Instant Pot Black Beans

The complete guide and the best recipe for Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot Black Beans from scratch. This easy black beans recipe has flavorful and tender beans in a creamy broth. It’s one of those pantry recipes and easy freezer meals that will cost around $0.25 cents per cup and will become a family favorite — just like how to make black beans (2 ways)  and feijoada recipe.

How to make Instant Pot Black Beans

1. Sort the beans and discard any stones or damaged beans. SEE PIC. 1
2. Wash the beans in a colander. SEE PIC. 2 Soaking is not recommended for the pressure cooker.
3. Rinse black beans and drain.
4. Cook beans: In an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, add beans with 6 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of oil (oil reduces foaming during the cooking process) SEE PIC. 3 
5. Then, lock the lid, turn the valve to secure pressure, and press the bean button and set for 30 minutes, or set to manual for 30 minutes to cook on high pressure. SEE PIC. 4
6. Once the cooking time comes to an end, do a quick release and once the pressure is out, remove the lid.
7. In a separate nonstick pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat and cook the diced onion until translucent, stirring now and then. Next, add the garlic and cook for about 60 seconds, stirring now and then. SEE PIC. 5
8. Mix the cooked onion and garlic into the almost tender beans. Add the bay leaves, and stir in all the seasonings, spices, and vinegar. The vinegar improves taste and reduces gassy elements. If salt is added at the beginning, it’ll toughen the beans.
9. Press the sauté function and let cook for 10-15 minutes, uncovered. Stir and remove the bay leaves. If desired, remove about 1 cup of cooked black beans (grains and broth) and blend in a blender until smooth. SEE PIC. 6
10. Add back to the cooked beans and stir. This will make the beans thicker and tastier. Right before serving, sprinkle on the chopped cilantro or parsley if you want. Serve over white rice (a staple in Brazil) and with your meat of choice, or used as a base for black bean soup and dips.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Black beans are a staple in Brazilian cuisine and one of those easy Brazilian recipes often prepared in the manual pressure cooker.

Down in Brazil, you can cook beans only with seasonings and vegetables (garlic, onion, okra, and cubed pumpkin are the most common) or you can add bacon or another type of meat such as ham hocks.

This recipe for dry black beans in the Instant Pot is vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free! It is a healthy bean recipe packed with flavor!

What are Black Beans?

As you can see by the many recipes containing either dry or canned beans, black beans are not new to me. They are very popular in Brazil including in Rio de Janeiro. I grew up both making and eating them daily. So be assured that we provide the best recipe as well as all that you need to know about this plant-based protein source.

Black beans, also called black turtle beans, are a legume native to the Americas. They're a staple in Latin American and Caribbean cuisines such as Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, and more. In the United States, they are present in Creole cooking and Tex-Mex cuisine.

They are cheap, versatile, and healthy food, available both canned and dry worldwide.

Local markets and chain supermarkets often carry them in the Latin or International aisle. Of course, you can also find them in Latin American and Caribbean specialty stores as well as at Whole Foods.

Lastly, you’ll see that cooking black beans in the Instant Pot is convenient: it requires no soaking and is quick and easy.

How to Buy and Store Black Beans?

When buying black beans, make sure they are:

• Whole and not cracked,
• Dry and not moist,
• Fresh and not old or stale (check its harvest date on the package). Beans must be cooked within a year of its harvest date.

Moreover, store beans in a cool, dark place such as a pantry, either packed in a plastic bag or in an airtight container. Although they can keep its nutritional value for 2-3 years, preferably use them within a year from the harvest date because old beans may never become tender enough to consume. 

