Instant Pot Black Beans – the easiest way to cook black beans without soaking, right in your pressure cooker. Use in salads, main dishes and soups!
I have a lot of reasons to love my Instant Pot and being able to cook beans in minutes instead of hours, and all of that without soaking might just be my favorite thing. No more cans of beans needed! Now, I can add black beans and water to the insert of my IP and cook them in 30 minutes, ready to be used in tacos, salads and casseroles. There are no toxins, no additives added, the beans are freezable and this method is very budget friendly.
INSTANT POT BLACK BEANS
After some research, I found that adding vinegar to cooking beans helps to de-gas them, which can prevent from the unpleasant effect of consuming beans. I add 1 and 1/2 of a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (keep the white vinegar for cleaning!) to each batch.
HOW TO COOK BLACK BEANS IN INSTANT POT?
I don’t buy black beans in cans anymore because cooking them in my Instant Pot is just so easy! There is no soaking required (!!!) and you can make a big batch of beans for meal prep and all store them in a freezer. I tested the recipe with various amounts of water and 2 cups of black beans. The myth is that cooking beans requires a lot of water. The pressure cooker method allows you to cut the amount. A lot of recipes call for up to 8 cups of water for 2 cups of beans. I use 5 and the results are great. Simply add beans and water to your IP insert, add salt and apple cider vinegar and set to cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Release pressure naturally, drain beans and divide into portions. I store them in 1,5 cup portions (equal to 1 can of beans, which most recipes will call for), perfect for tacos, burritos, salads and casseroles for our 5-people family. For reference, 1 pound of black beans is about 2 cups. Cooking them in the IP will result in 5 cups of beans. One 15 ounce can of black beans equals to about 1,5 cups.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COOK BLACK BEANS IN INSTANT POT?
I tested this recipe with various times of cooking, even up to 35 minutes. The longer the time, the more broken down the beans were. I had the best results when the beans were cooked for 25 minutes for 2 cups of dry black beans. They were perfectly cooked and soft yet not mushed. Great for salads, soups, tacos and burritos. I also tested this recipe with QPR (Quick Pressure Release) and NPR (Natural Pressure Release). If you let the Instant Pot release the pressure naturally, they beans will keep their shape better and won’t burst as much. If you are short on time, wait 5 minutes then switch the valve to “venting” position to release the pressure quickly. The beans will still be great, but the skin might burst a little. Natural pressure release is the best.
HOW TO FLAVOR BLACK BEANS?
If you want add flavor to the beans, you can saute garlic and onion (and even peppers!) before adding beans and water to the Instant Pot. Also, season with cumin, bay leaves and of course, salt and pepper.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACK BEANS
Black beans are rich in fiber, iron, phosphorus, calcium and other minerals. They contain potassium, folate and vitamin B6 that are important for your blood, vessels and heart health. They promote healthy digestion and even weight loss. I like to use them in place of meat as a protein source. Great for vegetarian and vegan dishes!
DELICIOUS RECIPES WITH BLACK BEANS:
Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet
Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Salad
More Healthy Instant Pot Recipe
Check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance!
MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES:
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
INSTANT POT BLACK BEANS RECIPE
The easiest way to cook black beans without soaking, right in your pressure cooker. Use in salads, main dishes and soups!
Find recipes for dishes with black beans at www.crunchycreamysweet.com
- 2 cups dry black beans
- 5 cups cold tap water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1,5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Make sure the stainless steel insert is inside the Instant Pot.
- Add beans and water to the insert and stir. Add salt and vinegar and stir.
- Close the Instant Pot with lid, turn the valve to "sealing" position.
- Set to "manual" and adjust timer to 25 minutes. Make sure the IP is set to high pressure.
- The Instant Pot will beep and start coming to pressure. It takes about 12 minutes for my IP to do that.
- When the timer is done, the IP will beep. Press "cancel/off" button and let the pressure cooker release the pressure naturally. If you are short on time, wait 5 minutes, then switch the valve to "venting".
- When the pressure is release, carefully open the lid away from your face.
- Drain the beans. Discard the liquid or use as a base for soups!
- Divide the beans into 1,5 cup portions and store in ziploc bags in the freezer or fridge, if using through out the week.
If you want add flavor to the beans, you can saute garlic and onion (and even peppers!) before adding beans and water to the Instant Pot. Also, season with cumin, bay leaves and of course, salt and pepper.
Kim says
May 1, 2019 at 9:05 pmAMAZING! I will be honest I did not like my instapot. Other website recipes just seemed blah. I came across your website a few months ago and have LOVED everything I have tried on here. I decided I would give an instapot recipe a try. My husband insists on weekly black refried beans. This recipe is a life-changer. So quick and easy plus no more remembering to soak beans beforehand. Keep up the great work Anna! Thanks.
