These instant pot beans are an easy and flavorful way to take black beans to the next level. They require 10 minutes of active cooking, 8 ingredients and a push of a button for the best restaurant style beans.
I know I’m writing a post about how to cook beans from scratch, but up until recently, I was never the type of person who cooked beans from scratch.
I always bought beans from cans. It’s easy and convenient, but it’s also wasteful and WAY less flavorful! These instant pot black beans require a few extra steps than simply draining and rinsing from a can, but it’s so worth it.
They’re an easy way to spruce up a buddha bowl, burrito bowl, tacos, or even as part of breakfast with my oven roasted potatoes.
Plus, they require absolutely no soaking and only about 10 minutes of you actively doing anything. Aside from that, it’s a completely hands off process!
How to make this recipe
The best part about making beans in an instant pot is that you do not need to soak them! This cuts the cook time down by a lot and makes it an (almost) hands off process.
To make these beans, you first want to mince the garlic and chop the onion. I like to use a garlic press and onion press so both are very finely chopped. If you don’t have either, a good old knife will do the trick!
Add both the onion and the garlic to the instant pot and saute for 5 or so minutes or until golden brown. If you notice anything sticking, add more oil or a splash of water.
After a few minutes, add in the salt, spices and bay leaves and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.
Add in the chicken or vegetable stock plus the beans and put on the lid. Make sure the steam valve is set to sealing, not venting. Set the instant pot to manual mode for 30 minutes.
Allow pressure to release naturally, so do not set the valve to venting, for about 20-25 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the lid and give the beans a good stir. Taste and add more salt or chili powder if desired. Discard the bay leaves and enjoy with burrito bowls, tacos, or whatever else!
The best ratio
I played around with a few different ratios of beans to liquid for this recipe. Initially, I started with 1 pound of beans and 6 cups of broth, but there was still too much liquid remaining after the beans cooked.
I lowered it to 4 cups of liquid to 1 pound of beans, which allowed the beans to cook fully and properly without a ton of excess liquid.
There will still be some liquid remaining when the beans are done, but it will absorb after a few hours in the fridge, and you want to have enough liquid so the beans don’t dry out.
Moral of the story? One pound of beans to 4 cups of water or broth is ideal for cooking in an instant pot.
Frequently asked questions
Do they keep? Once prepared, these instant pot beans will store in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Allow them to cool completely before transferring to an air tight container.
If you are planning to freeze them, it helps to store them in smaller portions so you don’t need to defrost all of them at once.
How much does it make? This recipe calls for one pound of black beans, which is equal to 16 ounces or 2 cups. One pound of uncooked beans will yield approximately 6 cups of cooked beans.
Are they vegetarian? You can use chicken stock or vegetable stock for this recipe and they’ll turn out great either way. You can also just use water and add 1-2 servings of chicken or vegetable bouillon to help add more flavor.
Can I add other spices? Yes! Feel free to add any additional spices or herbs of your choosing into the instant pot. I’m a wee bit sensitive to spice as we all know, so I leave out the cayenne pepper, but you can add more chili power, garlic powder, paprika, whatever you see fit!
Enjoy with these recipes!
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Restaurant Style Instant Pot Black Beans
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry black beans
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 red onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ -1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 large or 3 small bay leaves
- Optional: 1/4 tsp cayenne for spice
Instructions
- Chop the onion and mince the garlic. I like to use a garlic press and onion press to get them very small.
- Add to the instant pot with the olive oil and select the saute function.
- Saute for 5 or so minutes or until golden brown. If you notice anything sticking, add more oil or a splash of water.
- After a few minutes, add in the salt, spices and bay leaves and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the chicken or vegetable stock plus the beans and put on the lid. Make sure the steam valve is set to sealing. Set the instant pot to manual mode for 30 minutes.
- Allow pressure to release naturally, so do not set the valve to venting, for about 20-25 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the lid and give a good stir. Taste and add more salt or chili powder if desired. If they look too saucey for you, just set the instant pot to the saute function and saute until some liquid is absorbed.
- Discard the bay leaves and serve with burrito bowls, tacos or anything else!
Allana says
I was wondering, is it possible to make these in a slow cooker? How long would you cook the beans for? Many thanks!
Claire Cary says
I have not tried that, but if you do I would guess they would need a few hours to cook!
Sarah says
And the beans are added……when?
Claire Cary says
when you add in the veggie/chicken stock!