Instant Pot Black Beans

You’ll save money by batch cooking your black beans instead of using canned beans. Using a pressure cooker saves time–you’ll want to save this Instant Pot Black Beans recipe!

There’s no use trying to style these photos or make them look pretty. Black beans aren’t pretty. But this is a staple recipe you’ll want to keep that will save you time and money.

Black beans are one of the most versatile food items out there! You can practically add them to anything; soups, taco salads, burrito bowls, power bowls, casseroles, not to mention all the ways you can add them to your healthy desserts and snacks. That’s why I’m sharing this money-saving, healthy Instant Pot Black Beans recipe.

Back in the day, making black beans was quite a task. First, you had to soak them in cold water overnight. Then you had to cook the soaked beans for a long time in a slow cooker on the stovetop to get perfectly cooked beans. The pressure cooker  has revolutionized the way we cook beans by reducing the cooking time by more than half!

Of course, canned black beans are a convenient option that I use often. If you have the time and inclination to make them from dried beans, however, you can save money! That’s something we all need at the grocery store now, am I right? A pound of dried beans is under $2, and it makes almost the equivalent of 4 cans of black beans. A can of black beans varies by brand and if you buy organic, but average for one can is around $1.50. So you’re paying three times the amount when you buy them in a can!

So, if you want to make your favorite black bean recipes and save some money, simply cook a big batch of dry beans in an Instant Pot pressure cooker, and freeze them in the portions you need in a freezer bag. And, when making something like black bean soup, spicy black beans, or instant pot Mexican black beans, just add the cooked black beans to it, and enjoy the perfect side dish.

The upside of storing cooked dried beans is that you can whip up quick meals on busy weeknights or days when you lack the motivation to cook something. Just throw in some ground cumin, salt, bell pepper, red onion, bay leaf, chili powder, or any other ingredients you have at hand in olive oil, sauté for a few minutes, and your healthy bowl of flavorful black beans is ready! Don’t forget to add your favorite toppings like lime juice, sour cream, or queso fresco to the refried black beans and pair them up with brown rice or white rice for a wholesome meal.

Scroll to the bottom of this post (after the recipe card) for all the Happy Healthy Mama recipes that call for black beans you can make with this Instant Pot Black Beans recipe!

Ready to speed up the cooking process and save time and money on cooking beans with this instant pot black beans recipe? Let’s go!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Black Beans

You would be surprised to know that the instant pot black beans recipe only requires 3 simple ingredients (and two of them are salt and water)! That’s right, just 3 ingredients and a huge pot of beans that can go a long way!

Black Beans

We need 1 pound of black rinsed beans for this recipe; however, you can increase the quantity if you’re batch cooking and have a large Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Black beans are a great source of protein, fiber, and iron. They are also rich in calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc, which makes these legumes excellent for maintaining healthy bones. Furthermore, black beans are a complex carbohydrate, low on the gylcemic index, making them beneficial for regulating blood sugar levels in people with type 1 & 2 diabetes.

Lastly, black beans are especially beneficial for our digestive system as they prevent constipation and aid in producing healthy gut bacteria.

Water

We need 6 cups of water as cooking liquid for the instant black beans recipe. First, you need to soak your beans in clean water, and then you drain that and cook your beans in water as well.

However, you can also use vegetable broth for cooking your beans instead of water to give the black beans a distinct taste and flavor. I like to use water because I also use black beans for baking (see below for recipe links!) and don’t want the savory flavor for that.

Salt

And because we want to make delicious beans, not bland ones, we will add 2 teaspoons of sea salt to the recipe. Salt makes the flavor of all other ingredients pop in a recipe; therefore, it will be a plus when adding black beans to other recipes.

As an alternative, you can also use garlic salt.

How to Make Instant Pot Black Beans

1. Put the dry black beans in a bowl and cover them with at least 3” water covering them. Allow to soak for 4-8 hours and then drain them.

2. Add the soaked black beans and 6 cups water to the inner pot.

3. Press the manual or pressure cook button and adjust the time to 25 minutes.

4. When the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure until the float valve drops, then unlock the lid.

5. Drain, add the salt to the beans and then transfer to a bowl for serving or an airtight container to store.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

While this Instant Pot Black Beans recipe is one of the simplest and easiest recipes, I have answered some common queries to help first-timers and newbies with the recipe.

Q. Do we have to soak the black beans before cooking?

I soaked the black beans in a large bowl with 3 inches of cold water for 4 to 8 hours for this recipe. The reason? It helps soften the beans and makes them cook faster. See the next question if you forgot to soak your beans!

Q. Can I cook black beans in the Instant Pot without soaking?

Yes, you can cook the black beans in your Instant Pot if you forgot or just don’t want to soak them first. Increase the cooking time to 35 minutes and let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes.

Q. How to consume Instant Pot Black Beans?

As mentioned earlier, black beans are highly versatile; you can pair them with anything! They are usually eaten as a side dish, mixed with a bit of lemon and herbs; however, you can incorporate them in several recipes to add taste and nutrition. See below the recipe card for linked recipes you can save and use!

Q. How long does cooking black beans in the pressure cooker take?

It takes around 45 minutes total to cook black beans in the pressure cooker. This includes 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, 25 minutes of high-pressure cooking, followed by 10 minutes for natural pressure release.

Seasoning the black beans depends entirely on your taste and preference. For instance, you can add some jalapenos or red peppers with cayenne pepper to make them spicy. Or you could drizzle some lime juice, cilantro, and sour cream to make delicious beans.

Q. How to store cooked instant pot black beans?

You can store the cooked instant pot black beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days. However, you can also place them in a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 6 months. Just make sure to cool them to room temperature before storing them.

If you’re looking for more healthy instant pot recipes, you can try instant pot broccoli and cheddar soup, instant pot pasta, and instant pot chicken vegetable soup.

If you make these Instant Pot Black Beans, or any of my healthy recipes, please leave a star rating and comment. It’s so helpful for other readers to see which recipes are tried and true, and it’s an easy way for you to help my blog get seen by more people. I really appreciate you!

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Recipes for using Instant Pot Black Beans

I use black beans A LOT! These are all recipes that call for canned black beans and you can use your Instant Pot Black Beans for!

Savory Black Bean Recipes

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

Black Bean Tacos

Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas

Quinoa Patties with Black Beans and Corn

Sweet Potato Nachos

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Taco Casserole

Southwest Chicken Salad

Mexican Quinoa Skillet Dinner

Vegetarian Taco Bowls

Vegan Taco Salad

Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potato

Hummus Veggie Wrap

Texas Caviar (Cowboy Caviar) 

Vegan Stuffed Peppers

Sweet Black Bean Recipes

Black Bean Brownies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

Peppermint. Brownies