You know that moment when it’s 4pm, dinner is still a mystery, and you open the pantry to find a bag of dried black beans staring back at you? I’ve been there so many times. For years I either grabbed the canned stuff or reheated something frozen because I forgot to soak the beans overnight. Until I discovered the Instant Pot. Our no-soak Black Beans Instant Pot recipe is so simple and delicious you’ll never want to open another can of black beans again.
When I started making beans in the Instant Pot I realized how much easier it was- no soaking, no hovering, and no planning ahead. Just dried beans, a little water, and about 30 minutes of hands-off cook time. The difference in flavor and texture compared to canned is honestly remarkable and I usually make the beans weekly now. We have a full tutorial on how to cook dried beans if you’d like to explore all options for dried beans.
Content Covered Here
Why We Love Instant Pot Black Beans (no soak)
- Dry beans are a healthy and affordable way to get protein and fiber in your diet. Plus, they’re low in fat and calories.
- They are versatile- add them to tacos, chili or cowboy salad.
- With this recipe, you can have them on the table way faster than traditional ways of cooking beans! And, you don’t even have to presoak the beans beforehand – you’ll love this no-soak recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Dry black beans – Since this is a no-soak recipe, presoaking is not necessary. However, if you choose to soak black beans, you can reduce the natural pressure release time to 10 minutes.
- Salt – This is optional and can be omitted or reduced depending on your personal preference.
- Hot water – preheating the liquid saves time in the Instant Pot.
- Hot broth – We used chicken broth for this recipe but you could also use vegetable broth, beef broth, or just add more water.
- Onion – optional, but recommended for added flavor
Flavor it up: Recipe Variations
- For a little bit of spice, add a diced jalapeño pepper, onion and chili powder to the pot with the other ingredients.
- For more flavor- sauté a diced onion and add it with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add bay leaves, cumin, or other spices for your preferred taste of beans.
- Garlic lovers can add a few cloves of minced garlic to the pot.
- Smokey Beans- Add a half teaspoon of smoked paprika and a couple of strips of bacon or a ham hock to the pot. Remove before serving.
Equipment
- Colander
- Pressure cooker (Instant pot)
How to Make Black Beans Instant Pot
- Rinse and pick through your dried beans, removing any shriveled beans or rocks. Place the dry beans in the Instant Pot liner, then add the salt, broth, water, and onion if using.
- Add beans to pressure cooker and put on high pressure for 30 minutes. When done, allow a 20 minute natural pressure release (leave pot undisturbed), then do a quick release my twisting or pressing the pressure lever/button.
- Using pot holders, carefully remove the pot liner and drain the black beans into a colander. Rinse the beans until the water runs clear.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
We highly recommend that you heat up your water and broth before putting the liquids into the Instant Pot. This helps everything cook faster.
Meal Prep
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how far one pound of dried beans goes. Once cooked, a pound of dried black beans gives you about 5 cups of cooked beans and that’s more than three cans’ worth! I like to make a full batch on Sunday and use them all week long. Here’s how I put them to work:
- Monday: Serve over rice with diced avocado and shredded cheese for a quick weeknight dinner.
- Tuesday: Toss into a burrito bowl with chicken, roasted corn, and salsa.
- Wednesday: Stir into a pot of easy stovetop chili or a simple soup.
- Thursday: Blend with a little garlic, cumin, and lime juice for a quick bean dip with tortilla chips for a snack.
- Freezer tip: Beans freeze well. Let them cool completely, then portion them into zip-lock freezer bags in 1½-cup amounts (roughly the equivalent of one can). Press out the air, flatten the bags, and stack them in the freezer flat. They’ll keep for up to 3 months and thaw quickly in warm water or overnight in the fridge.
Troubleshooting
My beans didn’t get soft what did I do wrong?
This is the most common question I get, and there are really only a few things that cause it. First, check how old your beans are. Older beans can take significantly longer to soften, or they may not soften fully at all. Try to buy beans from a store with good turnover and use them within a year of purchase.
If your beans are still firm after cooking, don’t worry. Just close the lid, set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 5 more minutes, and do another natural release. Repeat in 5-minute increments until they reach the the texture you desire.
If you add vinegar, tomatoes, lemon juice, or lime juice (acidic ingredients) to the pot before the beans are finished cooking, the acid can prevent the beans from softening properly. Always add acidic ingredients after the beans are done.
My beans are mushy. This usually means they cooked a little too long, or the natural pressure release ran longer than intended. Next time, try reducing the cook time by 5 minutes. Different brands and sizes of beans can cook at slightly different rates, so there can be a little trial and error the first time you try a new bag.
Recipe FAQs
That is preset for 15 minutes and is the cooking time for presoaked black beans. If you don’t soak them ahead of time, you will need to cook them for 30 minutes.
The ratio of beans to water in an instant pot is 1 pound of dried beans to 6 cups of water. This is the same ratio for both soaked and unsoaked.
Other Bean Recipes to Consider
- Italian Bean Salad
- Great Northern Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup
- 15 Bean Soup (Crock Pot Recipe with Ham)
If you tried our Black Bean recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Instant Pot Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry black beans
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups hot water (preheating your liquid saves time)
- 3 cups hot chicken broth (can substitute with more water)
optional (for added flavor)
- 1 onion quartered
Instructions
- Rinse and pick through your dried beans, removing any shriveled beans or rocks. Place the dry beans in the Instant Pot liner, then add the salt, broth, water, and onion if using. Pro Tip: Hot water and broth help bring the pot to pressure faster, reducing your cooking time.
- Twist on the pressure cooker lid, turn or press pressure lever (if needed), and set on high pressure for 30 minutes. When done, allow a 20 minute natural pressure release (leave pot undisturbed), then do a quick release my twisting or pressing the pressure lever/button.
- Using pot holders, carefully remove the pot liner and drain the black beans into a colander. Rinse the beans until the water runs clear.
- Serve the beans alone, use them in another recipe (as you could canned beans), or store them in the refrigerator or freezer to use later (see notes below).
Video
Notes
- Presoaking is optional with this recipe. If you use presoaked beans, reduce the natural pressure release time to 10 minutes.
- Using hot water and broth helps bring the pot to pressure faster, reducing your cooking time.
- For a little bit of spice, add a diced jalapeño pepper to the pot with the other ingredients.
- To make them even more flavorful, sauté a diced onion and add it with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add bay leaves, cumin, or other spices for even more flavor.
- Garlic lovers can add a few cloves of minced garlic to the pot.
- Cooked black beans can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. To freeze, add them to a Ziplock freezer bag or an air-tight storage container and use them within 3 months.
- To reheat, simply thaw (if frozen) and heat on the stove over low heat until warmed through. You may need to add a splash of water or broth if the beans seem dry.
- You can also reheat them in the microwave. Place them in a microwave-safe dish and heat them on high power for one to two minutes. Stir them once or twice during cooking. If they seem dry, add some water or broth.
Nutrition
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email below, and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox.
Leave a Reply