These Instant Pot black beans are easy to make and taste so much better than the canned version! Perfect for meal prep or as a side dish to your favorite tacos, salads, or protein bowls, these black beans can be ready in under an hour with no soaking required.
Instant Pot black beans vs. canned black beans
I always have a few cans of black beans in the pantry, just in case. They’re a great addition to so many of my favorite recipes, like this Southwest Chicken Salad or my Quinoa Taco Bowls.
And while canned beans are easy to reach for, they simply just don’t taste as good as cooking your own, raw ingredients in the Instant Pot. Plus, purchasing bags of dry black beans will be easier on your wallet than always buying several cans.
What ingredients to use
I ended up using a 1-pound bag of dry black beans for this recipe. Then I threw in a shallot, some garlic, a little salt, and water. I also decided to use a few cups of homemade bone broth to add a little extra flavor.
No pre-soaking required
That’s right, you don’t need to soak your black beans before cooking them in the Instant Pot! As a matter of fact, you can cook several types of beans (like these Instant Pot refried beans) and even chickpeas in the Instant Pot, without soaking beforehand.
How to make Instant Pot black beans:
One of the best things about the Instant Pot, besides being an easy way to cook healthy food quickly, is that it is so simple — just 3 steps and you’re done! Season, cook, and serve.
Add everything to Instant Pot:
First, you want to gather all of your ingredients, including dry beans, a shallot, garlic, salt, broth, and water, then add them all to the Instant Pot.
Let the Instant Pot cook:
Next, place the lid on the pot and set the valve to seal. Then, cook on manual HIGH pressure for 30 minutes (it will take about 10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure, then a countdown timer will begin). Next, let the pressure naturally release for 20 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
Add final seasonings:
When the pressure has been fully released, remove the shallot, crush the garlic cloves with a fork and stir them into the beans. Finally, strain off any remaining liquid, then season with additional salt, to taste. Enjoy!
Tips and tricks for instant pot black beans
- If you need more, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled! And if you make too much, no worries — you can freeze it for quite some time (see my next tip).
- If you want to meal prep, you can cook these beans and then store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to add them to your favorite dish, you can just take out what you need and continue freezing the rest.
- If you have leftovers, you can store your Instant Pot black beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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More easy side dish recipes:
- The Best Glazed Carrots Recipe
- Balsamic Glazed Brussels sprouts with Cranberries
- Mashed Cauliflower
- Israeli Couscous with Tomatoes
- Grilled Broccolini with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Instant Pot Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound bag dry black beans (rinsed and sorted)
- 1 shallot (peeled and left whole (optional))
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled and left whole (optional))
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2¼ cups bone broth (or chicken or vegetable stock)
- 2 cups water
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Add beans, shallot, garlic, salt, broth, and water to the Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the pot and set the valve to seal.
- Cook on manual HIGH pressure for 30 minutes (it will take about 10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure, then a countdown timer will begin).
- Let the pressure naturally release for 20 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the shallot, crush the garlic cloves with a fork and stir them into the beans, and strain off any remaining liquid. Season with additional salt, to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you need more, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled! And if you make too much, no worries — you can freeze it for quite some time (see my next tip).
- If you want to meal prep, you can cook these beans and then store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to add them to your favorite dish, you can just take out what you need and continue freezing the rest.
- If you have leftovers, you can store your Instant Pot black beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.