How to Cook Perfect Black Beans in a Pressure Cooker

You don’t need to soak these Instant Pot black beans before cooking them. They are easy, creamy, tasty, and you don’t even have to use your hands.

Cooking dried black beans from scratch in a pressure cooker results in rich, flavorful beans ready in a fraction of the time needed on the stovetop With just a few simple ingredients and steps, you can have a pot of creamy, toothsome black beans ready in about an hour, depending on if you soak the beans first.

Benefits of Cooking Beans in a Pressure Cooker

Using a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot to prepare dried beans has some major advantages

Fast cooking times – Beans cook in 1/3rd the time, thanks to the built up steam and pressure. Unsoaked beans can be tender in about an hour.
Better flavor – The enclosed environment concentrates flavors, resulting in tastier beans.
Nutrient retention – Shorter cook times help retain more nutrients compared to prolonged boiling.
Energy efficient – Pressure cookers use less energy than keeping a pot simmering on the stove for hours.
Hands-off convenience – Once sealed, pressure cookers don’t need monitoring. The beans cook unattended.

Tips for Cooking Beans in a Pressure Cooker

Follow these tips for fork-tender beans every time:

Rinse beans – Pick over and rinse beans to remove any debris. Drain well.
Soak (optional) – For reduced cooking time, soak beans 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before cooking.
Use enough water – Beans need plenty of water to become tender. Cover with at least 1 inch water.
Add seasonings – Flavor beans with onions, garlic, herbs, chili peppers, etc. Add to the pot.
Bring to pressure – Lock the lid and bring to high pressure, about 10-15 minutes on warm up.
Quick or natural release – Quick release pressure for firmer beans or let pressure drop naturally for creamier beans.
Check doneness – Beans should be fork tender after cooking. If still firm, bring to pressure for a few more minutes.
Season and serve – After cooking, season beans to taste with salt, pepper, herbs, etc.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these simple steps for perfectly cooked black beans every time:

Ingredients

1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Rinse the beans – Place beans in a colander and rinse under cool running water. Pick over and remove any debris. Drain well.
Soak (optional) – Place rinsed beans in a large bowl and cover with 2 inches of water. Soak for 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse beans.
Sauté aromatics – In the pressure cooking pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes until starting to soften. Add garlic and oregano and cook 1 minute more.
Add beans, water and bay leaf – Add rinsed beans to pot along with 6 cups water and bay leaf. Water should cover beans by 1 inch.
Lock lid and bring to pressure – Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure and set timer for 25 minutes (unsoaked beans) or 10 minutes (soaked beans). Allow 10-15 minutes for the cooker to come up to pressure.
Release pressure – When timer goes off, use quick release method to depressurize if beans will be used right away. For creamier beans, use natural release and wait 10-15 minutes before opening lid.
Check doneness and season – Beans should be fork tender. If still al dente, bring to pressure for a few more minutes. Discard bay leaf. Season beans to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve and enjoy! – Add desired toppings and serve beans warm in their delicious broth or use in your favorite recipes. Freeze extras up to 4 months.

Cooking Time Chart

Use this handy chart as a reference for approximate pressure cooker cooking times for black beans:

Soaking Time	Release Method	Cook Time
Unsoaked	Quick	25 minutes
Unsoaked	Natural	20 minutes
Soaked 6-8 hours	Quick	12 minutes
Soaked 6-8 hours	Natural	8 minutes

*Times start after coming to pressure. Adjust as needed based on desired texture.

Tips for Perfect Pressure Cooker Beans

Follow these tips for infallible beans every time:

For best flavor, sauté aromatics like onion, garlic, and herbs in oil first before adding to beans.
Add broth or tomatoes instead of plain water for more flavorful beans.
Soaking isn’t mandatory but does reduce cooking time.
Let beans naturally release for creamier texture or quick release for firmer beans.
Always cook beans with at least 1 inch water above beans for even cooking.
Older, dried out beans will take longer to soften than fresher beans.
Add salt after beans have finished cooking for best flavor absorption.
Use leftover bean broth as a base for soups or stews. Freeze for later use.

Common Problems and Solutions

Having trouble getting tender beans? Try these troubleshooting tips:

Beans still hard after cooking – Old beans or not enough water. Bring to pressure again for 5-10 more minutes.

Beans are foaming out of pot – Too much headspace in cooker allowing aggressive boiling. Let foam subside before locking lid.

Beans fall apart or mushy – Beans soaked too long or cooked too long under pressure. Use less soaking and cooking time.

Broth is foamy or starchy – Natural starches released from bean skins. Skim foam off top or blend broth to disperse starch.

Beans have an off flavor – Hard water or old beans. Use filtered water and fresher dried beans. Rinse before cooking.

