This Instant Pot Great Northern Beans recipe is a delicious and easy way to make beans in a pressure cooker with no soaking required!
Looking for a delicious and easy way to make dry northern beans (also known as legumes)? Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi to the rescue! With this no-soak recipe, they turn out tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked every time!
Serve them up as is, or use them in your favorite recipes.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Legumes are a good source of fiber and protein. They are low in fat and calories and have a mild flavor and a creamy texture. Use them in place of cannellini or navy beans. I also often got questions like “how do you cook red lentils” so we have an easy guide for you!
- Dried beans are a great way to stretch your food budget. A pound of dried beans costs just a few dollars and yields about eight cups of cooked. That’s a lot of bang for your buck!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Dry great northern beans – may be called northern beans. Can substitute with cannellini or small white
- Hot chicken broth – can be swapped with all water.
Optional, but highly recommended:
- Onion – adds more flavor to what’s generally a bland dish.
Note: Presoaking is optional with this recipe. If you use presoaked, reduce the natural pressure release time to 10 minutes.
Recipe Variations
Try these add-ins:
- Add garlic or herbs when cooking them for a little more flavor.
- Use broth instead of water for more flavor.
- Add ham hock, bacon, or sausage for a heartier dish.
- For a little spice, stir in a teaspoon or two of chili powder, cumin, or smoked paprika.
Try these delicious variations:
- Beans with bacon, cook a few strips of bacon in the pressure cooker on sauté until crisp. Remove the bacon, blot with paper towels, then stir in the bacon or use as a garnish before serving.
- Add ham – stir in a cup or so of diced ham when you add the broth and water.
- Beans and rice – stir in brown rice in the instant pot and add a little diced ham, sausage, or vegetables, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn them into a soup with our chicken tortilla soup in Instant Pot recipe.
Equipment Needed
How to Cook Great Northern Beans in the Instant Pot
- Prepare the legumes by rinsing and removing any pebbles or rocks. Then add all ingredients to the Instant Pot liner.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Using hot water and broth in the pot helps it to reach pressure faster, which reduces your cooking time.
- Pressure cook. Twist the pressure cooker lid, turn or press the sealing lever if needed, and set the timer on high pressure for 35 minutes.
- Release the pressure. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure cooker sit for 20 minutes for natural release. After that, you can quickly release the pressure by twisting or pushing the lever/button.
- Drain and serve. Protect your hands carefully remove the hot inner liner and drain in a colander. Rinse until the water runs clear.
Serving Suggestions
- This recipe makes a delicious and healthy side dish. Serve them with roasted or grilled chicken, salmon, or pork steak in the oven.
- Use these great northern beans instead of canned in any recipe. Try them in soups, easy Instant Pot beef stew, cowboy ciao salad, or best stovetop chili recipe.
- Serve them as a main dish and with rice in Instant Pot basmati, quinoa, or pasta on the side. Top with shredded cheese, diced avocado, or a dollop of sour cream.
- They are also delicious in tacos or burritos. Simply mash, then stir in muffin mix pancakes, diced onion, and shredded cheese. Serve with tortillas, sour cream, and diced avocado.
Recipe FAQs
It takes 35 minutes to pressure cook great northern dried beans plus a 20-minute natural pressure release.
The ratios for pressure cooking are 1 pound of dry beans to 6 cups of liquid. This recipe uses 3 cups of broth and 3 cups of water, which is the perfect ratio.
Yes, you can pressure cook without soaking first with this recipe.
Store pressure-cooked legumes in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To freeze, let them cool completely. Then transfer them to a Ziplock freezer bag or an air-tight storage container.
To reheat, thaw from frozen in the fridge overnight. Then reheat them in the pressure cooker on the saute setting or in the microwave. You can also reheat them by adding them to soups, stews, or chili.
Consider these Delicious Instant Pot Recipes…
- Ham And Navy Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Lima Beans And Ham
- Instant Pot White Beans Recipe
- Pinto Beans In The Instant Pot
If you tried this great northern 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 Great Northern Beans
Equipment
- colander
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry great northern beans (may be called northern beans)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups hot water (preheating your liquid saves time)
- 3 cups hot chicken broth (can substitute with more water)
optional
- 1 onion cut into quarters
Instructions
- Rinse and pick through dried beans, removing any shriveled beans or rocks. Place them in the pressure cooker, then add salt, broth, water, and onion. *Using hot water and broth helps bring the pot to pressure faster, reducing your cooking time.
- Seal the lid, turn or press the sealing lever (if needed), and set on high pressure for 35 minutes. When done, allow a 20 minute natural pressure release (leave pot undisturbed), then do a quick release my twisting or pressing the sealing lever/button.
- Using pot holders, carefully remove the pot liner and drain the beans in a colander. Rinse until the water runs clear. Serve them alone, use in another recipe (as you would canned beans), or store in the refrigerator or freezer for later (see notes below).
Notes
To freeze, let them cooll completely. Then transfer them to a Ziplock freezer bag or an air-tight storage container. To reheat, thaw from frozen in the fridge overnight. Then reheat them in the Instant Pot on the saute setting or in the microwave. You can also reheat them by adding them to soups, stews, or chili.
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DK says
Wow, thanks for the great tips on how to cook these beans! We put them in our salad to add a bit more flavor depth and texture to our meal!