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Instant Pot Dried Beans [Video]

This is how to cook dried beans in an Instant Pot with no pre-soaking required.
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Pressure Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 12 minutes
Servings: 24
Author: Kristen Chidsey - A Mindful Mom

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried beans rinsed and sorted (this is equal to 2 measuring cups full of dried beans)
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)
  • 1 onion, sliced (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional)

Instructions

  • Place beans, water, onion, and bay leaf if using in the inner pot of a pressure cooker.
  • Place lid on Instant Pot and close valve to "seal."
  • Cook on High Pressure for specified times (see Notes)
  • Allow to naturally release until pressure subsides, or at least 20 minutes before doing a quick release.
  • Once beans have finished cooking, stir in salt, and vinegar (if using). Store cooked beans in a bit of the cooking liquid to keep them moist and tender while they sit in fridge - this is not necessary, but suggested

Notes

Cooking Times for Beans:
  • Black Beans--30 Minutes on High Pressure
  • Chickpeas--40 Minutes on High Pressure
  • Kidney Beans--35 Minutes on High Pressure
  • Pinto Beans--25 Minutes on High Pressure
  • Navy Beans**--25 Minutes on High Pressure
  • Butter Beans--40 Minutes on High Pressure
  • Great Northern Beans-- on 35 Minutes High Pressure
 
Additional Notes
***Old dried beans may take longer to cook and never fully soften.*** It is best to use dried beans within 6 months of purchasing and ALWAYS check the expiration date--even recently purchased beans may have been in storage for a while.
 
  • For incredibly soft beans without much structure left, add 10 minutes to cook time. 
  • For pre-soaked beans, decrease cook time by 10 minutes and decrease the water to 5 cups.
  • For every additional pound of dried beans, add 2 cups of water for pressure cooking.
  • **Note on Navy Beans: Navy beans can get mushy if not pre-soaked. So if preparing them for baked beans or something you want to hold its shape, it is best to soak them for 8-12 hours in cold water and then drain and cook for 15 minutes on high pressure with natural pressure release.