How To Make Fast, No-Soak Beans in the Instant Pot

I think having a warm pot of beans whenever you want them is at least half the reason for owning an Instant Pot.

Beans on the stovetop are fantastic for a lazy weekend afternoon, but with a pressure cooker you can go from opening a bag of dried legumes to plump, tender beans in under an hour. How’s that for a sales pitch?!

Video: How to cook beans in the Instant Pot

Which pressure cooker to use

You will need a 6 to 8 liter pressure cooker to prepare a batch of beans. I use a 6 quart instant pot, but you can use this basic method for other electric pressure cookers and pressure cookers as well.

Best beans for quick cooking

You can cook any type of beans in the Instant Pot, including:

• Black beans
• black Eyed Peas
• Big beans from the north
• navy beans
• pinto beans
• Cannellini beans
• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• kidney beans, However, I recommend cooking the beans for about 10 minutes first to break down the lectins.

The cooking time depends on the type of beans and the age of your beans. Check out the cooking time chart in the recipe for specific times!

How many pounds of beans?

I usually cook a pound of beans at a time in the pressure cooker. That makes about five cups of cooked beans, which is enough for multiple meals throughout the week. I also often freeze half the batch for future meals if I don’t think I’ll use them up during the week.

No need to soak (Really!)

And no, I don’t pre-soak my beans. I’ll admit that my first forays into no-soak beans were entirely due to a lack of pre-planning on my part. (I so rarely manage to coordinate my lust and willingness when it comes to beans.)

But then I realized I didn’t really need it. The beans cooked well without overnight soaking. They’re evenly cooked, tender, and creamy, and they’re good for everything from tacos to a quick bean soup!

Why you might still want to soak your beans

That means you make a few concessions by skipping the soak. The biggest is the appearance of the beans: They tend to get more split skins and “blown out” beans (which pop like popcorn) if they aren’t soaked.

For my everyday cooking, I’m fine with beans that are a bit rough around the edges. However, if you’re preparing a bean dish for your in-laws or the Pope, you should plan ahead and take the time for a long, careful soak.

Second, some people find that soaking their beans helps make them easier to digest (although others disagree). Personally, I haven’t noticed much of a difference between soaked and unsoaked beans on my own digestion, but if you find soaking helpful in this regard, then by all means go ahead.

If you want to soak your beans (and can plan your bean cooking ahead of time better than I can), then do it! The quick cook time is generally about half the time without soaking.

Natural pressure relief or quick relaxation?

One last point for discussion: the pressure relief. I think it’s worth releasing your pressure cooker naturally, or at least as long as possible before opening the pot. This helps offset some of the appearance issues, resulting in fewer blown beans – although you’ll still get some. The bean cooking liquid also tends to foam up into the steam valve when you make a quick release; Keep the pot depressurized for as long as possible to avoid this.

I usually let the pot depressurize naturally until I need the beans, then I press the pressure valve to depressurize the rest of the way.

What if my beans are still hard?

Occasionally you might open your pressure cooker and find that your beans are still a little crispy or not quite cooked the way you’d like. That’s fine! The cooking times I give in the recipe are just general guidelines, but be aware that the beans themselves can vary quite a bit. Depending on their age, their type, or even the type of water used, your beans may take a little longer to cook than expected (for example, if your water is high in calcium, it may increase the cooking time).

If your beans aren’t quite ready, follow these steps: Put the lid back on the pressure cooker and make sure the drain valve is back to the “seal” position. Cook on high pressure for an additional 5 to 10 minutes (depending on whether you think your beans just need a little more time or a little more time to finish). The pot quickly comes under pressure again because the contents are already hot. Check your beans for the extra cooking time and cook longer if necessary.

Tips for the best beans

• Add a tablespoon of oil: This helps reduce foaming as the beans cook, which can sometimes clog the pressure valve and affect cooking.
• Add a teaspoon or two of salt: This is your only chance to season the beans from the inside, so be sure to add some salt to the pot. For your first batch, start with a teaspoon and see how you like the taste. I usually add two teaspoons to my beans.
• Add flavoring ingredients! Aromatic additives such as garlic, onions and bay leaves make beans even tastier. Add them at the beginning of cooking along with oil and salt.
• Always use enough liquid to cover your beans by a few inches: Beans absorb a lot of liquid when cooked. Eight cups of water is usually enough for one pound of beans. You can experiment with reducing the amount of liquid if you like, but be careful if you don’t reduce it too much or your beans won’t cook properly.
• Do not fill the pot more than half full with liquid: This is a precaution against overflowing due to foaming during cooking.
• Adjust the cooking time as needed: Keep in mind the cooking times I give below as a starting point, then adjust the time in subsequent batches to suit your particular taste. Try the lower end of the time range if you want firm beans for things like salads and tacos, or cook longer if you want softer beans for things like hummus, refried beans, or soup.
• Also refer to the instruction manual for your pressure cooker. The times below are based on my testing with an Instant Pot (which I believe matches the recommended cook times in the Instant Pot manual); Cooking times may vary slightly for your specific model.

Use and storage of beans

A 15-ounce can of beans holds about 1 3/4 cups of cooked beans, so substitute them accordingly in your recipes. For reference, one pound of dried beans makes about five cups of cooked beans.

Allow beans to cool completely, then store in their liquid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Beans also freeze wonderfully. I usually freeze them in their liquid in ziplock bags (here’s how!) which take up less space in the freezer and thaw quicker. Freeze for up to three months.

love beans? Try these recipes!

• White bean and ham soup
• Easy Homemade Hummus
• Quinoa bowls with sweet potatoes, black beans and spinach
• Easy Tuscan Bean Soup
• Black bean burrito bowls