Instant-Pot Black Beans

These creamy Instant Pot black beans are going to become your new favorite kitchen staple! Anyone who loves hearty, flavorful meals will absolutely adore these beans, and the best part is they taste way better than anything from a can.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Active Time: 10 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes, Serves: 6 people.

Nutrition Profile: Diabetes-Friendly, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 113 Calories, 1g Fat, 21g Carbs, 7g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Water: You’ll need 3 cups of plain water. This creates the perfect cooking liquid for your beans to get nice and tender.

Dried black beans: 1 cup of dried black beans, rinsed well. Make sure to pick through them first and remove any little stones or weird-looking beans.

Shallot: One medium shallot, unpeeled and halved lengthwise. The shallot adds such a lovely mild onion flavor that makes these beans taste amazing.

Garlic: 4 medium cloves, smashed. Don’t worry about peeling them perfectly – just give them a good whack with the side of your knife.

Bay leaf: Just 1 bay leaf adds that wonderful earthy flavor. You’ll remove it before serving, so don’t stress about it.

Salt: ¾ teaspoon of salt helps bring out all those delicious flavors while the beans cook.

How to Make Instant-Pot Black Beans

Step 1: Add water, beans, shallot, garlic, bay leaf and salt to your Instant Pot. Cover and lock the lid in place. Turn the steam release handle to the Sealing position. Select Manual or Pressure Cook setting on High pressure for 30 minutes. It’ll take about 10 to 15 minutes for your pot to come up to pressure before the actual cooking starts.

Step 2: Let the pressure release naturally – this means just wait and don’t touch anything! The float valve will drop down on its own in about 20 minutes. Then you can safely remove the lid.

Step 3: Remove and toss the shallot and bay leaf. Drain the beans and get rid of the cooking liquid before serving. Your beans are ready to eat!

Easy and Quick Instant-Pot Black Beans Version

Want to make this even simpler? You can skip the shallot and garlic if you’re in a super hurry! Just use the beans, water, salt, and bay leaf. They’ll still taste great, just a bit more basic. You can always add flavor later when you use them in your recipes.

Serving Ideas

These beans are perfect for so many meals! Throw them in tacos, burritos, or burrito bowls for a complete protein-packed meal. They’re also amazing in salads, soups, or just served over rice with some fresh cilantro and lime. You can even mash them up for quick refried beans!

Storage

Store your cooked beans in the fridge for up to 1 week in an airtight container. Here’s a pro tip – keep them in their cooking liquid if you want to store them longer! To reheat, just warm them up in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of water.

Substitutions

No shallot? Use half a small onion instead. Don’t have a bay leaf? No worries, just skip it. You can also use vegetable broth instead of water for extra flavor. Any dried black beans will work great for this recipe!

Pro Tips

• Don’t skip the rinse: Always rinse your dried beans well before cooking to remove any dust or debris.
• Natural release is key: Don’t rush the pressure release – letting it happen naturally gives you perfectly tender beans.
• Save that liquid: If you’re storing leftovers, keep some cooking liquid with the beans to prevent them from drying out.
• Batch cook: Double this recipe and freeze half for later – future you will be so grateful!

FAQs

Do I need to soak the beans first?

Nope! That’s the beauty of the Instant Pot – you can cook dried beans straight from the bag. No soaking required, which saves you so much time and planning ahead.

Can I use canned beans instead?

Sure! But honestly, once you try these homemade ones, you might never go back to canned. If you do use canned, just rinse and heat them up – no pressure cooking needed.

Why do my beans sometimes come out mushy?

Usually this happens if your beans are really old or if you accidentally do a quick release instead of natural release. Stick to the natural release and your beans will be perfectly tender but not mushy!

Can I freeze these beans?

You bet! These freeze beautifully for up to 6 months. Just portion them out in freezer bags and thaw them overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to use them.

I’d love to hear how these beans turn out for you! Drop a comment and let me know what you served them with – I’m always looking for new ideas to share with everyone.