We debuted our Instant Pot by making brown rice, so it was only natural that we try its perfect match: black beans!
Making homemade black beans (from dry beans) is cost-effective and delicious, but it can be a little time consuming on the stovetop.
But with a little help from the Instant Pot, perfectly tender black beans are ready in under 1 hour with just 1 pot and 3 ingredients (no soaking required)!
How to Cook Instant Pot Black Beans
- Add beans and water (or broth) to Instant Pot. We also like a little onion and salt for added flavor (optional).
- Secure lid, press Pressure Cook — High, and set to 30 minutes. It will take ~8 minutes to pressurize and then the cooking will begin.
- When the Instant Pot timer goes off, set a separate timer for 20 minutes and allow the steam to release naturally (that means don’t push any buttons!).
- Carefully remove lid and enjoy perfectly cooked beans!
How to Use Black Beans
- 1-Pot Pumpkin Black Bean Soup
- Grain-Free Burrito Bowls with Shredded Mexican Chicken
- Southwest Sweet Potato Black Bean Dip
- Black Bean & Plantain Arepa Sandwiches
- Black Bean Plantain Enchilada Bake
- Cornbread & Black Bean Enchilada Bake
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Tamales
- Black Bean Buddha Bowl with Ginger Lemon Tahini Sauce
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Instant Pot Black Beans (Perfect Beans Every Time!)
A quick and simple method for making PERFECT black beans in the Instant Pot every time! Just 3 ingredients and 1 pot required.
Servings 6 (half-cup servings)
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry black beans, rinsed and sorted
- 1/4 medium white or yellow onion, skin on (NOT chopped — keep in a wedge // optional)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup vegetable broth (or sub water)
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Add beans, onion (optional), salt, vegetable broth, and water to the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes (it will take about 8 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before cooking begins). Then let the beans rest in the pot for 20 minutes so the steam can dissipate naturally (this means you don't push any buttons — we recommend setting another timer so you’ll remember to remove the lid after 20 minutes).
- Carefully remove lid once steam has fully escaped. The beans should be tender and perfectly cooked, but if they're not that's usually caused by having old beans or hard water – you can seal the lid again and pressure cook on high for an additional 10-20 minutes, or until they're tender.
- Remove onion and strain off any excess cooking liquid (or sauté for 10 minutes with the lid off, stirring frequently, to evaporate excess liquid).
- Enjoy immediately, or store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with store-bought vegetable broth.
Nutrition (1 of 6 servings)
Serving: 1 half-cup servings Calories: 116 Carbohydrates: 20.9 g Protein: 7.6 g Fat: 0.5 g Saturated Fat: 0.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 284 mg Potassium: 305 mg Fiber: 7.6 g Sugar: 0.9 g Vitamin A: 5.16 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 27 mg Iron: 1.87 mg
Emma says
I made this, but I put in 3/4 cup of black beans, 3 cups of water, some salt and half an onion. I put it on high pressure for 30 minutes, and when I came in some time later, the Instant Pot said “burn” on the display. The beans were dry and stuck to the bottom of the Instant pot, and not really that burned (I cleaned the pot, poured in 2 inches of water and put it on again for 20 mins). Any idea why this might have happened? Were my beans extra dry? They’re Mexican black beans.
Sorry that happened, Emma! Did they look larger than the dry beans in the photo/video? If the beans were larger, we could see how they might take longer to cook, but they shouldn’t stick or need more water. We wonder if maybe they needed to be stirred first?
Teresa says
I followed the recipe to a “t” and they are mushy. Maybe the beans are smaller than usual? I’ll have to look at other beans. The expiry date is June 2025. So weird! Next time, I will cook them for half the time to see what happens. The brand I used is “Compliments” 100% Canadian. These, I will use to make refried beans maybe.
How odd! That could be the cause. One other idea would be if perhaps you have especially soft water? Keep us posted!
Tanya W says
What I love about this recipe is that it’s a fantastic base recipe… it’s so easy and fast. I find that a recipe often need modifications to be just right (based on elevation, humidity, personal preferences, etc.).
