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
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 & 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. Remove onion and strain off any excess cooking 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
Kartavya Patel says
I have the 3 qt. instant pot, would anything in the recipe change because of that?
Hi Kartavya, we’d suggest modifying the serving size to 3 (half batch) to make sure it fits. Hope that helps!
Emma says
This recipe makes absolutely perfect beans! I have used it as the base recipe for some delicious soups, as well.
Yay! So glad you enjoy it, Emma! Thanks for sharing!
evs says
Could this be transformed into soup by adding more liquid, and maybe more spices?
Definitely! It probably wouldn’t need more liquid. See this recipe for inspiration: https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-1-pot-black-bean-soup/
Matt says
Suuuuuuuper yum. I doubled the recipe and used 4c veg broth and 2c water. Incredible texture and flavor. My new go to!
Whoop! So glad you enjoyed it, Matt! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Molly Kimball says
I’ve made these beans twice now. So simple, and they are the perfect consistency with a versatile flavor for using in recipes or eating as-is!
Lovely! Thanks, Molly!
Maria says
when you doubled it, did you use the same amount of cooking time?
Same cook time!
Jessica says
I just finished this recipe using chicken stock instead of veggie( that is what I had on hand) , I used the entire one pound bag with 8 cups of stock. 1 whole onion, and two large garlic cloves. ( discarded them at the end and cut onion into 4 pieces before putting in the pot.
Turned out perfect! I could eat them just by themselves and be perfectly content. Yummy! Thank you for sharing this recipe is a keeper!
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jessica!
A.S. says
I made this according to the directions here, but substituted with chicken broth. In addition, I added two cloves of garlic (which I removed after the beans were cooked and drained. I then mashed them with a fork and gently stirred them back in with the beans). It was divine! Hope this helps!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Chelsea says
The best dry bean instant pot recipe! It’s low sodium but still filled with flavor.
Aw, thanks so much for the lovely review, Chelsea. We are so glad you enjoy it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Andy K says
Has anyone made this using chicken broth instead of veg broth?
Just wondered if you liked it?
Hi Andy, we think that would work well. Let us know if you try it!
Dana says
WOW. I know this isn’t a surprise to you, but I still need to say it……these beans are perfection! To think I have been cooking black beans for hours on the stove in my dutch oven and they weren’t even close to as delicious and tender as the beans I made today! Thank you very much :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Dana! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
AJ says
For those users who live in the mountains- be sure to adjust for high elevation instant pot cooking! Makes a big difference.
Thanks for sharing, AJ!
Erin Persaud says
What’s the adjustment? Thanks!!
Lisa B. says
I make this recipe on a regular basis, portion out the beans and use them in salads, soups and other dishes. One tip! Don’t toss the liquid, use to make flavorful black bean soup.
Love all those serving ideas and that tip! Thanks so much for sharing, Lisa! xo
Eb says
I have made these beans at least 5 times in the last month. They truly are perfection! Thank you so much for a simple, delicious recipe.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Eb! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
annie says
Thanks for the recipe. Worked great both 1st time and 2nd time. Super easy, no brainer. It will be in my recipe as a keeper. Thanks again!
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Annie!
Desiree says
Just wanted to comment that our black beans turned out PERFECT! I’m thrilled to have this easy recipe in my back pockets for days when I don’t feel like cooking much. We did black bean rice bowls with salsa, guac and tortilla chips. Amazing!
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Desiree! xo
sylvia says
Used a whole bag of dried black beans, and changed liquid to match. Yummy, Yummy! Thanks!!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Sylvia! xo
Britney says
Followed the recipie and my beans burnt! What did I do wrong 😔
Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Britney! Is it possible you used slightly more beans and/or slightly less water? That could make a difference. Otherwise, we’re not sure- was it just the burn message or was there visible burning on the bottom of the pan?
Britney Reid says
Hi There,
Thank you for responding! I used 3/4 of a cup of dry black beans 2 cups of water and 1 cup of vegetable broth. There was visible burning on the bottom of the instant pot but it washed out. I had just bought a bag of beans, maybe they were old? I’m going to try again maybe human error?
