Instant Pot Black Beans

Healthy, rich, and vegan Instant Pot Black Beans made from scratch, minus the fuss of traditional slow cooking. Ready in a snap and no soaking required! I’m sure once you’ve tried it, you’ll forget about the canned ones.

Contents… Black Beans Vs Kidney Beans Recipe Ingredients Recipe Variation Black Beans and Rice Instant Pot Make it Vegan Make it Mexican Other Popular Variations Quick Tips for Cooking Black Beans in Instant Pot How to Cook Black Beans on the Stove Top Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions Storing Refrigerating and Freezing Cooked Dried Beans How to Serve This Dish More Easy Instant Pot Recipes Cooking Black Beans in Instant Pot Preparing the Black Beans in Instant Pot Cooking the Black Beans Watch How To Make It

Cooking in an instant pot is a great time-saver! You can now eat and enjoy instant pot black beans in less than an hour.  No more waiting and watching the beans cook for 2 hours. Say goodbye to canned ones and be saved from all the unnatural preservatives. So yeah, dry beans!

Black Beans contain antioxidants and packed with fiber, protein, and carbohydrates which makes them perfect to consume when you’re on a diet.

They can keep you full for long periods of time and keep your blood sugar stable at the same time. Very healthy indeed!

Enjoy these guilt-free and hearty savory instant pot black beans soup infused with herbs and spices any time of the day! Lose weight while enjoying this comfort food? It’s possible!

Black Beans Vs Kidney Beans

Black Beans are smaller and slightly harder than kidney beans. They have a mild taste with subtle sweetness and have a soft and creamy texture once cooked.

Kidney Beans, on the other hand, are softer than black beans and the flavor is not too strong or plain. However, it can absorb flavors very well.

Other than the taste, these two hearty beans are similar and can be used interchangeably. Both beans have the same health benefits and nutritional value, except that kidney beans are lower in Vitamin K.

They are both rich in vitamins and minerals like:

1. Vitamin A
2. Calcium
3. Folate
4. Magnesium
5. Iron
6. Potassium

With Health Benefits like:

1. Maintaining healthy bones
2. Lowering blood pressure
3. Managing diabetes
4. Warding off heart disease
5. Preventing cancer
6. Healthy digestion
7. Weight loss

Note: Improperly cooked, undercooked, or raw Kidney Beans are toxic. Eating them may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Recipe Ingredients

• Black Beans – learning about its health benefits and nutrition content just made me love these beans more. 
• Oil – use your preferred cooking oil to saute onion, garlic, and bell pepper.
• Onion – adds sweetness to the dish when it caramelized during sauteing. Plus it’s rich in vitamin C and potassium, more reasons to love onion! Also, you can check here on how I cut my onion.
• Garlic – I personally love the garlicky aroma it produces while sauteing. It also adds a hint of spiciness to this dish.
• Red and Green Bell Pepper– the contrasting taste of bitterness and sweetness add character and depth to the dish, just how I like them on my pizza.
• Creole Seasoning – my favorite go-to seasoning! A mix of herbs and spices bursting with flavor that’ll totally give your dish a kick of heat.
• Cumin – has an earthy, pungent, and mildly bitter taste but makes any dish flavorful.
• Oregano – is an herb with a pungent smell and taste but creates lovely flavors when added to a dish. It can actually make your dish fancier! 
• Salt – the taste of your dish relies on how much you add salt to it. So be careful not to put too much. 
• Black Pepper – adds a kick of spiciness and a flavor booster.
• White Pepper – milder than black pepper and it’s more musty and earthy in flavor.
• Water – essential to make these healthy black beans soft.

Recipe Variation

Black Beans and Rice Instant Pot 

Just add brown rice to your instant pot along with black beans and seasoning. Easy peasy!

Note: You can’t use white rice. They won’t cook evenly because white rice cooks faster than black beans.

Make it Vegan

To make it even more healthy, I suggest adding:

• Spinach – one of the versatile veggies you can add to any dish, it has a mild taste when cooked with other ingredients compared to when it is tossed in salads.
• Mushrooms – the meaty and chewy texture is a good addition to this dish.
• Potatoes– make it more filling and tasty with the creaminess of potatoes.