For me, the way to make this perfect is:
1) Cut water by 1/3 to 1/2 amount called for.
2) Dice onion and keep it in the beans.
3) Increase cook time to 42 minutes.
Thank you for helping me find a great go-to IP Beans recipe. The one I used to use had too much chopping and too many ingredients. This is it, stop here if you are deciding!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Tanya! We’re so glad it helped you get your go-to recipe! xo
BAM says
This was perfect! Simple to follow, minimal ingredients, great results. Tender but not mushy.
Yay! Thank you for sharing!
Catalina says
I came late to the party, and only recently bought an instant pot. It is the best way to cook beans. As the onion pretty much cooks into the beans, and I like it that way, I remove the onion skin first before it goes into the pot. I also add a teaspoon of Mexican oregano. Very tasty! In our 6 qt. pot, I start out with 2 cups of beans, doubling your recipe.
We were late to the party too and agree it’s a total game changer for cooking beans from scratch! We also love it for grains. Thank you for sharing your experience, Catalina! xo
Rene says
The beans turned out well. However, next time I won’t put the onion skins in with the onion as removing the skins after cooking was tedious.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Rene! We typically remove the entire piece of onion, not just the skin, so keeping it whole helps with that.
Rene says
My onion quarters were obliterate in the cooking process. lol! Next time I’ll probably just add dried onion.
Tanya W says
I have tried a few black bean instant pot recipes. I cut the water in half and increase the cooking time to 42 minutes, and it’s perfect. It’s my go to recipe because it’s super easy and delicious.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Tanya! xo
Laura says
I tried this today, and quadrupled the recipe to make 2 lbs of beans in my 8 qt cooker. My problem was that it didn’t seem to vent naturally at all. When i checked after 20 min of sitting, the float indicator was still up so i turned it to quick release and tons of steam came out and I had to let it vent for 5 min or so before it was safe to open. The beans were cooked, but a litte on the softer side than I’d prefer. I’m not sure why it didn’t release the steam naturally? It’s a new cooker I’ve only used a few times so I don’t think anything is clogged. Do you think that since I increased the recipe so much, 20 min of natural release just wasn’t enough?
Hi Laura, with a larger volume, it will take a lot longer for the pressure to release naturally. We’d say probably 30-40 minutes for that amount.
Teresa says
If it’s an instant pot, once it’s finished cooking, I press the off button, or else it keeps it warm, which may slow down the cooling process, and thus the button doesn’t drop until later, which might make the beans overcook.
Lynn says
excellant!!!! I made this the same way with a little less salt. came out perfect…..
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lynn! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Debra W Richardson says
I made black beans recipe. It was easy and delicious. I used the cooked beans to make vegetarian chili.
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Debra! xo
Nate says
I came across this recipe at the perfect time! I just picked up my first instapot and have been loving it! This recipe seems to use a 6qt instapot but we got the 8qt. Can I follow the same recipe, or will I need to account for longer cook times/more water because of the larger volume? Thanks!!
Hi Nate, you shouldn’t need to adjust anything, but we haven’t tested with an 8 quart. If anything, you could try adding more water just to make sure all the beans are covered enough and then drain off the excess after cooking. Hope that helps!
Wil says
Have had an instapot now for a month myself and wonder how on earth this passed me by for so many years. Everything produced is in an epic league of flavor…yogurts, stews and beans!
It’s amazing to me to know the company folded as the passion for this cookware on the web lives on.
Vicki says
Where did you hear they folded? The company seems to be alive and well! https://instantpot.com/instant-pot-home/
Wil says
On June 12, 2023, Instant Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after high interest rates and waning access to credit hit its cash position and made its debts unsustainable.
…so there was a merger and then a bankruptcy claim
Mags says
So good
xoxo!
Joyce says
I would like to make this recipe but I do not have an Instant Pot. Is there another way to dry out the black beans?
Hi Joyce, yes! Check out this recipe instead: https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-1-pot-black-beans/
Michele says
I made 900 gram/4.5 cups of beans, 15 minutes on high and 30 minutes natural release was perfect, water to just cover beans and had no excess water at end, I added 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon concentrate and no seasonings as I freeze the beans for different uses. I would think 1 cup of beans for 30 minutes would be very mushy.