Maybe? So strange! We’re not really sure what else could have gone wrong. Maybe make sure to give them a stir before cooking?
Janet Brewer says
If I double the recipe does the cook time remain the same?
Yes!
Phil Freemore says
Did you actually try this ‘recipe’ or just dream it up? Used freshly purchased black beans, followed the steps exactly (even let the pressure release for longer) and they came out crunchy. Duh.
Hi Phil, sorry to hear that! We’ve made this recipe many times with success as have many of our readers. That could happen if the beans are old or if your water is hard (has a high mineral content). Or perhaps the pressure didn’t seal properly?
Bill says
There is no reason to be rude. More often than not it’s user error. I am sure you left it on venting instead of sealed.
Heather Hicks says
Hey Phil I doubled the recipe today and it worked perfectly!
chris says
Just made these (without the onion because of the outbreak) and they came out perfect. I bought an instapot years ago and never used it but this inspired me. I threw in some garlic and cumin and it came out divine.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Chris! Thanks so much for sharing!
Melody Climo says
My beans came out perfectly. I used 3 cups of water, no veggie broth and no salt. I also didn’t take them from the Instant Pot until it had cooled completely.
Katie says
I followed the recipe exactly, but my beans turned out crunchy. I had to cook them for an hour longer and increase the liquid.
Hi Katie, we wonder if the beans were old? They should definitely not take that long.
Barb says
Years ago, when I first got my Instant Pot I read that salt should be added to the cooked beans and not to the cooking water. Following that advice, I’ve never had a batch of beans under cook in the prescribed time.
Tom says
That is correct! Salt can keep the beans from getting too soft. Too much salt could result in crunchy beans.
Tania says
These were very good! I have been making beans in the IP so much more and I can’t believe I ever thought canned beans were good! Dried beans just have a much better consistency and taste.
Agreed! Thanks so much for sharing, Tania!
Sophie says
Perfect black beans!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Brandie Lamberth says
I just made these. I added a lot more spices but these are perfect. I have had trouble with other recipes getting the beans soft. I did keep it on keep warm for almost 2 hours but other recipes I gave cooked mire on the stove and that still didn’t fix them. Thanks for sharing. These are a keeper.
We’re so glad this turned out well for you! Thanks so much for sharing!
Pam says
Perfect! Easy! Best beans ever!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Pam!
amanda says
Just made this and it came out perfectly! My only additions were a little bit of cumin and a little adobo sauce i keep frozen in cubes. I ate some with avocado salsa and tortilla chips as I planned, butafterwards kept sneaking bites of the leftover beans as they were cooling bc they were so delicious by themselves! having a recipe that didn’t require making the whole bag was super helpful as well.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them! And love those additions. Thanks for sharing, Amanda!
April Saunders says
Thanks for these step-by-step instructions. I did soak the beans first and used vegetable broth (and some water), keeping the 3:1 ratio of beans to broth. Perfect! And on my first go ;)
We’re so glad it turned out well, April! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sheryl Kj says
Just tried this and worked SO well! Added a little vegi boullion to the water and the flavor is amazing. Never going back to canned!! Thank you!!
Whoop! Thanks, Sheryl!
Stephanie S. says
So happy I found this recipe!! My beans were always coming out mushy until I started making it this way.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy it!
Christopher K Kaisershot says
You used 3 parts beans and 1 part broth?
Betty Cassady says
I made these today. I made 1 pound of black beans, added 1Tbsp salt, 2 tsp cumin, the onion and 5 cups veg broth. I cooked them as you described with no soaking. They turned out perfect. Very delicious.
I think the 5 cups broth was good for me. I don’t like the excess liquid I have to discard when i do the 1 to 3 or 4 cup ratio usually recommended for beans.
Next time I will add garlic and jalapeños and increase the cumin to 1Tbsp.
I am excited to try your brown rice.
Thanks for sharing, Betty! Instead of discarding the liquid, you can switch to “Sauté” after pressure cooking and removing the lid, stirring frequently to evaporate the water. Depending on the amount of leftover liquid, it should take ~10-15 minutes. Hope that helps for next time!
