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
Anna says
This came out great as written. (I left out the optional onion because my broth was onion-heavy.) I usually buy canned black beans, but these taste so much better to me. The success with the Instant Pot chickpea recipe on this site helped me branch out into other beans.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Anna! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Haeley P says
The beans cooked up perfectly with minimal splitting! For such simple ingredients, the taste is incredible. I scooped out the onion, mixed it with a portion of beans, and added some of the broth that hadn’t cooked out and it was like a light, tasty soup. I can’t wait to try the other bean recipes, if they’re anything like this one they’re bound to be delicious!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy the beans prepared this way, Haeley. Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
Susan says
I prefer to soak my brans…the nastiness that floats iff aftwr a 24 hr soak in baking soda & water makes me never want to NOT soak beans ever.
How long do I cook them in an IP after soaking?
Thanks
Hi Susan, about half the time. Just a heads up though that if you soak black beans, they will likely split when cooking!
Kaz says
Love this with crusty home made bread
so tasty and comforting. Thank you
Sounds lovely! Thank you for sharing, Kaz! xo
Kris says
Well, that was easy. I did have add couple minutes but no deal breaker. They turned out perfect and just added some to my southwestern salad and will be adding some to the enchiladas I’m making tomorrow night. Thank you.
Yum, those both sound like great uses for the black beans! Thank you for sharing your experience, Kris!
Mari says
Back beans cuban style is so different from your recipe. Our black beans has seasoning like cumin, oregano, garlic, black pepper, No Salt because the bean will not cook well, also sofrito: onion, Italian frying pepper & garlic plus olive oil and wine. Yum 😋
Lara says
I imagine most of us are using this recipe for beans to then cook in something else, and will add seasonings at that point! Certainly what I’m using it for. Never heard of salt stopping beans cooking, I always thought it was the opposite.
Frances says
Would you be willing to share yourCuban black bean recipe? It sounds wonderful.
I’ve got my beans gur-bubbling in the instant pot. Thank you for the gimme oven recipe!
Catherine says
When I make this, I find the beans turn out too soft with the cook time at 30 minutes. I now cook the beans for 23 to 25 minutes for beans that hold their shape better, while still being thoroughly cooked and delicious!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Catherine! Is it possible you have soft water? That will cause them to cook faster!
Genevra says
I followed the recipe exactly and the black beans came out perfectly. Thank you so much for including the natural pressure release time too. It made the whole process so smooth and stress-free. This one’s going straight into my regular rotation!
Yay! We’re so glad this recipe was helpful in making it a stress-free experience. Thank you for sharing, Genevra! xo
Amita says
I am looking to do a big batch, what is the maximum cups of beans I could make in the instapot?
Hi Amita, it will depend on which size Instant Pot you’re using. It’s recommended to not fill past the 1/2 line for foods that expand. If using a 6-quart Instant Pot, a double batch of these beans will work, or possibly a triple batch, but that will be slightly more than the 1/2 line. Hope that helps!
Heidi says
Don’t beans need to be soaked first? I want to try this in a tempeh recipe which requires prior soaking, but don’t want to end up with mush😟. What are your thoughts?
Hi Heidi, There’s no need to soak them! That’s the beauty of pressure cooking :) If you soak them first, the beans split open, which we don’t prefer.
Rudy says
I use this recipe to make black bean soup. Use chicken broth and add can of diced green chiles. Don’t drain!
We’re so glad you enjoyed, Rudy! Thanks so much for sharing!
Nikki says
I have used this recipe for dry and soaked black beans and it comes out great every time. I add a little cumin to the pot, and a little less water (since we don’t drain them afterwards). Yum!
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Nikki! xo