Hi Michele, were your beans soaked or dry? In our experience, 15 minutes would not be nearly enough time. We noticed you left the exact same comment on our kidney beans and pinto beans, which take even longer to cook, so just confirming you were in fact using black beans for this recipe?
Carol Gallivan says
I made one batch of the black bean recipe. It was absolutely delicious! I would like to make as many batches of it at one time and am wondering how many batches my Instant Pot Ulta can make at one time?
Hi Carol, We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Do you have a 3, 6, or 9 quart? We think you could make a single batch in a 3 quart, double batch in a 6 quart, and triple batch in a 9 quart.
Jon says
Perfectly cooked. I doubled up on the recipe and the liquid to bean ratio was perfect. In addition to the salt I included a tsp of sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and 1/2 tsp smoked peperica. At the end I added a hanfull of chopped cilantro and half a lime juiced. Very tasty!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Jon!
Rita says
Skipped the onion, and put a ham bone and bay leaf in instead…wonderful flavor, and tender, but not mushy. So easy and quick!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Rita! Thank you for sharing!
Magpie says
Didn’t work very well for us. Beans ended up very soft, and with way too much excess liquid. I poured off about 2 cups of liquid and *then* had to saute for another 10 minutes to get a decent consistency.
Next time I’m going to try to reduce the amount of water to at least 2/3, maybe even 1/2.
Hi, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out right! There will be extra liquid with the Instant Pot because otherwise the beans aren’t covered and will cook unevenly. But it does sound like yours had especially a lot of water! We’re not sure what would cause that with the beans ending up very soft. We hope it goes better next time!
Tom says
Beans turned out perfect, soft but not squishy soft. Thank you Instapot and thank you Minimalist Baker.
If you are salt intolerant or just prefer less sodium you can reduce to taste or for no-salt.
Paring with chile rellanos and tamales.
Yum, we want dinner at your house! Thank you for the kind review, Tom!
KimiAR says
My go to recipe. It’s the only way I get perfect black beans every single time. I use homemade chicken bone broth to make them very filling. Have also used bullion just to make them more filling.
We’re so glad you enjoy them! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Denise says
I cooked mine with boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a 1 pot dinner. It’s great with tortillas and sliced avocado.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Denise! Thanks for sharing! xo
Cynthia says
After following the recipe, exactly, the beans were still not cooked. I had to restart at 15 minutes in hopes that I can get this done before I go to work.
Hi Cynthia, we’re sorry that happened! A few ideas of what could cause that: 1) Are your beans old?, 2) Are you located at a high elevation?, 3) Do you have especially hard water?, 4) Is it possible it was set on low pressure instead of high?, or 5) Was there any steam leaking out through the top/sides that could indicate the sealing ring or other parts were loose?
Amy says
I have been wanting to make beans in an insta pot forever to move somewhat away from canned beans. This recipe was great! I used a small shallot in place of the onion and it turned out well. I’m enjoying them now in a vegan breakfast bowl and look forward to making this recipe weekly to keep fresh beans in the fridge.
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review, Amy!
Susan says
Just delicious!
Yay! Thanks, Susan!
Robert Hite says
Very easy to make, I used a half of red onion and homemade chicken stock, also from the instant pot. FYI it works with European Black Beans, I’m currently living in Cascais, Portugal.
Robert
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Robert!
Carol says
I’m just learning to use the instant pot. I had a cosori multicooker prior. I’ve been finding it hard to get perfect results. I made brown rice for the 5th time today using new instructions and finally got an acceptable result. So I was very pleased to use your technique for black beans and find it worked perfectly! Thanks. Instead of onion I sprinkled liberally with onion powder, and used just a pinch of salt. Also just water.
The idea of setting a timer to know when to remove the lid was great. I did so, but I heard the steam valve drop a couple of minutes before the 20 was up.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Carol. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Kay Catlin says
I made these and they turned out amazing!! I will not used can beans anymore these are so easy and taste so much better than can beans
Woohoo! Thanks for the great review, Kay!
