• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
DadCooksDinner
  • Home
  • Rotisserie
  • Recipes
  • Tools
  • Books
  • Merch
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Books
  • Tools
  • Merch
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Books
    • Tools
    • Merch
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Instant Pot Bean Recipes

    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans

    Published: Apr 4, 2017 · Modified: Oct 5, 2021 by Mike Vrobel · This post may contain affiliate links · 21 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans | DadCooksDinner.com

    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans recipe. A taste of Santa Maria, ready in about an hour in the pressure cooker.

    My wife knows me. What did she get me on a trip to San Fransisco? Beans. Not just any beans - pinquito beans from Rancho Gordo at the Ferry Market. I have wanted to try these beans for years; they are an essential side dish for Santa Maria Tri-Tip Barbecue, but I’ve never been able to find them locally.

    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans | DadCooksDinner.com
    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans

    Enter Rancho Gordo, the internet’s gourmet bean source - except, instead of ordering them online, my wife bought them at the source and flew them home to Ohio.

    Now, to make sure I had the recipe right, I needed more than one bag of beans…so I did order a few more online. Plus some black beans, small red beans, and pinto beans. Hey, I need them for research.

    The pinquito beans were worth the extra effort - they’re smaller and meatier than pinto beans. I know, I know, that description doesn’t help much. Trust me - they taste fantastic, and are worth seeking out. I can see why they’re such a hit in Santa Maria.

    I used my bean secret weapon - my pressure cooker - to cook them in about an hour. Ready for a brothy bowl of pinquito beans, perfect to serve with Santa Maria Tri-Tip? Here they are.

    Jump to:
    • 🥫Ingredients
    • 🥘 Substitutions
    • 🛠 Equipment
    • 📏Scaling
    • 🤨 Soaking Santa Maria pinquito beans?
    • 💡Tips and Tricks
    • Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans
    • ☃️ Storage
    • 🤝 Related Posts
    • 💬 Comments

    🥫Ingredients

    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans | DadCooksDinner.com
    Rancho Gordo Beans
    • Dried Santa Maria pinquito beans
    • Bacon
    • Onion
    • Garlic
    • Dry Mustard
    • Baking Soda
    • Tomato Sauce

    See recipe card for quantities.

    🥘 Substitutions

    Want a vegetarian version? Replace the bacon with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil so there's some fat to sauté the onion.

    Can't find pinquito beans? Use pinto beans or navy beans. Both cook in about the same amount of time as the pinquito beans, and though they have different flavors, they work well with this recipe.

    🛠 Equipment

    A 6-quart pressure cooker. Pressure cooker dried beans are one of the reasons I became a pressure cooker convert, and why I love my Instant Pot so much. Try them - you’ll never go back to canned beans. (OK, maybe you will, for convenience - but see the Storage section for tips on make ahead freezer beans.)

    📏Scaling

    This recipe scales down easily - cut everything in half if you don’t need as many beans, or have a 3-quart pressure cooker. Scaling up runs into space issues; if you have an 8-quart pressure cooker, you can double this recipe, but it’s too much to fit in a 6-quart pressure cooker.

    🤨 Soaking Santa Maria pinquito beans?

    I get the “to soak, or not to soak?” question all the the time. I don’t soak my Santa Maria pinquito beans in this basic recipe. They don’t need an overnight soak, and cook to tenderness with 35 minutes at high pressure.

    That doesn’t mean you can’t soak the beans. They turn out fine, though the bean broth isn’t quite as full bodied. Soaked beans cook much quicker, 12 minutes at high pressure. I use that when I’m cooking the beans with other ingredients, where the shorter cooking time keeps me from overcooking the whole dish just to get the beans tender.

    💡Tips and Tricks

    • Salt your bean water! “Salt toughens beans” is a myth. Salting before cooking helps season the beans all the way through as they cook.
    • Acid does make beans tough, though, and tomatoes are acidic. So, to balance out the acid in the tomatoes, I add Baking soda. (Remember Chemistry class? Baking soda is a base, counteracting the acid in the tomatoes).
    • If your beans are still tough when the cooking time is over, especially any “floaters” at the top of the pot, give the beans a stir, lock the lid, and pressure cook for another five minutes. Older beans take longer to cook, and if the beans have been sitting in the shelf at your store for a while, they may need extra time.
    • Simmer to thicken: If you have the time, and want thicker bean liquid, simmer the beans for 20 minutes after pressure cooking. I set my Instant Pot to Sauté mode adjusted to low, set the timer to 20 minutes, and leave the lid off to let the broth evaporate.

