How to Cook Beans in the Instant Pot
Learn how to cook dried beans in the Instant Pot, with a timing guide for various types of beans.
Your budget is going to love you once you start cooking inexpensive dried beans instead of buying canned ones. There’s no salt, weird ingredients or additives in dried beans, and a world of heirloom and organic beans opens up to you too.
In general, you will cook up a pound of dried beans at a time. If you have a small household I still recommend that you still cook the whole pound and freeze the rest for another meal. Keep reading to learn how to cook dry beans in your Instant Pot.
Can I Freeze Cooked Beans?
Cooked beans freeze great and are a time saver when you need a last minute meal. I freeze them in 1 and 1/2 cup resealable freezer bags. That’s about what a can of beans holds, give or take the latest weight change, so it’s easy to use them in recipes.
I suggest cooking at least one batch of beans a month to get a good variety stocked up in your freezer. It’s so nice to be able to just grab them from the freezer to use in meals when you need them.
You can use frozen beans in your favorite Instant Pot or slow cooker recipes that call for cooked beans. Like my Slow Cooker Mole with Potatoes and Beans or Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa with Black Beans.
Basic Un-Soaked Bean Instant Pot Recipe
This method works for any beans that are not field peas or lentils.
If you like, you can sauté any aromatics like onions or garlic right in your Instant Pot before adding the beans. Then add herbs or spices plus 1 pound of rinsed and drained dry beans.
We’re talking longer cooking beans like pinto, black, kidney, cranberry beans, or similar sized heirloom varieties like Ayocote Morado, Eye of the Goat, Flageolet, Good Mother Stallard, Rio Zape, and Scarlet Runner.
Note: The heirloom exception is the tepary bean which is smaller than field peas, but takes as long to cook as pintos.
Now add 4 to 6 cups of water on top of your beans. Use more liquid if you want more broth. Close the lid and make sure that the steam release is pointing to sealing. Select the pressure cooking setting and cook for the time called for on the bean chart for the beans you chose, un-soaked.
If you have leftover liquid, or prefer a thicker bean you can turn the IP to sauté to help them thicken up. To make extra fat free creamy beans, use a potato masher to mash some and stir them in well. This is my favorite way to eat them and we do it in the upcoming IP Red Beans and Rice recipe in this series.
How Would I Cook Soaked Beans?
In general, you would adjust this for soaked beans by lowering the water to 3 cups and look at the chart below to find the soaked cooking time for the bean you are using.
How Much Is 1 Pound Of Dry Beans In Cups?
One pound of beans is usually about 2 cups dry. So if you were given a glass jar of beans now you have an additional way to measure them if you don’t own a food scale.
What Should I Only Add To Cooked Beans?
Acidic ingredients and salt can make your beans take longer to cook. In fact, molasses was added to baked beans to slow down the cooking so the beans wouldn’t get mushy when they were cooked for a long period of time, long before we had Instant Pots.
Don’t add salt, citrus juice, vinegar, tomato products, or things that contain them to your dry beans. Instead add them after the beans are tender, then simmer for a few minutes more to develop the flavors.
Bean Cooking Chart
Quick-Cooking Beans/Lentils
No soaking is required for these beans and lentils. If you choose to soak them for digestive reasons, cut the cook time in half.
| Beluga Lentils | 4–6 minutes |
| Green French Lentils | 5–7 minutes |
| Brown Lentils | 6–8 minutes |
| Red Lentils | 4–6 minutes |
| Split Peas | 5–8 minutes |
In-Between Cooking Beans
These beans don’t really require soaking and typically cook on the stove for 30 minutes to 1 hour. But you may choose to soak to reduce cooking time or just to make your tummy happier. The first times listed is for pre-soaked beans, or you can skip that and use the second time range.
| Soaked | Un-soaked | |
| Adzuki Beans | 6-9 minutes | 15-20 minutes |
| Black-Eyed Peas | 3-5 minutes | 7-9 minutes |
| Navy Beans | 5-8 minutes | 15-20 minutes |
Long-Cooking Beans
These beans can take as long as 4 hours when cooked on the stove, so you are saving a ton of time whether you soak or not! Use the first times listed if you chose to soak the beans, or the longer times if you didn’t.
| Soaked | Un-soaked | |
| Black Beans | 9–11 minutes | 22–27 minutes |
| Cannellini Beans | 9–11 minutes | 22–27 minutes |
| Cranberry Beans | 7–9 minutes | 20–25 minutes |
| Chickpeas | 12–15 minutes | 35–45 minutes |
| Kidney Beans | 9–11 minutes | 22–27 minutes |
| Lima Beans | 7–9 minutes | 20–25 minutes |
| Pinto Beans | 4–6 minutes | 15–20 minutes |
| Soybeans | 18–23 minutes | 40–45 minutes |
More Instant Pot Bean Recipes
How to Cook Beans in the Instant Pot
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Optional Soaking Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: Refer to Chart
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 5–6 cups cooked beans 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Once you cook dry beans in your electric pressure cooker you won’t go back. It’s inexpensive, you get to try beans your can’t find canned, and you can cook in flavor.
Use a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dry beans
- Water for cooking, see directions varies by method
Instructions
Rinse and sort through the beans for any small stones or dirt. Next follow the instructions depending on if you will soak your beans or not.
Soaked Bean Directions
- Take the rinsed beans and place in a large mixing bowl and cover with water at least 2 to 3 inches above the beans. Soak at least 8 hours, and you can soak in the fridge for up to 24 if needed.
- Rinse the beans and add them to your Instant Pot. Now add 3 cups of water on top of your beans. Use more liquid if you want more broth.
- Close the lid and make sure that the steam release is pointing to sealing. Select the pressure cooking setting and cook for the time called for on the bean chart for the variety you chose under the soaked time.
- Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes or the whole time to keep the beans more intact.
Un-Soaked Bean Directions
- Add the rinsed beans to your Instant Pot. Now add 4 to 6 cups of water on top of your beans. Use more liquid if you want more broth.
- Close the lid and make sure that the steam release is pointing to sealing. Select the pressure cooking setting and cook for the time called for on the bean chart for the beans you chose under the un-soaked time.
- Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes or the whole time to keep the beans more intact.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
Nutrition information uses black beans as an example, different beans will vary slightly.
Thank you. Have you ever used dry FAVA beans in Instant Pot I can’t seem to find chart on timing.
I’m sorry, I haven’t tried fava beans, Fran. For unsoaked fava beans, I would probably try 20-25 minutes and then check them. I’m not totally sure though, so if you try, I’d love you to let me know what ends up working for you!