Jane Prey says
Can I make 2 lbs of dried beans at once? Thanks!
Hi Jane, because you want the ratio of beans to water to remain the same, we aren’t sure if 2 lbs of beans and all the necessary liquid would fit in the instant pot. Perhaps 1 lb would fit?
Judith Vermilion says
May I safely double this recipe?
Hi Judith! You definitely can double it!
Karen says
These were the best black beans I’ve ever made (and my second time ever using the Instant Pot)! The texture was perfect.
To be fair, I purchased the beans today and a plug for Aldi…they must have been relatively fresh.
I will never make black beans on the stove top again. This recipe made it so easy. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Karen. So glad this recipe was a success for you!
Tracy T says
I doubled the recipe and it came out perfect.
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Tracy!
Lou says
I was concerned by 2 people who commented that the beans weren’t quite done so I added a little pinch of baking soda and additional 2 minutes to the pressure-cooking time. I followed the rest of the directions to the letter. They came out so soft and good- I will definitely save this recipe and make it again. They also taste so much better than canned beans!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lou. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Frank says
The times given are not nearly enough. I follows the recipe to the letter and the beans were barely half cooked.
Hi Frank, sorry to hear you didn’t have success with this one! Many readers have reported success with this recipe and it’s a go-to in our kitchen, so it sounds like something went wrong. We wonder if your beans are old (sometimes even from the store they can be that way), your Instant Pot didn’t seal properly, or you have hard water?
Melissa says
I made this recipe as written, and my beans were not old, however my beans weren’t completely soft enough for eating. In my case it didn’t matter because I was going to cook them again on the stove anyways for awhile with diced onion, bell peppers, garlic, and salt and pepper. So they were perfect by the time that was done. I will be making the same thing tonight and will still make recipe the same way! I love my instant pot and thank you for this recipe
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Melissa!
Wayne says
To save time, add olive oil and saute, in pot, diced onion, bell peppers, garlic, and then add salt and pepper to your IP before cooking. The olive oil helps beans not to foam as much. I’m hunting for the correct time myself. Manual is not always right either.
David says
Will this work for pinto beans and chic peas?
Hi David, this recipe won’t work for those beans. However we have an instant pot pinto bean recipe and an instant pot chickpea recipe! Hope this helps.
David says
Thank you so much!!
Jaysun says
If I were to make 4cups of beans
(4x the ingredients)
in my instant pot, would the cook be uneven? Also should cook time be increased?
Hi Jaysun, as long as you increase the water in proportion to the beans, the cook time should be the same and they should cook evenly. Let us know how it goes!
Jane Emlyn says
I have made the beans twice this way but I doubled the recipe the second time. Both times I had to add another 10 minutes to the time. But I also notice I have to add time to almost everything I do in the instant pot. But they did turn out wonderful and so much cheaper and better than canned.
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Jane!
Shannon Rebecca Wall says
My beans turned out super mushy after following directions exactly.
I will have to experiment with shorter times for the next round.
Sorry to hear that, Shannon! Is it possible your beans had been soaked? We ask because this recipe usually works really well for readers!
Shannon says
I did not soak the beans and it is a brand new Instant Pot.
I am trying again today, and will report on the outcome.
We look forward to hearing how it goes!
Magdalena says
I didn’t have vegetable broth, so I used 3 Cups of water. I also added two garlic cloves and a large bay leaf. This recipe does NOT disappoint! Very flavorful and beans cooked to perfection! Thanks, this is a keeper!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Magdalena. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Lisa C says
HI! Could you tell me how many cups this will make once cooked?
Hi Lisa, this recipe will make about 6 cups of cooked beans!
Diane says
The black beans cooked beautifully! But I always end up with a lot of extra liquid. As if I’ve made bean soup and not just cooked black beans. Do I drain them after I cook? Or have I done something wrong?
Hi Diane, there is usually some leftover liquid, that’s correct! You can save it if you like or drain the beans and toss the liquid.
Anthony says
Loved this simple and delicious recipe!