N G Bates says
Has anyone added basmati rice to the Instant Pot when cooking black beans?
We haven’t, but since it cooks faster, we think it might get mushy. Let us know if you try it!
mouses says
That would not work.
The cooking time is way too off. Best way: cook your rice, then cook your beans.
This recipe holds the perfect 1:3 needed for a instant pot. If you want to mix that up, expect some wildly varying results.
Sophie B says
Mine ended up being really crunchy so dinner was delayed by 45 minutes having to cook them longer. I
Hi Sophie, sorry to hear that! Is it possible the beans were old? We’ve heard that can cause them to take more time to cook (or not soften completely).
Linda says
These turned out great for me. Now that I know it works, I’ll probably double the amount I make at one time.
Thanks for sharing, Linda! You can use slightly less water when doubling. The key is for the beans to stay underneath the water line during the whole cooking process. Hope that helps!
Crystal Beasley says
If you add the salt in the beginning of the cooking it can prevent them from getting tender. If you’re using a stovetop you’d have to cook for hours and hours longer till they’re done. With a pressure cooker it could still take 45 minutes more.
Karen Hobbs says
I ran out of stock and Better than Boullion and all the dried Veggie stock powdee….so I improvised and used Old Bay Seasoning- left over from a Faux crab jackfruit recipe…. It tasted fantastic!!!!
I am constantly having to improvise these days rather than run any extra exposure/health risks to get the recommended one ingredient I need. Either my taste buds are gone ( Yikes!) or it all tasted good with a bit of substitution now and then!
Be well!!!
Karen , Bend, Oregon
We’re so glad it turned out well, Karen! Thanks so much for sharing!
Lisa says
Will you consider doing a Next Steps recipe to have refried IP Black Beans? I enjoy your refried lentils recipe and would like to try refried black beans. Thanks! Keep the recipes coming.
We’ll add it to our ideas list! Thanks for sharing!
Mary says
This was a fantastic and efficient way to make black beans. Two questions.
1. Should I put a bit of the cooking liquid in with the beans if I am refrigerating them for future use?
2. Can I use the same recipe for red beans and/or white beans?”
Hi Mary, we’re so glad you enjoyed it! It depends what you will be using it for- you can include the cooking liquid for more flavor, but it isn’t essential. Red or white beans may take longer- stay tuned for future recipes =)
Jill says
If you soak the beans overnight first, would you use less liquid when you cook them?
Hi Jill, we haven’t tried it, but we would think same amount of liquid, but less time. Hope that helps!
Bebop says
If you soak overnight measure the water you add to soak and add 1/2 cup more water or broth. Don’t dump the water that you soak the beans in, there are nutrients for you in the water the soaked beans are in. This is what I do anyway. I also added cilantro and tomatoes and garlic.
mouses says
For sure.
If you soak them (really not needed with the instant pot) – drop the cook time down from 30 mins to about 25 mins.
The key to beans is remembering they are little flavor packages. Prep them first, and leave them a bit firm, and then add them into whatever it is you are cooking and let them soak up all that flavor.
If you have a functional instant pot, however, there’s no need to soak. This is what a pressure cooker is for!
Crystal Beasley says
The benefit of soaking beans is to remove the ogliosaccharides which are the complex starches we have trouble digesting. That’s what gives us gas when we eat beans. Soak and pour off the poots is what I say. 😊
Jill Peters says
Thanks for the explanation!
Felicia Bimer says
They really did turn out perfect. Doubled the recipe and used 4 cups of vegetable broth with two cups water. One tsp of sea salt. Yum!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Felicia!
CJ says
Followed recipe exactly and the beans turned out great. I used them in a taco skillet and have leftovers for lunches.
We’re so glad it worked well for you! Thanks for sharing!
Joe says
Why throw away the onion at the end?
Oh you can totally keep it and use it in other capacities! We just don’t enjoy it for serving.
Addie says
Hi! Just a quick question, if I double the recipe should the cook time also double?
