Instant Pot Beans: How to Cook Dried Beans in a Pressure Cooker with No Pre-Soaking Required: The EASIEST, FASTEST way to cook dried beans with success.
Do you guys have an Instant Pot?
No?!!!
Well, you need to get on it and get one ASAP!! I mean, like yesterday! I myself was skeptical of these magical pressure cooking pots, but I figured that since I am looked to for answers on all things food-related, I owed it to you all to get one and see if all the buzz was true.
It was.
The number one reason to fall in love with your pressure cooker is when you make Instant Pot Dried Beans!
If beans aren't your thing, check out my collection of Easy Healthy Instant Pot Recipes.
These pressure cookers are the BEST thing ever in a person who is busy but wants to cook home-cooked meals. I was hooked the first time I used my Instant Pot--which by the way was when I tried to make my 5 Ingredient Pot Roast with a frozen chuck roast and it was ready in less than an hour!! Crazy--right?!!
My latest obsession is making my dried beans in the Instant Pot.
I use beans in so many dishes like Black Bean Tacos, Minestrone, and Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers, that to be able to make beans quickly without pre-soaking, is a dream come true for me.
And in seriously a matter of 5 minutes prep and less than an hour, I have cooked dried beans that are ready to use. Not to mention, pressure cooking the beans results in the most tender beans I have EVER had! They have a better texture than canned beans.
Instant Pot Beans
Okay, let's break cooking dried beans without soaking down for you.
YES, you can cook dried beans WITHOUT soaking first. I know, mind-blowing!
How To Make Instant Pot Beans
- Rinse and sort your dried beans--just look over your dried beans to be sure there are no rocks that have snuck in!
- Place 1 pound dried beans with 8 cups water in your Instant Pot.
- Cook on high pressure for the directed time.
- Once cook time has released, let the pressure release naturally for at least 20 minutes before trying to do a quick release of pressure.
- Once beans have finished cooking, add in a splash of apple cider vinegar and salt. The salt flavors the beans, the vinegar helps make the beans easier to digest.
- I do like to store cooked beans in a bit of the cooking liquid to keep them moist and tender while they sit in the fridge, this is not necessary, but suggested.
Instant Pot Bean Cook Time
- Black Beans--30 Minutes on High Pressure
- Chickpeas--40 Minutes on High Pressure
- Kidney Beans--35 Minutes on High Pressure
- Pinto Beans--25 Minutes on High Pressure
- Navy Beans--25 Minutes on High Pressure
- Great Northern Beans-- on 35 Minutes High Pressure
How to Flavor Beans
Instead of just cooking dried beans in water alone, I like to add a little flavor to my beans. This step of course is optional but highly encouraged.
- Along with beans and water, add a half an onion and bay leaf.
- You will want to add salt or homemade taco seasoning AFTER your beans have been cooked. Adding salt BEFORE cooking dried beans can make it harder for your beans to break down and soften properly.
How do I know how much dried beans to cook for a recipe?
- First of all, let me start by saying that one pound of dried beans is equivalent to about 2 cups of measured dried beans. Therefore, if you don't have a one-pound bag of dried beans, just measure out 2 cups of beans for this recipe.
- Dried beans will triple in quantity when cooked. So for 1 pound, or 2 cups, of dried beans, you will have 6 cups cooked beans.
- Most recipes call for 15 ounce cans of beans. This is about 2 cups COOKED beans.
- Therefore this recipe for dried beans makes 6 cups cooked beans or the equivalent to 3 cans of beans.
How do I store leftover cooked beans?
You can cook extra beans in your pressure cooker to have on hand for recipes.
- Store leftover cooked beans in the refrigerator for 5 days. I keep the beans with a bit of the cooking liquid (much like you see in canned beans to keep them moist.) Just drain before serving.
- Or freeze prepared beans in 1 to 2 cup portions in freezer safe bags/containers in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can add a bit of cooking liquid to the beans you plan to freeze as well.
A Few Hints For Cooking Instant Pot Dried Beans
- If you like your beans SUPER soft, without a bite left to them, cook for an additional 10 minutes on high pressure.
- If you have pre-soaked your beans, reduce the cooking time by 10 minutes.