Thanks for the review, Anthony!
Modesta says
I love this recipe! Perfect every time! Thank you!!
We’re so glad to hear it, Modesta! Thank you for sharing! xo
Tracy says
My beans were intact but mushy after the 30 min cook time 20 min rest time but its OK because they are going to work in the recipe I am using them in. I’m going to try 20 min cook time the next time if I want a firmer bean. I used better than bouillon veg base along with the water and that was a great suggestion, they taste delicious and will add allot of flavor to the beet burgers I am going to use the beans in.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Tracy!
Linda says
Make this for lunch. Wow easy and quick. Very tasty. Thanks
We’re so glad you enjoyed them. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Linda! xo
Jill says
These give me perfect beans every time. Question: To make 2 cups of blacks beans do I need to double the water?
Hi Jill, we’re so glad to hear it! Yes, you would need to double the water.
Rob says
I have tried this recipe two or three times but I am a slow learner I guess. 30 minutes of pressure produces little black bullets. I have to keep pressure up for 15 minutes for them to be edible
Hi Rob, we’re sorry that was your experience! Is it possible you’re using beans that are old? That can cause them to not soften. Other troubleshooting tips: 1) Is it on low pressure instead of high?, or 2) Is there an issue with the seal? Have you made other things in your Instant Pot successfully?
Tn says
I can’t believe how easy this was to make! I bought black beans from the bulk section of my grocery store and they came out perfect! No more cans! Better for the environment! I use my own reusable plastic bags. This was not only perfect, buy it took a minimal amount of time to make as I was prepping other meals to eat this week. Thank you so much for providing this recipe! I’ll be using it from now on forever! Lol 😆
Yay! So glad this recipe was a success for you, Tn. Thanks so much for the great review!
Orna says
Perfect beans every time!
Whoop! Thank you for the lovely review, Orna! xo
Dawn says
Can’t wait to try. Can you do anything with the water you drain off?
Hi Dawn! We usually toss it but you could possibly save it to add to a broth of some kind!
Janet says
Silly question, but it I double or triple the recipe do I need to also double or triple the time in the instapot?
Nope! The time will be the same. Just keep in mind that with foods that expand, like beans, it’s not recommended to fill the Instant Pot past the 1/2 line. Hope that helps!
Cyndi Boyd says
I like the idea of eating more beans and using dried beans, but the gas was a problem for my husband. I had given up using black beans. Thank you for this recipe! The instant pot saves the day again. I soaked the bean for a long time because that was just when I had time to soak and then cook the next day. So easy!
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Cyndi!
Marianne says
Hi Cyndi, I add a piece of Kombu when making beans the seaweed helps with the gas issue, I just remove it after cooking.
Here is why:
Kombu has a magical property (technically the enzyme glutamic acid) that acts as a natural bean tenderizer. This magical property helps break down complex sugar in beans which are gas-producing.
Jenn says
Hi! Do I need to soak beans first for the health benefits of getting rid of lectins? Thanks.
Hi Jenn, there’s no need to soak them! You can soak them if you want, but you’d need to reduce the cook time so they don’t become mushy. Hope that helps!
Leo says
This is the simplest and quickest way to make black beans! I also add a couple cloves of garlic, sometimes a bay leaf for flavor.
So glad you are enjoying these, Leo. Love your tips as well! Thanks!
C. Corrales says
I made two different batches of BLACK BEANS using your guidelines.
The first batch I cooked (unsoaked) for 20 minutes with 10 minutes of “natural release” time.
I did a quick release to reduce pressure and checked the beans. They were nearly mushy.
The recipe for Instant Pot Recipe Booklet says cook for 20-25 minutes but doesn’t say whether to use Quick or Natural Release.
I don’t get it. I’m at 3500′ elevation so cooking times for things take longer than sea level.
Maybe it’s just me and everyone likes mushy beans, I prefer my beans firm but not crunchy so I can use them in cold salads.
So I ask, is it me??
Hmm, that’s odd that they were mushy after 20 minutes without soaking. We aren’t sure what could be causing that! Have you had that issue with other beans?