Instant Pot Chickpeas cook to perfection every time! You can soak them ahead of time, or skip it all together, for a delicious alternative to using canned beans.
Cover the dry chickpeas with 6 cups of water, add the salt, and secure the lid, moving the steam release valve to SEALING. Select the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button and cook at high pressure for 50 minutes (or up to 60 minutes for more tender beans), then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. When the screen reads LO:10, move the steam release valve to VENTING to release the remaining pressure.
When the floating valve in the lid drops, it's safe to remove the lid. Test the chickpeas for tenderness by mashing one against the side of the pot with a fork. Use the cooked beans right away, or store them in 1 1/2 cup portions in the fridge or freezer to replace a can of chickpeas in recipes. You should get 6 cups of cooked chickpeas (about 4 cans worth) in total.
SOAKED METHOD
Cover the chickpeas with 3 inches of water in a large bowl, and let them soak 8 hours, or overnight. When you're ready to cook, drain the chickpeas, then add them to the bowl of your Instant Pot. (You can also use the quick-soak method mentioned in this post as an alternative.)
Cover the drained chickpeas with 6 cups of fresh water, and the salt, if using, and secure the lid. Move the steam release valve to SEALING. Select the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes (or 20 minutes for more tender beans), then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. When the screen reads LO:10, move the steam release valve to VENTING to release the remaining pressure.
When the floating valve in the lid drops, it's safe to remove the lid. Test the chickpeas for tenderness by mashing one against the side of the pot with a fork. Use the cooked beans right away, or store them in 1 1/2 cup portions in the fridge or freezer to replace a can of chickpeas in recipes. You should get 6 cups of cooked chickpeas (about 4 cans worth) in total.
Notes
Nutrition information is for roughly 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas, assuming you get 6 cups in total from this recipe. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.• Need a longer cook time? If your chickpeas are not quite tender enough after the suggested cooking time, secure the lid again. (Be patient-- it won't close until the floating valve in the lid drops, meaning the pot isn't pressurized.) Cook at high pressure for an additional 5 minutes, and then perform a quick release by moving the steam release valve to venting right away. When there is no longer pressure in the pot, you can check on the chickpeas again. I tend to cook the beans on the longer side of the suggested cook times above.• Need to cook a smaller batch? You can cook 1 cup of chickpeas in 3 cups of water, instead. In this case, I usually add 3 to 5 minutes to the cook time, to account for the smaller volume.• Update note: I recently tested this recipe again and found that adding salt does not seem to affect the cooking time. I suspect that the age of the beans I was testing with previously had more to do with it than the added sodium, so feel free to season your beans as you like! This chickpea recipe is intended for replacing canned beans in recipes, but for a more flavorful option, check out my seasoned Instant Pot Black Beans.