An easy and flavorful recipe that answers all of your questions about cooking Instant Pot black beans, no soak needed.
Cooking beans is one of the tasks that a pressure cooker does best. I really love Instant Pot black beans! Especially when you don't have to soak the beans ahead of time.
You can make a big batch of beans for meal prep and use the beans throughout the week. They're an easy side dish served alone, mixed with rice or tossed into a salad.
You can also use black beans for recipes like quick and easy turkey chili, brown rice and quinoa burritos or Instant Pot vegetarian chili.
You can also use a pressure cooker to make Instant Pot red lentils, white beans, pinto beans and garbanzo beans.
If you end up with more beans than your family can eat, just freeze the beans in a freezer bag. Frozen beans keep well for up to 3 months, or longer if you have a good freezer.
Why Use A Pressure Cooker for Black Beans?
No more soaking beans overnight!
No more peering anxiously into a simmering pot on the stove!
Instead, just combine beans and water in the pressure cooker, program the cooking time and walk away. It really is that easy to make Instant Pot black beans.
I've found that cooking black beans in my Instant Pot also increases the odds that the beans will cook evenly and turn out tender and flavorful.
But I know you've got questions, because when I first started cooking dried beans, I had questions too. Dried beans are intimidating. Especially when every recipe for "perfect" Instant Pot black beans is slightly (or wildly) different. I know, because I've read all the recipes too. It's confusing when each one swears by a completely different cooking time.
I've taken everything I've learned and combined it here, answering all your questions about Instant Pot black beans.
Pressure Cooker?
I've found that 30 to 35 minutes on high pressure with a natural release is the ideal cooking time for un-soaked Instant Pot black beans.
The beans mostly hold their shape and have a tender texture without being mushy.
Keep in mind that there is rarely an exact cooking time that works perfectly for everyone. The freshness, quality and size of beans can vary, depending on the brand. So your black beans might take longer or shorter to cook than my black beans.
To find your sweet spot in this time frame, so that your black beans have exactly the texture that you personally love, you might have to cook a few batches.
Different brands of black beans cook slightly differently. If possible, always buy the same brand of beans so you can find the perfect cooking time.
Helpful Tip
If the beans aren't cooked completely, just program your Instant Pot to cook for 5 more minutes, seal the lid again, and let the beans cook a little bit longer. You can continue to cook the beans "just a little bit longer" in 5 minute increments until they reach the texture you want.
Adding More Flavor
While you can cook beans with just water, there are many types of additional ingredients that will add more flavor.
- Salt I always add salt before cooking beans and haven't found that it negatively affects the texture of the beans. It just adds much needed flavor.
- Use broth instead of salted water
- Saute veggies (onion, carrot, celery, garlic) before adding beans and water
- Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil
- Add whole, peeled garlic cloves
- Add raw onion or shallot, cut into quarters
- Add bay leaf, a few teaspoons of dried spices, or sprigs or fresh herbs
- Add strips of uncooked bacon or a ham hock to the pot
Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Black Beans
Can I Just Use Bean/Chili Mode Instead of Manually Programming the Instant Pot?
On my Instant Pot, Bean/Chili Mode automatically cooks for 30 minutes at high pressure. If this cooking time works for you, great! Use the Bean/Chili mode.
If you want to program a more specific cooking time, like 27 minutes or 32 minutes, then it's easier to press the Manual button and program in the exact cooking time that you prefer for black beans.
1 Cup Dried Beans Equals How Much Cooked?
1 cup dried beans (8 ounces) will make 2 to 3 cups cooked beans.
What is the Black Bean to Water Ratio?
To pressure cook black beans, a safe ratio to use is 3:1, 3 cups water for every 1 cup/8 ounces dried beans.
You don't have to measure the water exactly. Just add enough water to cover the beans by at least 1-inch. Error on the side of adding too much water, because you can always just strain it off after the beans are cooked. If the Instant Pot doesn't have enough water in it, the beans will burn to the bottom.
Do I Need More Than Just Water and Black Beans in the Pot?
Nope. Anything else added is extra for flavor. However, beans cooked in just water are rather bland. Read the "Adding More Flavor" section in the blog post above below for ways to add more flavor to the beans.
Personally, I always add salt because it gives the beans more flavor. I also like to add a few smashed garlic cloves and half an onion.
Should I Soak Black Beans Before Cooking?
Soaking black beans in water before cooking them is optional. The main benefit of soaking is that it shortens the cooking time. Some people also feel that pre-soaking beans makes them easier to digest.
A pressure cooker is such a hands-off and relatively fast cooking method, that pre-soaking is less necessary. I rarely pre-soak black beans before cooking them in my Instant Pot.
How Long to Soak Black Beans?
