans, and set aside. Wipe out the cooking pot.
Make the Soup
- Select Sauté on the pressure cooker. When the pot is hot, add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes or until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeños (if using), and cook for 2 minutes or until softened. Add the beer to deglaze, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the soaked beans, chicken broth, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, diced green chiles, diced tomatoes with green chiles and their juices, and chipotle pepper in adobo, and stir to combine.
- Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and a 20 minute cook time. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then finish with a quick release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Discard the bay leaves.
- Using an immersion blender, traditional blender, or food processor, partially blend the soup for a thicker consistency if you like.
- Stir in the cooked bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
*If you like it spicier, the original recipe includes 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced, in place of the canned green chiles.
**You can substitute chicken broth for the beer if you prefer.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 165Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 422mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 6gSugar: 3gProtein: 9g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
Disclosure: I was sent a free copy of The Electric Pressure Cooker Soup Cookbook, but all opinions expressed are always my own.
At Pressure Cooking Today, we believe in making real food with fresh and familiar ingredients.
🥘 Browse my collection of the best pressure cooker recipes here on my website (some of my most popular recipes include Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli and Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork).
💬 Follow Pressure Cooking Today on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates. Or join my Electric Pressure Cooker Facebook Group to connect with other pressure cooking fans.
✉️ Or you can join my free email list! You’ll get just one email a week with my latest recipes.
🥧 If you’re interested in more than just pressure cooker recipes, I share my other adventures in the kitchen over at Barbara Bakes. You’ll find some amazing breakfasts and breads, along with the best dessert recipes! Check it out today!
I’m making this for my second time now, it’s outstanding and is going into regular rotation.
Now that’s a rave review – thanks Kate!
Could this be done in a slow cooker? If so, would you adjust the liquid?
You can make it in the slow cooker. Cook on High for 7-8 hours – you’ll get evaporation in the slow cooker you don’t get in the pressure cooker, so you may need to add more liquid, just keep an eye on it. Enjoy!
Awesome, our entire family loved it! I Left out the jalapeños, used 1 can of mild, 1 can of original Rotel and used the Rodelo Beer (followed the rest of the recipe). I am not a beer person, but wow, the Modelo added such depth and the taste was sooo good. Another recipe to add to the family cooking binder. Thanks Barbara your the best and I can always trust your recipes to bring a smile 🙂
So glad your family loved it – thanks for sharing JB!
Cherise, I did not blend the brans and it was good. maybe next time i will. Makes a great lunch.
Loved this recipe but i made a few changes. It was very hot with the two cans of rotel tomatoes and i omitted the extra pepper. I am not a beer drinker but it added a depth of flavor to the beans. I also added the fried bacon to the recipe to add flavor.. To serve I
put it over the top i added a piece of cornbread to the soup bowl and topped with catchup.
Huge Mexican foodie! This was delicious! I made the original recipe.p
Thanks Barbara – that’s great to hear!
OMG AWESOME! Had to do some of your substitutes you suggested- beer (someone drank it😮& green chilis as my jalapeños went bad) but Wpw- 10+
WHAT IS THE SERVING SIZE; 1 what?
A serving is about 1 1/2 cups
I never soak my beans if I’m using the IP, really no need too. Just add a little more liquid and time. Also soaking the beans in water removes flavor from the beans. Cooking the beans in flavored broth is much more tasty.
There are some charts around about no soak beans in IP.
Thanks Barbara fot the recipe.
You mentioned that this soup was entirely plant based if you substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth, but it also has bacon! Do you have a recommendation on how to get the necessary fat and flavour and still be vegan? Thanks.
Hi Suzanne – good point, I need to fix that in the text. There’s so much flavor from the peppers and smokey adobe, that you could just omit the bacon.
Do i have too blend the beans? I think I would enjoy them more just the way they are
Hi Cherise – no, the soup will be delicious even without blending the beans. Blending some of the beans just makes the broth a little creamy without adding any cream. Enjoy!