Gone are the days of soaking dried beans for hours. Imagine this: you can make Instant Pot Black Beans in under an hour, from start to finish!
No more long soaking of your dried beans. With an Instant Pot, you can cook beans in just 1 hour: from start to finish! Alex and I are the last to think of owning an Instant Pot. Still, we’re celebrating the life-changing magic of cooking dried beans in a pressure cooker! Alex and I hate thinking ahead of what’s involved when cooking beans on the stovetop. Luckily, the Instant Pot allows us to be lazy ourselves AND Bring some homemade beans with you! Here’s our Instant Pot black bean recipe: they’re a lot cheaper than canned and taste phenomenal.
Want refried beans? Use black beans in our Instant Pot Refried Beans!
Why cook black beans in an Instant Pot?
It’s hard to describe the magic of homemade beans until you try them for yourself. Today, the availability and convenience of canned beans makes cooking dried beans a lost art. And stovetop cooking requires some planning ahead of time! The traditional method is to soak them for a few hours: even overnight! If you cook them on the stovetop, you also need to store them so they’re perfectly cooked.
How long does it take to cook Instant Pot Black Beans? 1 hour only. Yes, we are not kidding! Here’s why you’re making these Instant Pot Black Beans:
- It’s fast and hands-free. Basically, you will just set it and forget it! You’ll have perfectly cooked black beans in under an hour!
- It’s cheaper than canned. Cooking black beans in a pressure cooker costs more than half the price in a can!
- It’s much tastier. Canned beans can be mushy and have a dull taste. These Instant Pot Black Beans are perfectly tender and have just the right bite. If they are seasoned, they taste good unbelievable.
How to Make Instant Pot Black Beans (Basic Steps)
Here are the basic steps to making Instant Pot Black Beans! This is the time that works for our Instant Pot. We use an Instant Pot 6 liter pressure cooker. So if you have a different brand or size you will find that delivery time may vary (see below for more information). All you have to do is test the taste and adjust if necessary. We’ve also found that the brands of beans vary as well, so use the base recipe plan and then adjust as needed!
To prepare Instant Pot Black Beans:
- In a pressure cooker, place 1 pound of black beans with 6 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Pressure cook for 31 minutes (it takes about 10 minutes to “preheat” and come to pressure).
- Natural release for 15 minutes.
And that’s it! You’ll have perfectly cooked black beans in about 1 hour.
What Kind of Instant Pot Should I Use?
Alex and I use an Instant Pot branded instant pot (Instant Pot is the brand name; Instapot is a variant of the slang). The Instant Pot we use is the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Programmable Multipurpose Pressure Cooker.
We only recommend using a 6 liter pressure cooker for this recipe. We also can’t talk about other brands and types of pressure cookers. For example, we’ve heard that the Instant Pot Mini works very differently than the standard size: we wouldn’t recommend it here either, as the quantity is way too big.
Black bean recipes
Once you’ve made these black beans, there are literally hundreds of ways to use them! Since we mostly eat vegetarian and vegan recipes at home, Alex and I have all kinds of recipes with us! But we’ve narrowed it down to our favorites: Here are our top ways to use black beans in recipes:
- Fried black beans. Get an amazing taste in just 15 minutes. Use as a side dish or in these chilled bean tacos.
- Cuban Black Beans: Some said it was better than restaurant style.
- Black Bean and Corn Salad A quick and easy salad that’s perfect for lunch or as an easy side dish!
- Black Bean Salsa: Toss them in the salsa, bake them with fries.
- Black Bean Salad Wraps: Add to a flavorful topping with mango salsa and guacamole. Yes!
- Black Bean Burger: That’s right, this is the perfect black bean burger.
- Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas: This fan-favorite recipe features sweet potatoes, green chiles, and lots of cheese.
- Mango Black Bean Chili: What’s Better Than Chili? The addition of mango gives it a sweet touch.
Other Instant Pot basics
Alex and I love using our Instant Pot for basic recipes like beans and grains! In fact, we’ve been making quite a few of these in our pressure cooker lately. Here are all our methods:
This instant pot black bean recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based and dairy-free.
The description
Gone are the days of soaking dried beans for hours. Imagine this: you can make Instant Pot Black Beans in under an hour, from start to finish!
- 1 pound dried black beans
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups the water
- Place the black beans in the Instant Pot and add water and kosher salt. Lock the lid. Place the pressure relief (vent) handle in the “seal” position.
- Cook at high pressure for 31 minutes. Note that it takes about 10 minutes for the pan to “preheat” and build pressure before you start cooking. (Avoid touching the metal part of the lid during cooking.)
- Natural release for 15 minutes. After the Instant Pot beeps, set a timer and wait for the natural release to allow the Instant Pot to depressurize. Then release the remaining steam by setting the vent to “ventilation” and covering your hand with a towel or heating pad. Never put your hands or face near the opening when dispensing steam. (During this time, the pressure gauge in the lid may drop of its own accord, leaving no steam in the pan.)
- Open the lid and taste a black bean to see if it’s soft. As all brands are different, you may need a few more minutes. Once cooked, drain and use immediately, refrigerate 4-5 days or freeze indefinitely. We freeze the drained beans in airtight containers in 1 ½ cup portions, which equals a 15-ounce can.
Remarks
IMPORTANT: Read and follow all safety instructions in your Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker manual.
- Category: Essential
- Method: pressure cooker
- Kitchen: beans
Keywords: Instant Pot Black Beans, Pressure Cooker Black Beans
