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When it comes to cooking beans from scratch, Instant Pot Black Beans are a game changer. The pressure cooker will cook them to perfection so you don’t have to watch a pot on the stove.
The process is almost completely hands-off!
Below you’ll learn how to cook black beans in the Instant Pot a few different ways. Whether you like to cook dry beans, pre-soaked beans, or prepare seasoned beans with some spices, you’ll be covered with this quick tutorial.
You can use the seasoned black beans as a side dish, over a salad, or in tacos, enchiladas, and more.
Or, you can prepare plain black beans and use them in place of canned beans in recipes. You can freeze these for up to 3 months, so you’ll always have black beans ready when you need them.
How to Cook Instant Pot Black Beans
To prepare seasoned black beans, press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot, and allow the bottom to heat up. Add in the olive oil and yellow onion, and stir for 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, cumin, and oregano, and stir briefly. Then immediately press the Keep Warm/Cancel button, so the garlic won’t burn.
Add in 1/2 cup of water, to help deglaze the bottom of the pot. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the Instant Pot.
This ensures you won’t trigger a BURN error during the pressure cooking cycle.
Once the bottom of the pot looks clean, add in the remaining 4 1/2 cups of water, plus the black beans, bay leaf, and salt. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to the Sealing position.
Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button to cook at high pressure for 50 minutes. It will take roughly 10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure, so the screen will read ON until then. (If using soaked beans, cook for 9 minutes instead.)
When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes (or 15 minutes if using soaked beans).
When the screen reads L0:10, move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve in the lid drops, it’s safe to open the lid.
Remove the bay leaf and use a fork to test one of the beans for tenderness, by mashing it against the side of the pot. It should be very tender and creamy in the middle.
To eliminate the excess liquid in the pot, press the Sauté button and let the liquid simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the beans don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Keep in mind the liquid will continue to thicken as the beans cool, so I don’t recommend simmering for longer than 15 minutes.
Season with additional salt (I add 1/2 teaspoon) and a tablespoon of fresh lime juice, to brighten up the flavor. Serve warm with fresh cilantro on top, if you like.
Leftover beans can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
how to Cook plain black beans
Combine 1 pound of dry beans with 5 cups of water. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to the Sealing position. Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button, and cook at high pressure for 50 minutes. (Or cook for 9 minutes if using soaked beans.)
When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes (or 15 minutes if using soaked beans). When the screen reads L0:10, move the steam release valve to the Venting position to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve in the lid drops, it’s safe to open the lid.
Test a bean for tenderness by pressing one against the side of the Instant Pot with a fork. It should mash easily when it’s tender. Drain the beans, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Wondering how to use your plain cooked black beans? Use them to make black bean brownies, black bean soup, or bean dip!
Ingredients
Seasoned Black Beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt , plus more to taste
- 1 pound dry black beans (about 2 heaping cups)
- 5 cups water
- fresh lime juice , to taste
Instructions
Seasoned Black Beans
- Press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot, and allow the bottom to heat up. Add in the olive oil and yellow onion, and stir until it looks softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, and oregano, and stir briefly, then press the Keep Warm/Cancel button, so the garlic won't burn.
- Add in 1/2 cup of water, to help deglaze the bottom of the pot. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the Instant Pot, so you won't trigger a BURN error during the pressure cooking cycle.
- Once the bottom of the pot looks clean, add in the remaining 4 1/2 cups of water, plus the black beans, bay leaf, and salt. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button to cook at high pressure for 50 minutes. It will take roughly 10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure, so the screen will read ON until then. (If using soaked beans, cook for 9 minutes instead.)
- When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes (or 15 minutes if using soaked beans). When the screen reads L0:10, move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve in the lid drops, it's safe to open the lid.
- Remove the bay leaf and use a fork to test one of the beans for tenderness, by mashing it against the side of the pot. It should be very tender and creamy in the middle. To eliminate the excess liquid in the pot, press the Sauté button and let the liquid simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the beans don't stick to the bottom of the pot. Keep in mind the liquid will continue to thicken as the beans cool, so I don't recommend simmering for longer than 15 minutes. Season with additional salt (I add 1/2 teaspoon) and a tablespoon of fresh lime juice, to brighten up the flavor. Serve warm! Leftover beans can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Plain Black Beans (Substitute for Canned Beans)
- Combine 1 pound of dry beans with 5 cups of water. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button, and cook at high pressure for 50 minutes. (Or cook for 9 minutes if using soaked beans.)
- When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes (or 15 minutes if using soaked beans). When the screen reads L0:10, move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve in the lid drops, it's safe to open the lid.
- Test a bean for tenderness by pressing one against the side of the Instant Pot with a fork. It should mash easily when it's tender. Drain the beans, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, so you can use it in recipes.
- To freeze cooked beans, line a baking sheet or plate that will fit on a flat shelf in your freezer with parchment paper. Arrange the cooked beans in a single layer, so they will freeze individually instead of in clumps, and place in the freezer for 2 hours. Transfer the frozen beans to an airtight container so they'll keep well in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
How to Store Black Beans
Cooked black beans will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or you can freeze them for a longer shelf life. To freeze black beans, line a large baking sheet or plate (that will fit on a flat shelf in your freezer) with parchment paper.