Make it Mexican 

You can add spices like: 

• Chili Powder – has a more earthy flavor and seasoning-like taste because of the other spices added to it.  
• Cayenne Powder – don’t get too crazy on the cayenne powder or you’ll burn your tongue.  
• Paprika – has a pungent taste because of its pepper origins with a hint of sweetness from bell peppers. 
• Chipotle – has a spicy and smoky flavor adding an interesting taste to a dish. 

Note: Don’t be afraid to play around with herbs like rosemary and thyme and you’ll have a fancy pressure cooker of black beans. Amazing how a dish can turn into a whole new recipe just by adding different spices and herbs.

Other Popular Variations 

• Mashed Black Bean Dip – not only good as a dip but you can also add it as a filling for quesadilla or burritos. 
• Black Bean Soup – a healthy vegan comfort food perfect for cold weather. 
• Salad – add some kernel corn, avocado slices, spices, and olive oil and you’ll have a nutritious salad you can bring on a potluck.
• Black Bean Chili – serve it with coleslaw, tortilla chips, or cornbread and you’re in for a yummy Mexican treat.
• Veggie and Black Bean Burger –  a great substitution for a ground beef burger patty especially if you’re vegan.  

Quick Tips for Cooking Black Beans in Instant Pot

Soak. Technically you don’t have to soak the beans because the instant pot will take care of that already. But for softer beans and shorter cooking time, soak them at least 8 hours or overnight.

Place the beans in a very large bowl and submerge them in water, 4 inches higher than the beans. Cover and let it soak overnight.

Cook. Cooking time depends on if the beans are soaked or unsoaked and how soft you want your beans to be.

1. Soaked Beans: Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes and 15 minutes natural pressure release. Add 3 minutes of cooking time for softer beans.
2. Un-soaked Beans: Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes and 15 minutes natural pressure release. Add 5 Minutes of cooking time for softer beans.

How to Cook Black Beans on the Stove Top

Soak. Cooking Black beans on the stovetop is very time-consuming, soaking them for at least 8 hours is required to shorten cooking time.

Drain and Boil. Drain beans and wash them. Put them in a deep bottom pot and make sure there’s enough water, about 4 inches covering the beans. Let it boil.

Simmer. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour, covered. Check for tenderness and add more water if needed. Depending on the age of the black bean, cooking time varies and may take up to 2 hours.

Season. Once the beans are done cooking to your desired tenderness, season them with salt, pepper, and your preferred seasonings. Garnish with herbs and enjoy your beans.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Storing

1. Dried black beans – can be stored in a storage container with tight-fitting lids for a very long time. However, I suggest cooking them within a year after purchase. Note: The longer it stays in your pantry, the longer it’ll take to cook. 
2. Cooked dried beans – can be stored in a dry and clean container with a lid or Ziplock freezer bags.

Refrigerating and Freezing Cooked Dried Beans

1. Fridge. Stays fresh for about 5 – 7 days
2. Freezer. Lasts up to 6 months

Note: For easy thawing, pack them in an airtight container or in Ziploc freezer bags just enough for single consumption. Then label it with the date of production. 

How to Serve This Dish

Take a break from all the heavy meals and enjoy black beans with these hearty dishes.

• Pico De Gallo
• Homemade Tortillas
• Twice Baked Potatoes
• Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
• Pulled Pork Egg Rolls

More Easy Instant Pot Recipes

• Beef Stew
• Oxtail Soup
• Curry Goat
• Whole Chicken

Cooking Black Beans in Instant Pot

Preparing the Black Beans in Instant Pot

• Prep – Remove any foreign objects from your beans, then wash and set them aside. Press the “Saute” function on your Instant pot and let it heat up. After about 3 minutes add oil.
• Saute – Once your oil starts to sizzle, add onion, garlic, and bell peppers.  Stir for about 3-4 minutes. (Photo 1)
• Add the Seasonings – Next add creole seasoning, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir for about 2-3 minutes. (Photo 2)
• Add the beans and stir. (Photos 3-4) 

 

Cooking the Black Beans

• Close and seal – Add water.  Close the instant pot and shift your valve to ” Sealing”. (Photo 5)
• Pressure cook – Press the “Pressure Cook” button, making sure the “High Pressure” setting is selected and set the time for 30 minutes.  Note: It takes about 10 minutes for the pot to “preheat” and come up to pressure before it starts cooking. During cooking, avoid touching the metal part of the lid. (Photo 6)
• Release pressure – Let it release pressure naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release the rest of the pressure.
• Serve – Adjust to the desired consistency and serve with rice.

 

Watch How To Make It

 

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