- Never fill the inner pot of your pressure cooker more than ½ full when cooking beans.
- It is best to let the pressure release naturally for beans to retain shape. However, you may do a rapid release after 10 minutes, by putting on oven mitts and pushing the steam valve to release. Just be careful not to stand too close--that steam can burn your face!
- If you find beans to be hard on your stomach or make you gassy, either pre-soak beans overnight first and/or add in ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar after cooking.
- You will most likely have liquid left after cooking the beans in the instant pot, just drain off the liquid before using in recipes.
Recipes to Use Cooked Beans
- Healthy Black Bean Baked Tacos
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos
- Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
- Vegetarian Lentil Chili
- Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili
Let's Make Instant Pot Beans
Instant Pot Dried Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried beans rinsed and sorted (this is equal to 2 measuring cups full of dried beans)
- 8 cups water
- 1 bay leaf optional
- 1 onion, sliced optional
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar optional
Instructions
- Place beans, water, onion, and bay leaf if using in the inner pot of a pressure cooker.
- Place lid on Instant Pot and close valve to "seal."
- Cook on High Pressure for Following Times:Black Beans--30 Minutes on High Pressure Chickpeas--40 Minutes on High Pressure Kidney Beans--35 Minutes on High Pressure Pinto Beans--25 Minutes on High Pressure Navy Beans--25 Minutes on High Pressure Butter Beans--40 Minutes on High Pressure Great Northern Beans-- on 35 Minutes High Pressure
- Allow to naturally release until pressure subsides, or at least 20 minutes before doing a quick release.
- Once beans have finished cooking, stir in salt and vinegar if using. Store cooked beans in a bit of the cooking liquid to keep them moist and tender while they sit in fridge, this is not necessary, but suggested.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- For incredibly soft beans without much structure left, and 10 minutes to cook time.
- For pre-soaked beans, decrease cook time by 10 minutes.
- For cooking in your pressure cooker at higher altitude, keep in mind these Instant Pot Altitude Conversions.
Nutrition
Steve
Great timing for all the dried beans. Would you haven’t tips for dried green lentils? Thanks, Steve
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Steve. Lentils need a 1:2 ratio of liquid and rice is 1:1. Cook for 22 minutes on high pressure with natural pressure release.
Julie
Thank you Kristen - I’ve been using your recipe for all of my dried beans and they turn out perfectly each & every time!
Betty
First time cooking dried kidney beans in my IP. Forgot the bayleaf, but remembered the half onion and garlic clove. DELICIOUS!! I plan to take your recommendation and start using more dried beans than canned.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so happy to hear about your success Betty! Thanks for sharing!
SanDiegoCathy
Right now I have just a half cup of dry yellow beans with liquid in the bottom of my Instant Pot, and the rack with a small frozen pork roast. Yellow beans cook pretty fast compared to others and do not need soaking; I have cooked the same size small roast before for 25 minutes from frozen, so that's what I set it for. We'll see what happens! Have you tried meat and dry beans at the same time?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi There! I have not tried cooking beans and meat together due to the amount of water that I use for beans (which ultimately adds to cooking time) Let us know how it goes.
Trevor Mackay
This is great, Thank you. Any thoughts are cooking the same way, but in canning jars inside the inner pot. (Reason to cook two different kinds of beans at the same time). I'm guessing add water to beans like your recipe, and also add water to the cooking pot.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Trevor, the beans really need a lot of liquid to cook properly and in my suggested times, therefore, I would not recommend cooking in canning jars.
Joe Malo
If I were to use dry beans in an IP chili, how much more water should I add to the recipe?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Joe! I don't recommend cooking dried beans in chili because the salt in the seasoning may interfere with the cooking process.
Jen S.
Thank you for the recipe! I’ve made navy beans several times using this, and they’re perfect every time. I did soak them for 30ish minutes beforehand and cook for 27 minutes on high pressure. I also added a ham bone-delicious!
Chris M
Made navy beans by these instructions exactly. Cooked only 28 mins. They are mush (dry bean start). I think need to cook less time for firmer (but in the can-like) beans. I'll make white bean hummus with these.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Chris! Navy beans only need 20 minutes in my experience. I will update to include the timing for that, I had left off Navy Beans.