To soak beans, put the beans in a large bowl (they expand in size as they soak) and add enough cold water so there's about 2-inches of water above the beans. For more flavor and to soften the bean skins, add 1 tablespoon of salt for every pound of beans.
Soak the beans for a minimum of 6 hours and up to 12 hours before draining, rinsing and cooking. The longer the soaking time, the shorter the cooking time.
What About Quick Soak Black Beans?
Quick soaking is a shortcut if you don't have time to soak beans overnight. To quick soak black beans, put beans in a pot and cover with enough water so there's 2-inches of water above the beans. Bring to a full boil then turn off the heat. Let the beans soak for an hour. Drain, rinse, then cook.
Why Are My Cooked Black Beans Hard and Tough?
If your beans turn out inedibly tough and hard, there are several possible reasons.
Age and Quality: The texture and flavor of legumes is always affected by the quality of the beans and how old they are. Dried beans should be fine for up to 2 years, so getting "old" beans shouldn't happen too often. However, I've noticed some grocery store brands to be of lower quality in flavor and texture than heirloom beans like Rancho Gordo.
Acidity: When acidity is added to the cooking pot, it can make beans tough. Acidity also causes beans to cook more slowly, so you'll need to use a longer cooking time. Tomatoes, vinegar, lemon and wine are common culprits.
Not Enough Liquid: If there's not enough liquid in the pot and the beans aren't covered, they won't cook evenly.
Hard water: The more minerals in your tap water, the longer the beans will take to cook.
Altitude: If you live at a high altitude, you might have to make adjustments to the cooking time.
Can I Freeze Cooked Black Beans?
Yes. If you make a big batch, simply freeze the beans in a Ziploc bag, removing as much air as possible. You can drain and rinse the beans or freeze them in the bean broth. Beans will keep for several months in the freezer.
You can freeze smaller portions to replace the use of canned beans. About 1 ½ cups cooked beans equals a 15-oz can of beans.
Is the cooking time the same for a pound of beans?
The cooking time for black beans is the same when cooking both small and large batches of beans.
How To Make Black Beans From a Can
If you don't have time to cook dried beans, it's very convenient to buy black beans in a can. Black beans from a can are cooked and ready to eat. You can eat them cold in salads or add the canned beans to any recipe that you are cooking.
In most cases, you'll want to drain and rinse canned beans before adding them to a recipe.
Canned black beans are used in recipes like Quinoa Sweet Potato Chili and Vegetarian Fajitas with Smoky Lime Sour Cream.
If you've cooked a batch of dried beans, then keep in mind that about 1 ½ cups of your cooked beans equals a 15-oz can of beans.
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Instant Pot Black Beans (no soak)
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This simple, straightforward recipe for Instant Pot no soak black beans makes flavorful beans that can be eaten alone or added to recipes.
Double this recipe for a bigger batch of cooked beans - just stick with the ratio of about 3 cups water for every 1 cup/8 ounces dried black beans.
Total Instant Pot Cooking Time: 10 minutes to reach pressure + 30 to 35 minutes cooking time + natural release
- Author: Jenny Meier | Kitchen Skip blog
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups cooked beans 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Units USM Scale 1x2x3x
- 1 cup dried black beans (about 8 ounces)
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with your palm
- ½ an onion, peeled and cut in half again
Instructions
- Rinse the beans with water to remove any dust or debris
- Combine beans, water and salt in the Instant Pot. Adding garlic and onion is optional, but adds more flavor.
- For even more flavor, add fresh herbs, spices, bay leaf, a ham hock or bacon. You can also saute bell peppers and/or onion and garlic, and then add the beans and water.
- Secure the lid, making sure the steam valve is in the sealed position.
- Cook on high pressure for 30 to 35 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally (takes about 20 minutes.)
- I usually cook black beans for 35 minutes. You can start with less time and if the beans aren't tender enough, stir the beans after they cook and then continue to cook them in additional 5 minute increments.
- You'll have cooking liquid left in the pot when the beans are done. I often serve the beans with a little bit of liquid to keep them moist. You can strain the liquid from the beans if you’re using the beans in a recipe, but consider keeping the bean broth to use as a flavorful base for soup.
Notes
If your beans don't seem cooked enough you can always secure the lid back on the Instant Pot and cook the beans for a few more minutes, as long as there is still liquid in the pot. For this reason, it's often better to error on the side of slightly undercooking the beans, because you can always add more cooking time. Make sure to stir the beans first, so that the beans on the top are mixed back into the water before they're cooked again.
Some brands of beans (especially higher quality, fresher beans) will cook faster than bags of inexpensive grocery store beans.
You can make this recipe using a full pound of dried beans. For a full pound of beans, I add 6 cups of water.
When cooking beans (and grains) it's recommended that the Instant Pot is never filled more than half full. Beans and grains need room to expand as they cook.