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    Instant Pot Beans

    Budget Cooking DIY Healthy Eating Strategies Instant Pot Instant Pot Side Dishes Real Food Real Life January 30, 2022 | By Kristen Chidsey | 411 Comments | *This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe
    Insant Pot Beans: How to Cook Dried Beans with NO Soaking. Get canned bean texture in less than an hour using your instant pot. Works for black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, white beans, etc. #instantpot #beans #vegan

    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.

    2 ball jars filled with cooked pinto beans that have dried beans off the side.

    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 Tuscan White Bean Pasta, 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.

    the inner pot of the instant pot filled with dried pinto beans, onions, bay leaves and garlic cloves with water and salt to the side.

    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 wooden spoon holding up tenderly cooked pinto beans from the Instant Pot

    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

    Beans in the Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Dried Beans

    How to Cook Dried Beans in a Pressure Cooker with No Pre-Soaking Required 
    4.85 from 162 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Pressure Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 12 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24
    Calories: 63kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    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
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    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

    • Electric Pressure Cooker (6 or 8 quart)

    Notes

    • For incredibly soft beans without much structure left, add 10 minutes to cook time. 
    • For pre-soaked beans, decrease cook time by 10 minutes and decrease the water to 5 cups.
    • For every additional pound of dried beans, add 2 cups of water for pressure cooking.
    • Note on Navy Beans: Navy beans can get mushy if not pre-soaked. So if preparing them for baked beans or something you want to hold its shape, it is best to soak them for 8-12 hours in cold water and then drain and cook for 15 minutes on high pressure with natural pressure release. 
    • For cooking in your pressure cooker at a higher altitude, keep in mind these Instant Pot Altitude Conversions.  

    Nutrition

    Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!
    « Pineapple Rice
    Tex-Mex Eggs Benedict with Avocado Hollandaise »

    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Vharmon

      June 04, 2023 at 7:52 pm

      5 stars
      I love the delicious simplicity of your recipes...
      Thanx so much
      v.harmon

      Reply
    2. Beverly Manley

      May 27, 2023 at 12:08 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for info about cooking dried beans in an instapot.

      Reply
    3. Buckinstuff

      April 06, 2023 at 1:53 am

      This will be newbie using my wife’s dumpster Delite not one but two pots 6 qt 8qt be leave me? Why make up a story when the truth works fine. 1 lb pino beans dry 8 cups of water. 25 minutes/ we purchased a small air fryer last July with out any debate best appliance we’ve ever used!!! Hope this pot works

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        April 06, 2023 at 7:24 am

        I hope your trash proves to be treasure and your Instant pots work well!

        Reply
    4. Marissa

      March 31, 2023 at 11:15 pm

      Kidney beans came out semi hard in the middle. I put them on for 12 more min. I really hope this works.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        April 02, 2023 at 7:11 am

        Hi Marissa! I am sorry that occurred. A few things to help in the future. Be sure to use cold tap water, not warm water. Be sure not to salt the beans before cooking. And if your beans are old, they may just need extra time. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    5. SugarNSpiceNEverythingNice

      March 11, 2023 at 10:23 am

      Hi Mind "full Mom:) Thank you for posting your recipe. I bought a bunch of dried beans (black, red and great northern). I want to for go the overnight soaking and cook them in my instant pot. Then can them in my T-Fal pressure canner. Have you ever done this and if so can you please let me know????

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 11, 2023 at 12:50 pm

        Hi there! I am not an expert at canning. But this article on canning beans may help.

        Reply
    6. Mark MacIver

      March 06, 2023 at 9:05 am

      A great help to my first dried beans. I changed up your recipe, as I am making a 15 bean soup type dish. The seasoning packet smelled of Adobo, which is "seasoning" in Spanish, and common here in my retired home of Puerto Rico. Although my 15 beans states "Cajun", I added a bit of New England flavor to it, and a couple meaty smoked ham hocks.

      Reply
    7. Seli

      March 06, 2023 at 7:10 am

      Hi Kristen. Followed all instructions (including the soaking for navy beans) but my navy beans turned out way too mushy 🙁

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 07, 2023 at 6:55 am

        Hi Seli! I am sorry your beans turned out to be mushy. I would suggest cutting back the cooking time by 10 minutes and adding additional time if needed. It may be your pot runs hot.

        Reply
    8. JoAnn Eaton

      January 19, 2023 at 1:05 am

      Looking for a Northern bean soup recipe for instapot.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 19, 2023 at 7:20 am

        Hi JoAnn! I have a recipe for Instant Pot Ham and Bean soup that uses northern beans. I hope that fits the bill 🙂

        Reply
        • Donna

          February 18, 2023 at 2:48 am

          5 stars
          In the South, we cook our pinto beans with chunks of sidemeat or hammocks. Can these just be added to the pot before pressure cooking??

          Reply
          • Kristen Chidsey

            February 18, 2023 at 8:29 am

            Yes! Just be sure your beans are not old, as older dried beans have a harder time softening with added salt.

            Reply
    9. Marissa

      January 18, 2023 at 7:03 pm

      I accidentally added the vinegar before cooking. Do you think it’ll be OK?

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 18, 2023 at 7:17 pm

        It will be fine 🙂

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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    Insant Pot Beans: How to Cook Dried Beans with NO Soaking. Get canned bean texture in less than an hour using your instant pot. Works for black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, white beans, etc. #instantpot #beans #vegan

    Meet a Mind "Full" Mom

    A Picture of A Mind"Full"Mom

    Hi! I'm Kristen. I want to welcome you into my kitchen and my REAL, imperfect life. Let me share with you tips and tricks to help you make healthy eating a reality for your family in the chaos of life and on the constraints of a budget. Read more

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    Insant Pot Beans: How to Cook Dried Beans with NO Soaking. Get canned bean texture in less than an hour using your instant pot. Works for black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, white beans, etc. #instantpot #beans #vegan

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