Reasons to cook black beans from scratch

• They are healthy: black beans are a source of plant-based protein and fiber. Moreover, they contain folate, thiamin (vitamin B1), phosphorus, manganese, and magnesium. If you have ever heard that beans are “unhealthy,” it might be because beans contain lectins, an anti-nutrient, until they have been fully cooked. Lectins are present in many plant-based foods, but if you eat fully-cooked black beans you won’t have anything to worry about. Read all about black bean nutrition here.
• They are cheap: a 15-oz can of black beans costs around $ .70 cents and a 16-oz package of dried black beans about $.99 cents. The first yields approximately 2 cups and feeds 2 people and the second yields 5 cups and feeds at least 5 people. Of course, prices may vary depending on location and where you buy them. Also, be aware that organic black beans cost more.
• Black beans can be made ahead and frozen for up to 6 months.
• Available worldwide. But they are most popular in Central and South American cuisines, as well as the Caribbean. Some places are Brazil (feijão preto), Cuba (frijoles negros), Guatemala, Venezuela (caraotas negras), Puerto Rico, Mexico, among others.
• They are versatile. You can eat them as a side, as a vegetarian main dish, or you can incorporate them in other dishes such as tacos, enchiladas, burritos, salads, and more.
• Can be prepared on the stovetop, slow cooker, pressure cooker, or Instant Pot, braised in the oven, or mashed and refried for refried beans.
• The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming 5 cups of beans per week to take advantage of these potential health benefits. Among them, beans contribute to fullness or satiety and help the digestive system.

Seasonings

This Instant Pot black beans recipe doesn’t call for bacon or lard – in fact, our black bean recipe is free of meat products (it’s both vegetarian and vegan). The spices that we used are common in Brazil and make a soulful healthy dish.

Although you can add, omit or replace one or more of the seasonings, I advise you to try ours first and adjust as you wish.

• Onion and garlic lend a solid base to these beans. Both are sweated to release their natural oils and maximize flavor. After beans are fully cooked, they will be partially blended in a  blender along with the cooked beans, making the dish even more flavorful.
• Bay leaves add an herbal flavor similar to oregano or thyme. Along with onion and garlic make a Portuguese/Brazilian sofrito or refogado (a type of mirepoix).
• Olive oil (just enough to cook the onion and garlic) makes these beans also cook up nice and add flavor.
• Salt and pepper add a savory taste to these beans and are essential in savory cooking.
• Ground cumin adds a cozy, earthy, and mild smoky flavor to black beans.
• Red wine vinegar for acidity that beans naturally craves and also helps with gases.
• Cilantro, a common herb in Latin America and lends a touch of freshness to the beans before serving. You may replace it with parsley.

Right before serving, you can also squeeze lime juice to brighten up the flavors of the whole dish. Beans love acidity!

Yield and Conversions

Dried black beans are often sold in one-pound bags. This recipe calls for the whole bag and yields about 6 cups. If you won't be able to finish off that amount of beans within 5 days, you can either halve the recipe or freeze leftovers for up to 6 months.

Here are some helpful measurements and cooking conversions:

• Raw or dried black beans: 1 pound = 16 ounces or 454 grams = about 2 ½ cups
• 1 pound dried black beans = about 6 cups cooked black beans = a little more than 3 (15-oz) cans of cooked black beans
• Every 1 ¼ cups of dried beans yields about 3 cups of cooked beans

How long does it take to cook black beans in the pressure cooker?

When using fresh or new dry beans:

• You can cook them for around 30-40 minutes in the Instant Pot, if not soaked.
• Or you can prepare black beans in about 15-20 minutes if soaked.

But if beans are old, you may need to increase the cooking time to 40-50 minutes to tenderize them, or even add ½ teaspoon of baking soda per pound of dry beans to achieve a tender texture.

Black Beans to Water Ratio for Instant Pot

To make this black bean recipe in the Instant Pot saucy, use 5-6 cups of water for every pound of dry beans.

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

No, you don’t! It is actually better that you skip the soaking step when cooking them in the Instant Pot or in the pressure cooker. The reason why is because it will avoid split skins while retaining the color and nutrients.

The high pressure will tenderize the beans in a fraction of the time (about one third) that it takes to cook on the stovetop. If  the beans are not soaked, it can take about 30-40 minutes for them to cook in the Instant Pot while it takes around 90 minutes to cook on the stovetop.

But if you decide to soak them anyway before cooking in the pressure cooker, it may take around half of the time (15-20 minutes) to cook compared to unsoaked beans. Be aware they may become too tender or start to show split skins.

Soaking Methods

There are basically 3 different soaking methods that vary in the amount of time required for proper soaking. The “hot soak” method is my favorite because it reduces cooking time and gas-producing compounds the most while yielding tender beans.

1. Traditional Soaking (most common): Soak beans in cold water for 8 hours or overnight (ratio: 6 cups of water for every 2 cups of dried beans).
2. Hot Soak (preferred): Beans are boiled for 2-3 minutes, removed from heat, covered, and then let to stand for 4-24 hours (ratio: 10 cups water for every 2 cups of dried beans).
3. Quick soaking (most convenient): Boil beans for 2-3 minutes, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour (ratio: 6 cups of water for every 2 cups of dried beans).

