Instant Pot Black Beans

How to cook dry black beans in the Instant Pot – a quick and easy method for cooking dried black beans (or any beans) that doesn’t require soaking. Instant Pot Black Beans are an easy, delicious side dish to any meal!

Are you rich in dry black beans and wondering what to do with them?

Well.

I’ve got four words for you: Presh er cook er.

In all seriousness, Instant Pot black beans couldn’t be any easier to prepare, and they require so little time compared to cooking dry black beans on the stove top. 

It wasn’t until recently that I began cooking with dry black beans because I couldn’t be bothered to soak them and cook them for a long period of time. The great news is you can prepare dried black beans in your pressure cooker without soaking them first – and it takes no longer than 1 hour, reducing the cook time as well.

But haste: I know some of you don’t have a pressure cooker, so I have included instructions for cooking on the stove top or in a slow cooker as well.

The cooking process is almost entirely hands off. Simply set up your pressure cooker and let it do its thing. From start-to-finish it only takes 1 hour to make dry black beans in a pressure cooker.

All your problems solved.

If you enjoy meal prepping a big batch of beans, or if you cook for a large family, you’ll love this Instant Pot black beans approach. It makes an enormous batch, and you can easily go bigger if you’d like.

Burritos on repeat? Sounds dreamy!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Black Beans:

Dry Beans: The main ingredient! Pick up a bag of dry black beans for cooking beans in the Instant Pot. I recommend rinsing the beans well before starting the recipe.

Avocado Oil: For sautéing the onion and garlic.

Onion, Garlic, Jalapeno: Bringing lots of flavor to this easy black beans recipe, onion, fresh garlic cloves, and jalapeno add so much spunk.

Chili Powder and Dried Parsley: Seasoning the beans with chili powder and dried parsley gives them an extra boost of deliciousness.

Water or Broth: In order to cook the beans, we need a great deal of water or broth. This results in a saucy liquid around the beans, which is intentional. Broth adds flavor but regular cold water works great too.

Lime Juice: A kick of citrus acidity adds to the flavor profile. Adjust the amount to your personal taste.

Sea Salt: Season to taste using salt and black pepper. 

These fresh ingredients yield flavorful beans!

How to Cook Dry Black Beans in the Instant Pot:

Place the beans in a colander and rinse them well with cool water.

Plug in your Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. Add the oil, onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion turns translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients (rinsed beans, water, seasonings) and stir well. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot.

Press Manual and pressure cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, leaving the steam valve sealed.

Once the pressure cooker has run its course, allow it to naturally release for 20 minutes. Turn the quick release valve to release any remaining pressure. Open the lid on the Instant Pot and give the beans a good stir.

Taste the beans for flavor and add more salt, lime juice, and/or seasonings to taste.

Serve with your main dish and enjoy!

Store leftover beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Should I Soak Black Beans Before Cooking?:

Making dry black beans in a pressure cooker is super quick and easy, and there is no need to soak the beans ahead of time. 

HOWEVER, soaking beans does help lower the amount of phytic acid in the legume, so if this is a concern of yours, proceed with the pre-soak. 

Phytates help protect certain plants like legumes and nuts from digestion so that they can still germinate after an animal processes them (poops them out).

In turn, beans can be difficult to digest. Soaking beans can help with ease of digestion.

In addition, soaking helps remove some of the fermentable carbohydrate (oligosaccharides) from the beans, which lowers the amount of gas they produce in the digestive system. In essence, pre-soaking beans can help prevent gas.

Serving Suggestions:

Incorporate these spicy black beans into any of the following recipes:

• Chicken Burrito Bowls with Black Beans and Kale
• Crock Pot Carnitas Burrito Bowls
• Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Burrito Bowls
• Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Chile Verde Burrito Bowls
• Crock Pot Vegan Pumpkin Chili
• Beet Black Bean Burgers with Carrot Slaw
• Turkey Enchilada Skillet
• Balsamic Grilled Chicken with Strawberry Black Bean Salsa

How to Cook Black Beans on the Stove Top:

Rinse the dry black beans in a colander then transfer black beans in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak 8 to 24 hours. To speed up this process, soak the beans in boiling water for 2 hours.

Drain the black beans and rinse again. Transfer soaked beans to a saucepan and add 8 cups of water (note: if you’re adding onion, garlic, and jalapenos, sauté them in the saucepan first).

Add any additional seasonings (like chili powder, ground cumin, bay leaf, etc.) and bring to a full boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered for 1 hour to 1.5 hours, until beans are fully cooked.

How to Make Beans in a Slow Cooker:

Rinse the dry black beans well in a colander then transfer black beans in a large bowl and fill with water. Soak 8 to 24 hours. To speed up this process, soak the beans in boiling water for 2 hours.

Add the soaked black beans to your slow cooker, along with the remaining ingredients (note: You may not need as much water for the slow cooker version, so use 6 cups of water instead of 7). Stir well and secure the lid on the slow cooker.

Slow cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, until black beans are cooked through. Taste for flavor and add more sea salt, and/or lime juice to taste.

Recipe Adaptations:

• Use any of your favorite dried beans for this recipe, including garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and/or pinto beans.
• Add your favorite seasonings like ground cumin, Cajun seasoning, and/or lemon pepper, etc.
• Mix in your favorite salsa or hot sauce for extra flavor.

With perfect black beans resulting from only a few minutes of prep time, this healthy side dish is worthy of putting on repeat!

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