Hi Addie, no need to double the cook time. Maybe just increase by a few minutes?
Maryanne Dower says
Hi
I have an 8 quart instapot. What size pot did you use? I’m confused if I should add additional liquid/ additional ingredients/cooking time if you used a 6 qt. for this recipe. Look delicioius and can’t wait to try it.
Thanks,
Maryanne
Hi Maryanne, we haven’t tried it in an 8 quart, but you may need to add additional water so that the beans stay beneath the water line the entire time. We’d suggest an additional cup. Hope that helps!
mouses says
No.
This is the joy of using a instant pot. The cook time does not even start until the entire device is under pressure. Double, half, triple – as long as you follow the same ratio you’re going to get the same result.
Mady says
These were good but I wonder if my beans were old or something. They still were a little hard/chewy after 30 mins, so I brought them back up to pressure and cooked another 7 minutes and they were much better but they could take even a few more minutes I think. I love the flavor, I just may up the cooking time next time.
Hi Mady, perhaps they were old as ours are tender and not hard/chewy at all after using this method. Let us know how it goes next time!
Jason says
They do seem to take a few min more. I let them simmer on sauté for 5-10 min more after the recipe time. I also add a bay leaf.
Allison says
It might be because of your water supply. One type of water (hard maybe?) means beans take longer to cook. You can cheat by adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of baking soda to the water to get around it. – you won’t be able to taste it, promise.
Small Kitchen Cook says
When it says to “strain off” the cooking liquid, does that mean discard it? Is there any reason not to use the cooking liquid as a soup base?
Yes, that is what it means. But you could reserve, if preferred!
mouses says
You can, but you really don’t want to.
That cooking liquid is where all the ‘uncomfortable’ parts of the bean cooking process go.
If you want to save and reuse that – you can, but those around you might get a bit annoyed with some smells that might not make them happy :-)
Lena says
Loved the recipe, thank you so much!
Would like to cook dried kindney beans this time… is the bean : water ratio and the cooking time the same one as for black beans? Thank you!
Hi Lena, we haven’t tried it, Lena, so we’re not sure! Let us know if you give it a try!
Lena says
It did actually work just the same with the kidney beans! Thank you so much and have a lovely sunday. :)
Thanks for sharing, Lena!
Allison says
the big pressure cooking websites have charts for beans, grains etc.
Gloria says
Hi, I live these beans! Quick question, when doubling the beans, do the liquids need to be doubled too? Thank you!
Yes! Keep the water:bean ratio the same. Let us know how it goes, Gloria!
Allen says
Hello! I just bought an InstaPot Ultra. The recipe calls for 30 minutes at High Pressure but my Ultra only goes up to 6 minutes…. am I missing something here?
Thanks.
Allen
Hmm, we haven’t used that model and aren’t sure what would be causing that. We would say try checking the manual.
Cullinan Andrew says
The Ultra DOES adjust to much higher times. I have one and it cooks this recipe perfectly.
Allison says
maybe you’re using a preset. Try to find the manual option where it allows you to select the time yourself.
Gisele says
That might be 6 hours
Doreen says
For the first tine my beans came out perfectly cooked using my IP. Thank you.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Doreen!
Gloria Gaither says
thanks for the recipe… beans came out perfect and tasty!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Gloria. We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Julia says
Is it the same cook time if you soak the beans beforehand? I prefer soaking my beans. Thanks!
Hi Julia, we haven’t tried with soaked beans, but it would probably take slightly less time. Let us know how it goes!
SCOTT J CUMMINGS says
Just follow the recipe it will be just like you had soaked them, and you won’t know the difference.
Rick says
I used your timing advice with beans soaked overnight and they were still tasty but a bit mushy. Next time I’ll try 20 minutes with soaked beans – or better yet, I won’t soak them!
kadie says
made this and it’s the best instapot dry black bean recipe i’ve tried yet! i didn’t have broth so used 6 cups water and a dash of salt for 1lb bag of beans. love the onion addition! and garlic of course. i did add 2 bay leaves, about 10 whole peppercorns, cumin seeds (didn’t have powder). love the amount of liquid left – it’s a great foundation for a black bean soup. sharing with family and friends. thank you!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kadie! xo
CLAIRE G says
I made the mistake of not reading this first and soaked my beans overnight, too… ended up cooking in IP for 10 mins instead of 30 mins but did everything else exactly the same. Perfect!
