These Instant Pot Black Beans are easy to make, tender and flavorful, and incredibly versatile! Made with just beans, water, and salt, this method gives you perfectly tender black beans every time, no matter if the beans are soaked or un-soaked.
I cook a big batch of Instant Pot black beans almost every week to use in burritos, bowls, salads, and soups. Having beans (and rice) prepared in the fridge is perfect for quick, healthy meals to whip up in a pinch.
Tips for Success
Use fresh dried beans.
If your beans are come out crunchy on the inside but split on the outside, they’re most likely old. Dried beans are best used within 1–2 years of purchase. Older beans may never fully soften, no matter how long you cook them.
Hard water can affect cook time.
Mineral-heavy water can slow down bean softening. If your beans aren’t quite tender after cooking, simply reseal the Instant Pot and cook an additional 5–15 minutes, using your best judgement. Make a note for next time so you don’t forget!
Salt is your friend. Under-salted beans are incredibly bland, and salting beans during cooking helps them taste seasoned throughout. Cooking beans with salt helps them cook more evenly, making the beans creamier and the skins are less likely to burst. There’s a myth that cooking beans in salt slows the cooking time, but it’s just that: a myth. What actually slows cooking time is cooking with acidic ingredients, using old beans, or hard water.
Make it spicy!
If you’re like me and love a little spicy kick with all of your meals, these beans are easy to spice up! Mince up a jalapeño and add at the same time as the garlic OR add ½ tsp cayenne powder with the rest of the spices.
Why you’ll love these Instant Pot Black Beans
- Perfect for meal prep. Having a big batch of beans cooked and stored in the fridge makes it easy to whip up burritos, tacos, or salad bowls at the drop of a hat. Having prepped food helps make for healthier meal choices when time is limited!
- Set it and forget it. Once the Instant Pot is sealed, the work is done! No hovering or fussing.
- Forgot to soak beans overnight? No problem! Sometimes I have a sudden hankering for beans and luckily I don’t have to wait until the following day! These Instant Pot black beans turn out perfectly every time, no matter if they were soaked overnight or not.
How healthy are black beans?
Black Beans are incredibly nutritious and loaded with protein (15 grams per cup!), 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. Beans help contribute to weight loss since they are low in fat and calories and high in fiber—which keeps you feeling full longer!
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.
Instant Pot Black Beans (soaked or un-soaked)
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
- 1 Colander
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry black beans
- 1 small white or red onion small dice
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups water for soaked beans, 5 cups water for un-soaked beans
Spices
- 1 Tbsp chili powder (sub paprika for no spice)
- 1 Tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cayenne powder or 1 minced jalapeño (half or all seeds removed) Optional for spicy
Instructions
- If soaking:Soak 2 cups dry black beans overnight, at least 8 hours. When ready to cook, use a colander to drain water and rinse beans.
- Press the "Sauté" function on the Instant Pot. Once hot, sauté onions in a drizzle of oil or water, stirring frequently, until softened. Press "cancel" on Instant Pot and stir in garlic and let "cook" for 1 minute.
- Add black beans and everything under "spices".
- For soaked beans: Add 4 cups water. Seal lid and cook 15 minutes. Allow a full natural releaseFor un-soaked beans: Add 5 cups water. Seal lid and cook 50 minutes. Allow a full natural release
- Once pressure has fully released, open lid and stir beans. Taste, adding any more salt or spices it may need. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Don’t forget to refrigerate beans promptly after cooking! Beans (and rice) are especially prone to bacteria that causes food borne illness if left out at room temperature for more than two hours!
I had never used rosemary for black beans before and I was quite impressed by the unique flavor! This recipe is a keeper, so versatile for my bean bowls I like to make!
I love using rosemary with my Instant Pot bean recipes! I started doing that years ago when fresh rosemary was abundant where I lived but now I use dried rosemary instead. Adds such a warm flavor to beans!