Fermentation may take place if left in hot water for too long; there is also the potential loss of some folate.

4 Steps to soaking dry beans

1. First, inspect the dry beans, removing any broken beans or foreign materials.
2. Rinse thoroughly in cold water.
3. Next, use one of the soaking methods mentioned above. If using the traditional soaking method (most common): Add 6 cups of cold water to a large bowl for each pound (2 cups) of dried beans, and let sit for 8 hours or overnight.
4. Finally, drain and rinse soaked beans. Cook and use in recipes.

To Salt or not to salt before cooking?

It’s true that salted beans tend to have a better flavor. But I don’t agree that unsalted beans are to blame for split skins. Simmering beans instead of rapid boiling them is the step that really prevents split skins. When cooking beans in the pressure cooker, make sure to use new beans and filtered/distilled water, and also to NOT soak them. These will help the beans to not wind up with split skin under pressure.

Because salt tends to toughen beans, add salt once beans are almost tender. This means, after cooking beans in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes, do a quick release, then salt the beans and add other seasonings, press the sauté function, and let them cook for additional 10-15 minutes in order to absorb the salt and added seasonings.

Hard water issues

Another factor to consider is the minerals in hard water. They can slow the cooking process, making it take about 50% more time for the beans to cook!

So, use filtered or distilled water instead of tap water, unless you have a good water softener at home.

Is it best to cook beans on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot?

You can cook beans either way. But to avoid split skin and produce more flavorful beans, cook them on the stovetop. Moreover, water can evaporate during cooking, resulting in a more condensed and thick broth – the opposite of what happens in the Instant Pot.

Some think the Instant Pot or pressure cooker should be reserved for when you are in a hurry. According to them, beans may cook unevenly because they may run out of water during the cooking process. Plus, overcooking them is not uncommon and they may become mushy and bland.

I partially agree with them. Yes, what they say can happen, but only if you don’t take the following measures:

• Use distilled or filtered water (avoid hard water) and new beans (within one year of the expiration date) so  that they can achieve a soft texture when cooked.
• Add 6 cups of water to every pound of dried beans. This will be enough water to prevent the beans from running out of liquid. If you wish, consult our volume conversions
• To prevent mushy beans, do NOT soak the beans. Moreover, cook new beans in distilled or filtered water for about 30 minutes under high pressure. Then do a quick release and simmer them (press sauté button), uncovered, for about 10 minutes. These steps will prevent mushy beans or split skins.
• The simmering process will allow the beans to absorb flavors. Add cooked onion and garlic, seasonings, and vinegar to the beans before simmering them. At the end, blend about 1 cup (broth and beans) in a blender and stir it into the cooked beans. This will make them super tasty! If you wish, sweat extra vegetables and blend with the cooked beans and broth in the blender, adding extra flavor. Plus, add an extra splash of red wine vinegar to bring out even more flavor. Beans love acidity. I find that these are the best ways to doctor up my Instant Pot Black Beans. It works wonders!

Top 10 Tips for Pressure Cooker Black Beans

1. To cook beans, add cold filtered or distilled water (not hard water) to fully cover beans but all the content in the pressure cooker must not make the pot more than half-full. Hard water (naturally high in minerals) may affect the cooking time/softening of beans. Distilled or softened water may result in a better end product.
2. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil before cooking, if you wish. Adding oil prevents foaming. 
3. Cook only one kind of bean at a time if possible. Different types and ages of beans have different cooking times, so avoid cooking different types of beans together at the same time.
4. Do not soak the beans before cooking them in the pressure cooker to prevent split skins.
5. Some think adding baking soda to beans makes the beans more tender, but it also destroys the B vitamin thiamine and may impact the flavor negatively. Personally, I think it doesn’t alter the flavor – at least I cannot taste the difference!
6. Check beans for doneness before eating. When cooked properly, beans should be tender but not mushy. Skins still should be intact, but the beans can be mashed easily between two fingers or with a fork.
7. Drain beans right away once they have reached the desired texture in order to prevent overcooking –but only if you will be using them in salads or other dishes where the broth is not needed.
8. To add flavor when the beans have almost finished cooking, try adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil immediately before serving rather than adding high-fat ingredients (such as bacon) during cooking.
9. To cook black beans quickly, try a pressure cooker, following the manufacturer’s instructions. This allows beans to cook in a fraction of the time and eliminates the need for soaking. However, this does not give the beans as much time to absorb flavors from other ingredients as when cooked on the stovetop.
10. To season beans cooked in the Instant Pot, add salt and other seasonings after they have cooked (salt added before cooking tends to toughen beans) and then let them simmer (sauté function) for about 10-15 minutes. In addition, blend in the blender 1 cup (or more) of the cooked and seasoned beans until creamy and add to the Instant Pot. It will make the bean broth more flavorful and creamy.