Pour the cooked beans on the lined pan, and arrange them in a single layer. This way they will freeze individually, instead of in big clumps. This makes measuring them later easier! Freeze for 2 hours, or until the beans feel frozen, then transfer to an airtight container to store in the freezer for up to 6 months. The beans should remain individually frozen this way, so they’ll be easy to thaw and measure for recipes later.
How to Use Them
You can use Instant Pot Black Beans just like you would canned beans, when you use the instructions for plain beans in the printable recipe above. Below, you’ll find some of my favorite black bean recipes.
- Black Bean Brownies
- Instant Pot Burrito Bowls
- Black Bean Burgers
- Copycat Panera Black Bean Soup
- Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
- Bean Dip
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite way to use black beans?
I tried this. Beans were still hard. Re started for 10 min still hard. Restarted for 20 minutes still hard. Retried fort 10 minutes finally at a nice softness but not hard. Beans new off store shelf. I’ll try again but 25 minutes didn’t work for me
The little button that allows you to modify the number of servings and the amount of ingredients has a glitch. The number of pounds of black beans changes, but it always says in parentheses (about 2 cups). So it says that 1 lb is two cups, 0.33 lb is two cups, 1.5 lb is two cups, etc. I hope I got the ratio right as I measured by number of cups, not weight, and they are cooking in the IP now…
Sorry, the (2 cups) is a note by me for the original weight of the recipe, so it will never change. The recipe software can only change the ingredient measurements, not my notes to the right of them. Since 1 pound = 2 cups, I’d estimate that .5 pound = 1 cup, and 1.5 pounds would be 3 cups, etc.
1 lb of black beans is 2 cups
Just made your black beans in my ipot, they are fantastic! They held their shape and I love the texture. I will be doing this again! Thank you 🙂
Do you know if you could cook chickpeas in the instant pot the same way as the black beans?
Tried this recipe and was very disappointed! Beans were way too mushy and the cook time needs to be adjusted. I was better off trying the directions on instant pots site. However, if you are in the same boat as me with mushy beans, I plan on making black bean soup with it so I don’t waste them!
I’m sorry to hear that! I wonder if the age of the beans has something to do with it. I tried cooking mine for 22 minutes once, and they were way too firm, so 25 minutes seems to be the perfect amount for the batches I’ve tried. if you want a firmer bean, you could also shorten the cooking time by doing a quick-release, so you can check on the beans for tenderness. (You can always add more time and do another quick-release as needed.)
I tried this exactly as written. I think 25 minutes is too long because my beans were mushy. It’s great not to soak, but next time I will shorten the IP minutes. Thanks. Black beans are my fave!
Megan, where do you buy dry organic black beans? You said you bought a 16 ounce bag of dry organic black beans for $1.25,
Thank you!
I bought it at Trader Joe’s! That’s the pricing here in the Midwest– I know their stores vary by location.
I sprout my beans before cooking them in a slow cooker. I read that actually transforms them to a vegetable instead of a starch. And I definitely find them easier to digest when sprouted first. I don’t remember if simply soaking made so much of a difference.
how do you sprout them? need to try this.
Yes! Interested in how you spout them in the slow cooker as well. I know spouting other things is just a matter of soaking a few hours before.
I once had a pressure cooker explode on me, sending steaming water and beans all over my kitchen. I’ve never had the courage to try anything similar again. How safe is the instapot? Is it designed so these accidents won’t happen? Thanks?
That sounds scary! I was nervous to try a pressure cooker for the same reason, but I’ve read that Instant Pots are significantly safer than older models of pressure cookers. For example, it’s pretty much impossible to take the lid off of the Instant Pot until the pressure is safely released– which is the main cause of most pressure cooker explosions. I’ve also heard my Instant Pot release a bit of pressure during the cooking process, which I assume is a safe guard against exploding pots. I’ve been using mine for nearly 2 years now with no scares! (The first few times I used it, I totally made my family leave the room, just in case!)
Modern pressure cookers have an additional safety feature that didn’t exist before: The plastic seal around the lid is made of material that will fail and leak out pressure before the pot is in danger of exploding. They are much safer that the old pressure cookers.
Hi Sarah, years ago I had the same experience. I’m thrilled to say that the instant pot is NOTHING like those old contraptions. I got one about 4 months ago and I totally love it.
I have always cooked black beans on the stove but was excited to try them in the IP. But when I made them in the IP they came out mealy. Any thoughts on what’s happening?
Hmmm… did you use this method, where you don’t soak them and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes? I just made these again last night and the beans were really velvety in texture, but I imagine the results could vary by batch depending on the crop and age of the dry beans.
I’m Confused here, o thought this recipe use to call for 25 minutes high pressure, no soaking. But now says 50 minutes but then you mention again in a response that you just made them using the 25 minute method. Please let me know where that method went.
Thank you so much
Yes, I changed the method after a lot of feedback and years more experience. 50 minutes leads to more consistently cooked beans with NO chalky middles (which is not ideal for digestion, as I understand it), but if 25 minutes is enough for the beans you have on hand, then you can certainly cook them for a shorter time.
I’m really disappointed the recipe changed. This used to be my go-to recipe for black beans but with 50 minutes cook time they end up really mushy.