How to Make Fast, No-Soak Beans in the Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried beans (see recipe for cooking times)
• 8 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 o 3 cloves peeled garlic, optional
• 1 bay leaf, optional
• Special equipment:
• Instant Pot

Directions

1. 1 - Combine all ingredients in the pressure cooker. Do not fill the pressure cooker more than half full.
2. 2 - Secure the lid. Make sure the pressure regulator valve is closed. (On an Instant Pot, this means it will be set to the the “sealing” position.)
3. 3 - Cook the beans: Here are the cooking times for unsoaked beans in the Instant Pot. Cooking times will be similar for other electric pressure cookers; cooking time will be slightly less for stovetop pressure cookers.
4. Double-check the manual that came with your pressure cooker for more exact cooking times:
5. Black beans: 20 to 25 minutes
6. Black-eyed peas : 20 to 25 minutes
7. Great Northern beans: 25 to 30 minutes
8. Navy beans: 25 to 30 minutes
9. Pinto beans: 25 to 30 minutes
10. Cannellini beans: 35 to 40 minutes

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): 35 to 40 minutes

1. Cook beans at high pressure for the time recommended above. The pressure cooker will take 15 to 20 minutes to come to full pressure before cooking begins.
2. 4 - Let the pressure release: Once cooking is complete, you can let the pressure release naturally on its own, which takes about 20 to 30 minutes, or you can do a “rapid release” by opening the pressure valve on the top of the pressure cooker. If doing a rapid release, protect your hands from the steam with oven mitts or use a long-handled spoon to manipulate the pressure valve.
3. I recommend letting the pressure release naturally for as long as you’re able before the beans are needed. This helps the beans retain their shape.
4. 5 - Using and storing your beans:
5. The beans are ready to use right away. Let leftover beans cool in their cooking liquid, then refrigerate in a covered container for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Tips for Success:

Add a tablespoon of oil: This helps reduce foaming as the beans cook, which can sometimes clog up the pressure valve and interfere with cooking.

Add a teaspoon or two of salt: This is your only opportunity to season the beans on the inside, so be sure to add some salt to the pot. Start with one teaspoon with your first batch and see how you like the flavor. I usually add two teaspoons to my beans.

Add flavoring ingredients! Flavorful add-ins like garlic, onions, and bay leaves make beans even tastier. Add them at the start of cooking along with the oil and salt.

Always use enough liquid to cover your beans by a few inches: Beans absorb a lot of liquid during cooking. For one pound of beans, eight cups of water is usually plenty. You can experiment with reducing the amount of liquid, if you like, but be careful of reducing it too much or your beans won’t cook properly.

Don’t fill the pot more than halfway full with liquid: This is a precaution against overflow due to foaming during cooking.

Adjust the cooking time as needed: Think of the cooking times I give below as a starting point, then adjust the time in subsequent batches to suit your particular taste. Try the lower end of the time range if you want firm beans for things like salads and tacos, or cook for more time if you want softer beans for things like hummus, refried beans, or soup.

Also, consult the manual that came with your pressure cooker. The times I give below are based on my testing with an Instant Pot (which I found to be consistent with the cooking times recommended in the Instant Pot manual); cooking times may be slightly different for your particular model.

Using beans in a recipe: One 15-ounce can of beans holds about 1 3/4 cups cooked beans, so substitute accordingly in your recipes. For reference, one pound of dried beans makes about five cups of cooked beans.