Instant Pot Black Beans

Name: Instant Pot Black Beans
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 cup black beans (dry); 1/4 medium white or yellow onion; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1 cup vegetable broth (or substitute water); 2 cups water

Great for meal-prep or batch cooking, made from scratch black beans are so delicious and easy, you just might want to kiss canned beans goodbye. This is the absolute best way to cook black beans from dry beans. No soaking necessary when you make Instant Pot black beans.

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These Instant Pot black beans are so delicious and easy to make, you just might ditch canned beans for good. The process is virtually hands-off, freeing up your time. Plus, the beans come out incredibly tender and tasty since dried black beans absorb loads of flavor and spices while they pressure cook in the Instant Pot. It’s only slightly more effort than cracking open canned beans, but the pay-off is huge.

We’ll show you exactly how to cook black beans in the Instant Pot from scratch. This recipe is great for make-ahead of batch cooking because you can use black beans in so many different dishes including chilis, dips, salads, soups and even dessert. They can also be a meal all on their own. If you’re eating vegan, vegetarian, gluten free or dairy free, you’re going to love this Instant Pot black beans recipe.

Table of Contents

WHAT ARE INSTANT POT BLACK BEANS?

These beans are made by pressure cooking dried beans using an Instant Pot, a modern-style electric pressure cooker. The heat and steam are sealed inside the pressurized pot, so food cooks much faster than on a stovetop or oven, plus more moisture is locked in to the food.

If pressure cooking sounds intimidating or dangerous, rest assured that the technology and safety features of an Instant Pot make it very safe and more user-friendly. Simply follow the instructions and you’ll have tender and delicious black beans.

❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS BLACK BEAN RECIPE

✔️ An easy side dish using simple, affordable ingredients

✔️ Virtually hands-off, freeing up your time

✔️Better flavor and texture than canned beans

✔️High in nutrients, fiber and protein; vegan, gluten free and dairy free

✔️ Can be used in many other dishes; great to make ahead

dairy free, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, keto friendly

INGREDIENTS

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for Instant Pot black beans, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

You may have all of the ingredients for Instant Pot black beans in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Black beans: Be sure to use fresh dried black beans; older beans will take longer to cook.
Onion: Use a white or yellow onion.
Salt: We’re using sea salt but you can use what you have on hand.
Vegetable broth: If you don’t have vegetable broth you can use water.
Water: You can use tap water but if you have hard water, your beans may take a little longer to cook.

VARIATIONS

Spicy: Add a minced jalapeño or Serrano pepper to the pot before cooking.

Seasoned: Add 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder to the pot and stir before cooking.

Cuban style: Add a diced bell pepper, onion, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 2 bay leaves, 1 clove of garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano.

INSTRUCTIONS

This section shows how to cook black beans in the Instant Pot, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, nutritional information, to print the recipe or to have the recipe scaled to double or triple, see the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Rinse beans and pick out any debris. Place them into the Instant Pot with the onion wedge, salt, broth and water. Include any additional spices you prefer.

🔴 TIP: No soaking needed. Soaking may decrease cooking time a tiny bit, but it produces less flavorful beans. Instead, simply rinse and remove any debris.

Black beans in Instant Pot with onion and vegetable broth being poured in.

Instant Pot with ingredients before being cooked.

COOK: Lock and turn valve to seal on the Instant Pot. Set the Instant Pot to high pressure or manual for 30 minutes.

RELEASE: Allow a 20 minute natural pressure release before venting and releasing any remaining steam.

DRAIN: Remove the onion and drain the water.

closeup of cooked black beans in a bowl.

RECOMMENDED TOOLS

Instant Pot – This recipe requires an Instant Pot, which is an electric pressure cooker with added technology to make pressure cooking safer and more automated. You can cook just about anything in an Instant Pot and you don’t have to use the pressurization. An Instant Pot is a great tool for shortening cooking time, locking in moisture and achieving soft, tender results. You could also adapt this recipe to the stove top.

HOW TO MAKE BLACK BEANS ON THE STOVE

In a dutch oven, add rinsed beans and onion. Cover beans with 8 cups of broth and/or water.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it’s boiling, remove the lid and reduce the heat to low, or low enough to maintain a simmer.
Stir to make sure no beans are stuck to the bottom. Cook on a gentle simmer for 1 hour.
Test a bean with a fork to see if the fork squishes it easily. If they’re sufficiently tender, remove from heat and drain. Otherwise, continue cooking, checking every 10 minutes.

HOW TO MAKE BLACK BEANS AHEAD

To make black beans ahead, you can follow the regular Instant Pot cooking instructions. After cooling, place cooked beans in airtight containers or resealable plastic bags for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

⚠️ TIPS FOR THE BEST BLACK BEANS

Follow these tips to make the best Instant Pot black beans.

✔️ Clean your beans. Rinse thoroughly and pick through your black beans to remove any debris or small rocks.

✔️ Soaking is not necessary! Soaking black beans decreases cooking time by a tiny bit but also produces less flavorful beans.

✔️ Use fresh beans. We recommend using fresher beans. Older beans will take longer to cook, especially in an Instant Pot. On the stove you can check on the doneness of your beans easier.

✔️ Hard water will slow down cooking. You will need to add additional time to cooking if you have hard water.

STORAGE TIPS

Refrigerate: Store in an air tight container or freezer bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days.

Freeze: Store in an air tight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Defrosting: Place the beans in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Reheat in a sauce pan over low heat on the stove.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH INSTANT POT BLACK BEANS

Cilantro lime rice
Chipotle chicken burrito bowl
Grilled chipotle chicken kebabs
Sheet pan chicken fajitas
Salsa verde (and don’t forget the chips!)

MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES

If you love love Instant Pot black beans you’ll enjoy our Instant Pot carnitas, Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup, or Crock Pot chipotle chicken tacos.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For perfect results every time, here are answers to the most common questions about cooking black beans in the Instant Pot.

What is the ratio of black beans to water in an Instant Pot?

To cook dry beans in the Instant Pot you need 3x the water/vegetable broth. So, if you are cooking 1 cup of dry beans, you will need 3 cups of water/broth. For 2 cups of dry beans, you’ll need to add 6 cups of liquid to the Instant Pot, etc. Do not exceed the max fill line on the Instant Pot.

How long does it take to cook beans in an Instant Pot?

Cooking on high pressure, it takes approximately 30 minutes to cook dry, unsoaked beans in an Instant Pot. When the Instant Pot is done cooking, let it naturally release for 20 minutes.

Do black beans need to be soaked?

You do not need to soak dry black beans before cooking them in an Instant Pot. The soaking decreases cook time slightly but the beans are not as flavorful.

How do you cook beans on the stove quickly?

You can cook beans on the stove in about 1 hour. Cover 1 cup dry beans with 8 cups of water or broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Test tenderness. Continue cooking, checking every 10 minutes, until desired tenderness is reached.

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5 from 38 votes