These Black Beans cook up quick and easy in the Instant Pot, with the option of using either soaked or un-soaked beans! Wanting to use these black beans for burritos? I’ll include my favorite Mexican-spices as an optional add-in!
Tips for success
- Undercooked beans? If your beans come out crunchy on the inside and overcooked on the outside, the problem may be old beans. 2-3 years is the shelf life for dried beans, and the newer the better! Toss expired beans and start anew.
- Hard water can also make a difference with cooking beans and will usually require longer cooking times. If your beans aren’t old but they don’t come out perfect, it could be because of the water. Seal the Instant Pot and cook another 5-20 minutes using your best judgement on how much more time you think they need and make a note of it for next time so you know (because it’s easy to forget!)
How healthy are black beans?
Black Beans are incredibly nutritious and loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals! Beans and other legumes lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising your HDL (good) cholesterol, resulting in lower blood pressure and inflammation, while reducing your risk for heart disease.1 Beans help contribute to weight loss since they are low in fat and calories and high in fiber—which keeps you feeling full longer!
1 cup (172 grams) of cooked black beans contain:
- Calories: 227
- Protein: 15 grams
- Fat: 1 gram
- Carbs: 41 grams
- Fiber: 15 grams
(% of the daily value)
- Folate: 64%
- Copper: 40%
- Thiamine: 35%
- Manganese: 33%
- Magnesium: 29%
- Iron: 20%
- Phosphorus: 19%
- Potassium: 13% 2
Black beans also contain calcium, zinc, copper, selenium, vitamin B12, vitamin E, and vitamin K.
The darker the bean, the healthier it is
All beans are healthy but black beans have an edge over other varieties! A study in 2003 tested the antioxidant activity of the common varieties of beans, finding that the darker colored seeds were associated with higher levels of flavonoids. Black beans came out on top with the most antioxidant content, followed by red, brown, yellow and white beans.3
Black Beans in the Instant Pot (soaked or un-soaked)
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried black beans
- 5 cups water for un-soaked beans 4 cups water for soaked
- 1 small-medium yellow or red onion chopped
- 5-6 cloves Garlic minced
- ½-1 tsp salt to-taste
*Optional Spices for Mexican-spiced Black Beans
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp rosemary
- *optional for spice* ½ tsp cayenne powder or 1 jalapeño ½ or all seeds removed and minced
Instructions
- If soaking: soak 2 cups dry black beans overnight, at least 8 hours. When ready to cook, drain water and rinse beans in a colander.
- Press the “Sauté” function on the Instant Pot. Sauté onions in a splash of water or drizzle of oil until softened. Press “cancel” on Instant Pot and stir in garlic.
- Add black beans, 5 cups water for un-soaked beans OR 4 cups water for soaked beans, 1/2 tsp salt, and all the spices if wanting Mexican-spiced beans.
- Seal lid. For soaked beans: cook on High Pressure for 17 minutes. For un-soaked beans: cook on High Pressure for 50 minutes. Allow a full natural release.
- When pressure is released, open lid and stir beans. Taste, adding any more salt (or spices) it may need.
Notes
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthiest-beans-legumes#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-black-beans-healthy#nutrition
- Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemical Society. “‘Musical Fruit’ Rich Source Of Healthy Antioxidants; Black Beans Highest.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 December 2003. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/12/031205053236.htm>