    Video: Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans - Time Lapse (1:25)


    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans - Time Lapse [YouTube.com]

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans | DadCooksDinner.com

    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans


    ★★★★★

    4.8 from 6 reviews

    • Author: Mike Vrobel
    • Total Time: 27 minute
    • Yield: 6 cups beans 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans recipe. A taste of Santa Maria, ready in about an hour in the pressure cooker.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 4 ounces bacon, diced (can I get that at the grocery store?)
    • 1 large onion, minced
    • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1 pound Santa Maria Pinquito Beans, sorted and rinsed
    • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 6 cups water
    • 8-ounce can Tomato Sauce

    Instructions

    1. Brown the bacon: Spread the bacon out in the bottom of the pressure cooker pot, then put it over medium-low heat (or, in an electric PC, turn on Sauté mode). Cook the bacon, stirring often, until the bacon is starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
    2. Sauté the aromatics in the bacon fat: Stir the onion and garlic into the bacon in the pressure cooker pot, and sprinkle with the ½ teaspoon of salt. Sauté until the onion softens, about five minutes.
    3. Everything in the pot: Add the sorted and rinsed pinquito beans to the pot, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, the mustard powder, and the baking soda. Stir in the water, and then stir in the tomatoes.
    4. Pressure cook the beans: Lock the lid on the pressure cooker and pressure cook at high pressure for 35 minutes in an electric pressure cooker, or 30 minutes in a stovetop PC. (On the Instant Pot, use the Manual setting, and set the cook time for 35 minutes.) Let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 minutes more. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid any hot steam.
    5. Season, and serve: Taste the soup, then add salt and pepper until you just taste the salt on the tip of your tongue. (I usually add another teaspoon or two of salt to the pot.) Serve, passing hot sauce at the table if you want an extra kick of heat.

    Equipment

    6-Quart Pressure Cooker

    Buy Now →

    Notes

    This recipe fits in a 6-quart pressure cooker. (I love my 6 quart Instant Pot - though if you pay close attention to the video, you’ll notice that I use a Fagor Lux that I was testing.)

    Thickening the beans: If you want to thicken up the bean broth, scoop 2 cups of cooked beans and cooking liquid out of the cooker and puree them, then stir the pureed beans back into the pot. I put them in a quart measuring cup and use my stick blender.

    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 1 hour
    • Category: Side Dish
    • Method: Pressure Cooker
    • Cuisine: American

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @DadCooksDinner on Instagram and hashtag it #DadCooksDinner

    ☃️ Storage

    A 2-cup container of beans, with cooking liquid, replaces a 15-ounce can of beans from the grocery store. They’ll last in the refrigerator for a few days, and freeze for up to 6 months. I always make extra beans, and freeze the leftovers for use in other recipes. Freezer beans are ready to use with about 5 minutes in the microwave, and are so much better than canned.

    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans | DadCooksDinner.com
    Pressure Cooker Santa Maria Pinquito Beans

    🤝 Related Posts

    Pressure Cooker Refried Pinto Beans - Dad Cooks Dinner
    Pressure Cooker Senate Bean Soup - Dad Cooks Dinner
    Pressure Cooker Lentil and Bacon Soup - Dad Cooks Dinner
    My other Pressure Cooker Recipes
    My other Pressure Cooker Time Lapse Videos

    Enjoyed this post? Want to help out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe to DadCooksDinner via eMail or RSS reader, recommend DadCooksDinner to your friends, and buy something from Amazon.com through the links on this site. Thank you.

    More Instant Pot Bean Recipes

    • A bowl of Mexican black beans sprinkled with cheese and cilantro
      Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans (no soaking needed!)
    • A bowl of cooked snowcap beans with a smaller bowl of uncooked snowcap beans
      Instant Pot Snowcap Beans
    • A red bowl of refried pinto beans, with a few cilantro leaves on top
      Instant Pot Refried Beans
    • Three bowls of cooked Pinto Beans on a wood table
      Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Soaking)

    Sharing is caring!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jamie says

      March 25, 2023 at 8:24 pm

      Phenomenal recipe! I am vegan, so I substituted some liquid smoke for the bacon. Came out amazing. Thank you so much!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        March 25, 2023 at 9:10 pm

        You’re welcome!