Recipe Ideas

Once you master cooking black beans in the pressure cooker, there are endless possibilities for using them. Here are some delicious recipe ideas:

Black Bean Soup – Blended or chunky, top with sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips.
Black Bean Chili – Spicy chili with ground beef or turkey and fun toppings.
Black Bean Burgers – Made with mashed beans, oats, and spices. Healthy veggie option.
Black Bean Salad – Toss beans with corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice.
Breakfast Burritos – Scrambled eggs, cheese, beans, salsa wrapped in a tortilla.
Nachos – Pile tortilla chips with beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado.
Quesadillas – Grilled tortillas with beans, cheese, and other favorite fillings.
Tacos – Hearty bean filling for tacos, tostadas, taco salad bowls.

So grab a bag of dried black beans and your pressure cooker to start enjoying nutritious, flavor-packed beans in record time!

how to cook black beans in a pressure cooker

What’s the Ratio of Beans to Water?

I tested a couple of different ratios to make sure I ended up with the perfect black beans.

The best amount of beans for the Instant Pot is 1:3. That’s 3 cups of water and 1 pound of dried beans. Adding more water worked, but there was a lot of extra liquid.
This amount of food needed 35 minutes of pressure cooking and 20 minutes of natural release. The beans soaked up almost all the liquid, so there was no need to drain them.
A little extra liquid was in the Instant Pot, but I liked having it there for serving because it kept the beans from being dry after I stirred them.

how to cook black beans in a pressure cooker

Instant Pot Black Beans

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It’s not necessary to soak 1 pound of dried black beans, which is about 2 cups.
1 ½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion diced
1 green bell pepper cored, seeded, and diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
3 cups water
Avocados, jalapeños, red onion, cilantro, and cherry tomatoes can be diced and added to the dish before serving.

Drain and rinse the beans. Remove any stones or beans that look bad or cracked. Set aside.
Add the olive oil and set the Instant Pot to SAUTE. Add the onion, bell pepper, and salt to the oil once it sparks and is hot. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, and stir them in. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until the spices smell great.
Add the water and beans and stir. Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on HIGH pressure for 35 minutes. After the timer goes off, let the steam escape on its own for 20 more minutes. Remove the lid. Remove the bay leaves and discard them. You can eat it warm or let it cool down completely and store it in separate containers.

TO STORE: Put beans in a container that won’t let air in and put it in the fridge for up to four days.
To reheat, put the beans back in a pot and heat them up on the stove or in the microwave.
TO FREEZE: Put beans in a container that won’t let air in and freeze them for up to three months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge, or heat it up right from frozen.

Instant Pot Black Beans (Perfect Beans Every Time!) | Minimalist Baker Recipes

FAQ

How long does it take to cook beans in a pressure cooker?

The electric pressure cooker is a bean-cooking dream. A “rapid soak” of just one minute at high pressure eliminates the overnight soak, and an average cook time of 10 minutes for most beans means that you can have a fresh pot in less than an hour.

What is the ratio of beans to water in a pressure cooker?

When cooking beans in the Instant Pot, you’ll use 2 1/2 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry beans. I’ve tried using less than that, but since beans expand as they cook, the ones that aren’t fully submerged in liquid will cook unevenly.

Should I soak beans before pressure cooking?

Unlike cooking beans on the stove, cooking beans in the Instant Pot does not require soaking. Simply rinse your beans and then add them to the Instant Pot with your cooking liquid and start pressure cooking.

Can you cook beans in a pressure cooker without soaking?

Forget pre-soaking. Forget hours of gentle simmering. Beans on the stovetop are fantastic for a lazy weekend afternoon, but with a pressure cooker, you can go from opening a bag of dried legumes to plump, tender beans in under an hour.

How long does it take to Pressure Cook black beans?

This is a total of 35 minutes, but you’ll also need to figure in the amount of time it takes for your pressure cooker to come to pressure (roughly 15-20 minutes). When cooking soaked black beans in an Instant Pot, drain the water, rinse the beans, and add the beans back into the Instant Pot at the appropriate step of the recipe.

What is the serving size of black beans?

You can consume as much black beans as you want. However, they can provide a lot of fiber, which can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. It is advisable to consume a portion the size of a normal plate.

How do you Pressure Cook black beans in an Instant Pot?

Put black beans, water and seasonings in your Instant Pot. Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook on high pressure (manual) according to the cook times listed in the recipe. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure.

How long do you cook beans in a pressure cooker?

Pressure Cooker Beans are easy and delicious and go from dry to done in less than an hour. No soaking required! Place all ingredients into the pressure cooker inner pot, stir and secure lid, ensuring the valve is turned toward sealing. Set timer to 20-30 minutes, depending on how soft you like your beans. The longer the softer.