Flavor-boosting tips for pressure cooking beans

Beans tend to absorb the flavors of the ingredients with which they are cooked. Follow these tips when adding each of these ingredients to make beans in the Instant Pot tasty and nutritious:

1. Acid: Adding sources of acid is a great way to increase the depth of flavor in bean dishes. Add foods such as lemon juice, vinegar, tomatoes, chili sauce, ketchup, molasses, or wine after beans have been cooked fully. These acidic foods can prevent beans from becoming tender and lengthen the cooking time if they are added too soon.
2. Onions: Adding onions also can increase the depth of flavor in beans. Add onions at any time during the cooking process, but for a stronger onion flavor, add after the 30 minutes of pressure cooking and before the 10-15 minutes of simmering – as well as acid, salt, and other seasonings.
3. Herbs and spices: Add oregano, thyme, garlic, parsley, or any other herbs/spices any time during cooking. However, keep in mind that the flavors of herbs and spices tend to diminish the longer they are cooked.
4. Salt: Add when the beans have almost reached full tenderness because salt tends to toughen beans. Remember to use minimal amounts of salt to limit the sodium content of beans.

Storage

Allow cooked black beans to cool completely. Then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Other black beans recipes:

• Vegetarian feijoada
• Feijoada Salad
• Brazilian Minestrone
• Black Beans and Rice
• Pastel de Feijoada
• Black bean pasta
• Texas caviar 
• Savory hand pies
• Costa Rican Gallo Pinto Recipe

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5 from 3 votes

Instant Pot Black Beans

The complete guide and the best recipe for Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot Black Beans from scratch. This easy black beans recipe has flavorful and tender beans in a creamy broth. It’s one of those pantry recipes and easy freezer meals that will cost around $0.25 cents per cup and will become a family favorite!

Course:Side Dish

Cuisine:American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories229 kcal

Author Denise Browning

Cost $ 0.25 per person

Equipment

• Instant Pot or pressure cooker

Ingredients

• 16 oz dried black beans
• 6 cups water
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ onion chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt( plus ½ teaspoon pepper) use pepper flakes if you enjoy spicy food
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped

Instructions

• Sort the beans and discard any stones or damaged beans. 
• Wash the beans in a colander. Soaking is not recommended for the pressure cooker.
• Rinse black beans and drain
• Cook beans: In an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, add beans with 6 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of oil (oil reduces foaming during the cooking process) 
• Then, lock the lid, turn the valve to secure pressure, and press the bean button and set for 30 minutes, or set to manual for 30 minutes to cook on high pressure.
• Once the cooking time comes to an end, do a quick release and once the pressure is out, remove the lid.
• In a separate nonstick pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat and cook the diced onion until translucent, stirring now and then. Next, add the garlic and cook for about 60 seconds, stirring now and then. 
• Mix the cooked onion and garlic into the almost tender beans. Add the bay leaves, and stir in all the seasonings, spices, and vinegar. The vinegar improves taste and reduces gassy elements. If salt is added at the beginning, it’ll toughen the beans.
• Press the sauté function and let cook for 10-15 minutes, uncovered. Stir and remove the bay leaves. If desired, remove about 1 cup of cooked black beans (grains and broth) and blend in a blender until smooth.
• Add back to the cooked beans and stir. This will make the beans thicker and tastier. Right before serving, sprinkle on the chopped cilantro or parsley if you want. Serve over white rice (a staple in Brazil) and with your meat of choice, or used as a base for black bean soup and dips.

Recipe Notes

Storage

Allow cooked black beans to cool completely. Then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 885mg | Potassium: 852mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

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