Instant Pot Dried Beans
Learn how to cook dried beans in the Instant Pot, with or without soaking, using tested cook times for 11 types of beans.
Servings: 24
Equipment
- Electric Pressure Cooker (6 or 8 quart) (this is the least expensive, most reliable model)
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried beans rinsed and sorted (this is equal to 2 cups of dried beans)
- 8 cups cold tap water *see note
- 1 medium onion, sliced optional
- 2-4 cloves garlic peeled, optional
- 1-2 bay leaves optional
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar optional
Instructions
- Add the rinsed, sorted beans and water to the inner pot of your pressure cooker. If using, add the onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaves.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and ensure the valve is in the sealed or locked position.
- Using the pressure cook or manual function, set to cook on High Pressure using the following times: Baby Lima Beans: 18 Minutes on High PressureLarge Lima Beans: 22 Minutes on High PressurePinto Beans: 25 Minutes on High Pressure Navy Beans: 25 Minutes on High Pressure**Black Beans: 30 Minutes on High PressureRed Beans: 30 Minutes on High PressureGreat Northern Beans: 35 Minutes on High PressureCannellini Beans: 35 Minutes on High PressureKidney Beans: 35 Minutes on High Pressure Chickpeas: 40 Minutes on High Pressure Butter Beans: 40 Minutes on High Pressure
- Once the cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, you can do a quick release of any remaining pressure or allow the pressure to continue to release naturally. If you are short on time, allow for at least 10 minutes of natural pressure release, but note that the texture may not be as good.
- Once beans have finished cooking, stir in salt and vinegar if using.
- After cooking, let them cool, then store the beans in an airtight container in the fridge with a little cooking liquid for up to 5 days. The cooking liquid will help keep the beans from drying out.
Video
Notes
*Water: Use cold tap water or room temperature filtered water. Do not use hot or warm water, as this impacts the overall cook time and results.
**A note on navy beans: They are the one type of bean I DO recommend soaking, as they can get mushy if you don't pre-soak them. For anything you want to hold its shape, soak them in cold water for 8 to 12 hours, drain, and cook with 5 cups of water for 15 minutes on high pressure with natural pressure release.
For really soft beans: Cook for an additional 10 minutes under high pressure.
For soaked beans: Soak for 8-12 hours, drain, add to the inner pot with 5 cups of fresh water, and reduce the cooking time by 10 minutes.
Doubling the recipe (only works in an 8-quart Instant Pot): Use 2 pounds of beans, 10 cups of water, and keep the cook time the same.
Halving the recipe: Cook ½ pound of dried beans with 4 cups of water using the suggested cook times. You must halve the recipe to work in a 3-quart Instant Pot.
Freeze: Portion out 1-2 cups of the beans and place in a freezer-safe container, with a bit of the cooking liquid. Freeze for up to 3 months and defrost in the refrigerator as needed.
High Altitude: Refer to my Instant Pot Altitude Conversions.
Total time varies based on the type of beans cooked. I used a30-minute cook time for a rough estimate.
***Old dried beans may take longer to cook and never fully soften.*** It is best to use dried beans within 6 months of purchasing and ALWAYS check the expiration date--even recently purchased beans may have been in storage for a while.
Nutrition
Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1.3mg
