Name: Instant Pot Black Beans (no soak)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1/2 pound dry black beans; 1 small onion (diced); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1 bay leaf; 3 cups water or stock; 1 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. black pepper; 1/2 tsp. black pepper

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Instant Pot Black Beans are super simple to prepare- no soaking required! Simply add in your dried beans and liquid to the pressure cooker and let the machine work it's magic for perfectly cooked black beans that are ready to enjoy in less than an hour.

bowl of cooked black beans with seasonings to the side.

I am always looking for ways to prepare things from scratch. Whether it's Instant Pot Tomato Sauce, Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree , Homemade Applesauce, or even Homemade Yogurt. Learning how to transform simple ingredients from pantry or fridge staples is helpful for any home cook. Cooking dried beans is a great start.

Beans are an awesome addition to recipes by adding protein and carbs. Canned beans are very easy, but with the cost of groceries increasing, it can be much more economical to make your own. Many recipes for cooking from dry require soaking. But when cooking black beans in the Instant Pot, no soaking is required.

Cooking dried black beans is so simple and economical, you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner!

This bean cooking method works for many different types of dried beans. Kidney beans, pinto beans, and northern beans all require the same cook time and don't require soaked beans. Here's more info on the difference between black beans and pinto beans.

Next up, try Instant Pot Refried Beans.

Ingredients

dry black beans
onion
garlic
bay leaf
water or stock
salt
pepper

How to make Instant Pot Black Beans no soak

Rinse beans and remove any debris or rocks.

To the Instant Pot, add beans, ½ cup diced onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.

ingredients added to instant pot but not stirred.

Pour liquid over top and stir.

Secure lid and make sure that it is in the "Sealing" designation.

Set to High Pressure for 30 minutes of cooking time. It will take several minutes to come up to pressure.

When the cook time is up, allow to natural release for 20 minutes. Quick release to release any remaining pressure. Once the pressure valve drops, remove lid.

finished black beans in the instant pot.

finished black beans in the instant pot stirred with a wooden spoon.

Remove bay leaf, stir and enjoy.

What is the ratio of beans to water in the instant pot?

This can vary depending on your preferences and how much liquid you like to have with your beans as a final product. I like to have at least as much to coat them, because they store much better this way and won't dry out as easily.

A good rule of thumb for liquid to beans when cooking them in the Instant Pot is 3:1, or 3 cups of liquid to 1 cup of dry beans.

Do you have to soak beans before cooking in the Instant Pot?

No, you don't! That's one of the best parts about using the pressure cooker to cook dry beans, no soaking required. Though soaking is a hands off, simple task, it does take time. Skipping it means this whole process is done from start to finish in less than an hour.

Ways to flavor black beans

This recipe is very bare bones, so that the final product is similar to what you would find from canned black beans. But once you try it out, I suggest you try out other flavor combinations the next time. There are so many ways to prepare this black beans recipe and you can add whatever spices you'd like.

Veggie Black Beans

Add ½ cup each of diced bell pepper, carrots, and celery, by sauteing in the Instant Pot in 1 tbsp. of oil before completing the remaining steps as directed.

Mexican Black Beans

Add 1 finely diced jalapeno and ½ cup diced onion sauteed in 1 tbsp. of oil. Cook black beans according to the instructions in the recipe card to finish. Stir in a handful of fresh chopped cilantro after cooking.

Storing cooked black beans

Did you know you can freeze cooked black beans? Well you totally can! This is such a great way to meal prep and have cooked beans ready for you to use in all of your favorite recipes. I like to store 2 cup portions, because that equals approximately what you would find in a can of store bought beans.

Allow to cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

You can also refrigerate them for several days if you aren't using them up right away.

Recipes using black beans