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 was skeptical of these magical pressure cooking pots, but I figured that since I am looking 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 for 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 them 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 of 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 the beans have finished cooking, add in a splash of apple cider vinegar and salt. The salt flavors the beans and 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 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 of cooked beans.
- Most recipes call for 15-ounce cans of beans. This is about 2 cups of 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 under 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 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 it 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, 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.
Christine
I would have left out the apple cider vinegar at the end as it immediately made my beans bitter. I was able to wash it off the beans but it made the soaking liquid unusable.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Christine. I often discard the soaking liquid myself, as it really lacks flavor (I just use it to store the beans). The vinegar helps make beans a bit easier to digest, but of course you can omit it.
Shelia
I am cooking 1 lb of beans i added 6 cups of water and hamhock, it is now almost at 3/5ths full, is that ok, am worried.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Shelia! It will be okay, just be sure to allow pressure to release fully naturally.
Hannah Russell
Can I cook 2 lbs of pinto beans in my 8 quart instapot. When you say don't fill the pot more than half full, is that meaning with liquid or with beans. Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Hannah! Yes, you can fit 2 pounds of beans in your Instant Pot. I would add 12 cups of water. That will be plenty!
Renee
I'm making red beans and rice. I'm assuming you should cook the beans for 30 minutes?
Kristen Chidsey
Yes! 30 minutes for red beans works. Enjoy!
Anna
If I’m halving the recipe (only had 1 cup of dried beans) do I need to half the cook time as well?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Anna! The cooking time will remain the same regardless of how many beans you make.
Abbie
there is nothing better than fresh cooked beans they taste so creamy ! I will never go back to processed canned beans! 😉
Kristen Chidsey
I agree 100% So glad you enjoy!
Abbie
trying to make baked beans and like to mix chickpeas , kidney beans and pinto
beans together. how long should I cook the mixture of beans?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Abbie! I typically do not recommend cooking different types of beans together, as their cooking time is quite different. If you would like, you can try this combo at 40 minutes (as that is the the needed cook time for chickpeas). Just keep in mind the pinto beans and kidney beans may be softer than you like.
Kim
I want to cook beans with a ham hock. Will the cook time change? Will the texture of the beans be affected by the salty meat? Thank you 😊
Kristen Chidsey
There would be no time change. However, yes the saltiness from the ham hock could effect the texture of the beans. If they are not super old beans, it should still work.
Evelyn
thanks for all the useful information
Pat Johnson
I use a pressure cooker vintage 1976 (stainless steel) revere ware. I once used it for black eyed peas. No more. It blew up. Pealed peas off ceiling for a week. Is instapot made differently? Would never use for beans since??
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Pat! I understand your hesitation to try out an instant pot given your experience with a traditional pressure cooker. The instant pot lid locks into place and can not be opened until pressure is released, so this issue should never happen.
Jeff
Thanks for this article. I am cooking chickpeas in my instant pot to make a pasta e ceci recipe tomorrow. For my recipe, I used 3 cups of vegetable borth, 5 cups of water, 2 Bay leaves, garlic and Italiano seasoning.
Emilia
I am excited to try this -- if I wanted to add a couple bunches of kale would that affect the overall cooking time?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Emilia! I have made dried beans with collards and mustard greens with no change in cook time. It should be about the same for kale. Enjoy!
Kim
I have just used my instant pot for dried baby white Lima beans today. I have been dreading to try without soaking beans first but they turned out fabulous! I didn’t have apple cider vinegar or bay leaves and I didn’t add salt. Instant pot along with my air fryer and I am eating healthy again with less salt and am enjoying trying different ways to use my instant pot. Soup is my next adventure in the instant pot!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so happy the Instant Pot is helping you to cook healthier, low-sodium meals.
Steve
I'm going to use this for ham bone soup. Thanks.
Kaity
Does not work for pinto beans...came out a watery mess. What a waste of beans. SMH 🤦🏼♀️
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Kaity. There should be significant water left after cooking the beans. They need to be drained off to use as the recipe states. If the watery mess occurred while cooking, be sure to check your instant pot to see that it is sealed. And NEVER do a quick pressure release.
Blake
what a waste of beans! LOL
Amanda
That's the best ! Why would you want dry beans ? Remove the beans from the Water and fry the beans
Emily Grey
Timing for red beans? Someone just gave me about 8 pounds and I'm going to have to work through them. Fortunately, there are a lot of great red bean recipes out there! - unfortunately, most of them call for [x] *cans* of beans. :-/
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Emily! I would cook for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Al R.
Hi Kristen
My question is, if I were to mix 2 or 3 kinds of dried beans together for the instant pot, would I use the greater of the times for the different kind of beans? I think black beans were 30 minutes and pintos were 35, but if as per your chart, I was to mix two or more with different cooking times, what time period would I use?
Thanks.
Al
P.S.
I just cooked 2 S/L B/L chicken breasts in the IP and then shredded them. (Gonna make some kind of taco-y burrito type thing for tomorrow).... so I’m cooking some black beans in the instant pot now,. 4 cups of liquid, I used 3 cups and 1 cup of chicken broth, the rest of what was in the fridge from a different and recent kitchen adventure and 2 cups of black beans for 30 minutes.
Thank you again for the advice...
Grandpa Al
Kristen Chidsey
Hi! I love that you are using what you have in your pantry! Chicken and Black Bean Burritos are one of my favorites! If you are cooking black beans and pinto beans together, I would suggest cooking for the longer time (35 minutes). Please reach out any time with other questions.
Lkgris
Why is the salt not added during the period of pressurized cooking?
Kristen Chidsey
It can hinder the softening of the beans.