        Reply
    2. Janet Goff says

      February 06, 2023 at 8:22 pm

      Great recipe Mike! I served these with rice and a dollop of guacamole on top. 🙂

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        February 06, 2023 at 8:34 pm

        Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    3. Stephanie says

      November 04, 2021 at 2:20 pm

      This is my go-to recipe and I live in Santa Maria where these beans are a staple of every bbq.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        November 04, 2021 at 8:08 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    4. Janet Goff says

      February 21, 2021 at 3:38 pm

      I think Rancho Gordo beans are well worth the extra price. I love this recipe Mike, I'm a fan of pinquitos. Thanks again for another great recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Howard says

      June 20, 2018 at 12:43 pm

      You've got me hooked on Rancho Gordo beans. So good.
      If I soak/brine these pinquito beans overnight, would the pressure cooker time be about 15 minutes like pinto beans?

      Reply
    6. Tanya says

      January 06, 2018 at 6:55 pm

      Interesting recipe! I found it while doing a search for recipes that I could cook in my new Instant Pot. I'm a Santa Maria native and am used to the pinquito recipes that do not have any tomato sauce or mustard in them, although your recipe sounds very good! The recipe I use calls for some diced green chilies instead. I mostly use the Jocko's Steakhouse Restaurant (Nipomo, CA) or Shaw's Steakhouse (Santa Maria, CA) recipes (I think you can find them online). Also, if you are having trouble finding the pinquito beans, Lompoc Valley Seed & Milling is an excellent option! They have many other bean varieties as well.

      ★★★★

      Reply
      • Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says

        October 05, 2019 at 4:55 pm

        Thanks!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    7. Jennie says

      October 22, 2017 at 11:29 am

      Would this work with regular pintos? I, alas, have no pinquitos at the moment, but I'm going to order some ASAP! However, I do have diced bacon in need of a pot of beans.

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        October 22, 2017 at 3:27 pm

        Yes, it will work with pinto beans.

        Reply
    8. Chad says

      September 23, 2017 at 11:28 am

      I love your website, youtube channel and recipes! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        September 23, 2017 at 11:30 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    9. ebacklund says

      April 25, 2017 at 3:10 pm

      Love Rancho Gordo! I've been a member of their bean club for about 2 years now, and always look forward to my quarterly box of beans.

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        April 27, 2017 at 9:12 am

        I just signed up for the Bean Club - I'm a Rancho Gordo convert now.

        Reply
    10. Astra says

      April 05, 2017 at 3:43 pm

      Yes, be warned: Rancho Gordo is hugely addictive. Our favorites so far are the piquinto and the Royal Corona (although I made the Rio Zape beans this week and they had the best bean broth I have ever tasted).

      Reply
    11. Jennifer Gibbons says

      April 05, 2017 at 12:51 pm

      The Good Mother Stallards are really good, I agree, but you need to try the Rio Zapes (super meaty tasting) and the Yellow Indian Woman (ridiculously creamy).

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        April 05, 2017 at 2:16 pm

        Adding to my list!

        Reply
    12. Razzy 7 says

      April 04, 2017 at 8:58 pm

      Glad to hear you're trying beans from Rancho Gordo. Love, love, love their beans and I love that they are heirloom beans. They're always fresh because when a season's beans are sold out, that's it. No more until the next season's beans are available. I love too that they have bean varieties I've never heard of. A favorite variety I'd recommend to you is Good Mother Stallard beans.

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        April 04, 2017 at 8:59 pm

        Thanks for the tip - I will check out the Good Mother Stallard beans.

        Reply

    Questions? Made the Recipe? Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Dad Cooks Dinner! I'm Mike Vrobel, a dad who cooks dinner every night. I'm an enthusiastic home cook, and I write about pressure cooking, rotisserie grilling, and other food topics that grab my attention.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Pressure Cooker Beef Shank (Osso Bucco)
    • Pressure Cooker 7 Hour Leg of Lamb (in 90 minutes)
      Pressure Cooker 7 Hour Leg of Lamb (in 90 minutes)
    • Pressure Cooker Brown Jasmine Rice
    • A green bowl full of chicken noodle soup
      Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

    Recent

    • Shredded pork on a bed of rice, with an Instant Pot, jar of Recaito, and Sazon packets
      Instant Pot Puerto Rican Pulled Pork (Pernil al Caldero)
    • Mexican Brown Rice in a bowl
      Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice (Pressure Cooker Recipe)
    • A plate of brisket slices with a pickle, onion, and bbq sauce
      Instant Pot Beef Brisket
    • Two jars of chicken broth on a wood table in front of an Instant Pot
      Instant Pot Chicken Broth

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Dad Cooks Dinner

    560 shares
    • 12
    • 1