Anna says
May 3, 2019 at 12:17 pmHi Kim! Thank you so so much! Your comment means so much! I am so glad my recipes are helpful. Thank you so much for visiting my blog and for trying my recipes. Have a beautiful weekend!
Sean@Diversivore says
June 12, 2018 at 11:01 amYES! Instant Pot, instant beans! I was blown away the first time I made pressure-cooker beans. It’s so economical (both in terms of time and money), and the results are so tasty. This is a great recipe for building a meal around. I’ll keep the vinegar idea in mind too, as I hadn’t heard of that before. I often add epazote to Mexican beans for the same reason (supposedly anyway – not sure how well it works), as well as for its distinctive flavour, but it’s nice to have a more neutral option.
Leslie-Anne says
June 11, 2018 at 7:27 pmI haven’t tried to make beans in the IP yet, so this is super helpful. I also haven’t ever frozen beans, but this is the perfect thing for me because I only eat beans very rarely (but do enjoy them!).
Donna says
June 11, 2018 at 12:21 pmI think I need an extra freezer 🙂 I stopped buying refried beans and have been making them in the instant pot, but now my next project is definitely going to be the black beans, especially seeing as they sound so easy!
Kris says
June 11, 2018 at 10:29 amWe east black beans nearly every week. An absolute favorite of ours, and you are so right, the canned variety does not measure up to soaking and cooking. I have never made them in my IP, but you’ve got me so excited, I’m going to tonight to serve with fajitas. Love the additional tip of adding garlic, onion and peppers. Yes! Thanks for the recipe!
Dana says
June 11, 2018 at 9:00 amIs there anything the Instant Pot can’t do? I’m still guilty of buying beans in cans, because gah, SO EASY. But I really need to try this. This could be a game-changer. Especially with the no-soak. I *always* forget to soak when I buy my beans dry… hence the usual purchase of cans. Lol.
michele says
June 11, 2018 at 8:31 amI must admit I hadn’t thought of trying beans in the instant pot… silly me. So much easier than soaking them overnight! And what a time saver- definitely going to remember this for future recipes!
Marisa Franca says
June 11, 2018 at 7:15 amI wish I had an Insta-Pot! There are so many interesting recipes I want to try — especially this one. We really enjoy our beans and find them an excellent source of protein and fiber. Thank you for the vinegar tip . We’ll be sure to use it.
Sandra says
June 11, 2018 at 12:18 amI haven’t tried beans in my IP yet. Now that I know fresh beans only take 20 minutes I’ll be making a batch this week! Great idea to add a variety of flavors. I bet mild chili’s will be a tasty addition.
Jennifer Bigler says
June 10, 2018 at 11:27 amI love pressuring cooking black beans. It so easy and inexpensive. I haven’t tried it with 6 cups of water though, so I will be trying that next time. Homemade beans are the best because they are budget friendly and so much healthier than the canned beans. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Sarah says
June 8, 2018 at 10:11 pmThis is the main way that I think I’d use an Instant Pot! Dried beans are so much cheaper, but I just don’t have time to cook them. This looks so cool- and I love the vinegar tip!
Carmy says
June 8, 2018 at 4:14 pmI’m one of those people who LOVE to QR their IP instead of being patient and NPR it haha. Thanks for the compromise of 5 mins NPR and then QR for impatient folks like me! I love how easy this this – thanks for testing all the different cook times!
Gloria says
June 7, 2018 at 8:18 amI do not have an Instant Pot….but I do have a regular pressure cooker. This is a great way to prepare beans. Black beans are so delicious….and a great meat alternative. You can use them so many different ways too.
Michelle says
June 5, 2018 at 7:03 amI think I need to try this. The reason I use canned so often is because of the time involved with dried!
Sabrina says
June 4, 2018 at 11:45 pmWhat a great way to take the hassle out of homemade beans!
Jen says
June 4, 2018 at 11:43 pmI’ve been using my IP more and more. Can’t wait to try this! BTW, thanks fo the vinegar tip!
Demeter says
June 4, 2018 at 11:41 pmLove how easy and quick this is! Yay for the IP!!
I Heart Naptime says
June 4, 2018 at 8:04 pmSo easy and fast!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
June 4, 2018 at 10:55 pmExactly!
Susie says
June 4, 2018 at 8:02 pmWhat a great post! I can tell that you really took time to test how to cook black beans in an instant pot. I love all of the meal ideas and recipe ideas you have for using the black beans at the end of the post. I am obsessed with my instant pot so I want to try this right away!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
June 4, 2018 at 10:55 pmI am so glad it is helpful, Susie! I use my IP almost every day and love it!