Beth says
Thank you for the clear (and perfect) instructions. The only thing I would add is that mine had a good bit of liquid left in the pot when done. I was wrapping in tortillas, so I just strained off the liquid. Delicious and cooked to perfection.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Beth!
Sarah says
Can you do recipe with canned beans?
What kind of recipe?
Linda says
Can you use canned black beans with this recipe?
Hi Linda, canned black beans are already cooked, so we wouldn’t think they would need as much time in the Instant Pot. But you could season them the same way.
Debbie says
I followed the directions exactly and the beans burned. Instant Pot told me food was burned. The beans were not cooked near enough-they’re hard. What happened?
Hi Debbie, did you add the full 3 cups of liquid? If so, we wonder if it was some kind of error. Were there any signs of burning? We’ve occasionally had the Instant Pot show a burn message when there’s nothing burning and had to restart it to complete the cooking process.
Clara says
My Instant Pot has the “Keep Warm” function on as a default after the pressure cooker phase. Since these black beans take 30 min. on pressure cook and another 20 min. to dissipate the steam…does toggling OFF the keep warm function help the steam to dissipate faster by cooling the pot faster? Is this desirable or not?
Hmm, I’m not sure about that. I’d say you don’t need the “keep warm” function on here. Just open after the 50 minutes!
Racheal says
Take it off the Keep warm mode!
Alexis Simmons says
I don’t have a InstaPot, can I use just a regular skillet for this recipe?
You can try this recipe instead.
Laura says
If you use a pressure cooker and NOT an instant pot are the instructions the same?
Hmm, I’m not sure about that! I haven’t tried that but I’m guessing it’s similar! Let us know if you give it a try. The main difference would be the time to “heat up” because an instant pot (ironically) requires 5-8 minutes to reach temperature.
Debbie says
Thanks for video. I was wondering is black turtle beans the same beans as you are using? Just another name.
I believe so, yes!
Katie says
Delicious. Would love to know how to double the recipe. Is it as simple as doubling the ingredients or does the cook time change?
Doubling should be fine! I would be cautious when tripling (we haven’t tested that yet!).
Tina says
I have seen similar bean recipes where the recommendation is to cook a whole onion or half onion (not chopped). I’m always curious as to WHY! Any explanation? I’m dying to know if it’s a texture thing, a flavor thing, etc. Thanks!
If you chop the onion it’s hard to fish out at the end :D
Larissa says
I make instant pot black beans all the time and I only set it to manual 10 mins natural release. I soak the beans minimum overnight before cooking. When cooked, I drain all the water afterwards. Perfect all the time :)
Thank you for sharing, Larissa! So helpful.
Naomi Livingston says
If I wanted to cook 3c of beans, do I just triple everything? And cook the same amount of time?
So doubling is most likely totally doable. But tripling may result in some some undercooked beans. I’m not sure. This also depends on the capacity/size of your instant pot.
Naomi Livingston says
6qt ipot. I will try just doubling it then. The beans were absolutely flavorful and perfect. Not mushy.
Would you consider perfecting other common beans like garbanzo, red kidney and pinto?
Thanks for sharing, Naomi! Yes, we will do some testing!
Jennifer says
I’m wondering if I could use the same recipe just with a different bean. Currently, I have Great Northern and Pintos. What do you think?
I think that should work! Let us know how it goes!
Valerie Torres says
Does it matter what size instant Pot we use? I recently purchased a 6 Quart.
We used a 6 quart to make this recipe. With a larger size, we’d recommend adding more water so the beans stay covered.
Ada says
Please more instant pot recipes! We just got one as a wedding present and can’t help to use it. I would be trying this receipt this weekend with black eyed beans :)
xo!