Instant Pot Black Beans

cooked black beans with slices of avocado

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.

Course comfort food, Side Dish

Cuisine Cuban

Servings cups

Calories 194kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

1 pound (453.59 g) dry black beans
2 tablespoons (28 ml) oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 teaspoons (10 g) minced garlic
¼ cup (46.25 g) green bell pepper, diced
¼ cup (46.25 g) red bell pepper, diced
2 teaspoons (8 g) Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon (3 g) cumin
2 teaspoons (2 g) oregano
2 teaspoons (10 g) salt, to taste
2 teaspoons (4 g) white pepper
1 ½ teaspoon (3 g) ground pepper
4 cups (948 ml) water

Instructions

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.
Once your oil starts to sizzle, add onion, garlic, and bell peppers. Stir for about 3-4 minutes.
Next add Creole seasoning, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir for about 2-3 minutes
Add in beans and water.
Close the instant pot and shift your valve to " Sealing".
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.)
Let it release pressure naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release the rest of the pressure.
Adjust to the desired consistency and serve with rice.

Notes

Check for doneness. It should be creamy and mushy inside and the skin still intact.
Use dry black beans. For greater health benefits while skipping all the unnatural preservatives from the canned ones.
Storing dry black beans. Make sure to buy black beans that are dry, fresh, not cracked, and not stale. Store them in a clean and sealed container and place them in a dry, cool, and dark place.
Short soak. Boil the beans for 3-5 minutes and turn off the heat. Let it sit there covered for at least 2 hours.
Deglaze the pot. Add a thin layer of broth To remove caramelized or brown bits stuck at the bottom of the pot.
Add the acids last. If the recipe calls for acids like tomato sauce, vinegar, or lemon juice, add them after the beans are cooked. Adding them too soon prevents the bean to soften.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition