If you’ve only ever used canned chickpeas, get ready to have your mind (and taste buds) blown. Cooking chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) in the Instant Pot is not only quick and totally hands-free—it’s also way more flavorful and cost-effective. No more mushy, high-sodium canned beans!
These soft, creamy chickpeas are incredibly versatile—ready to be tossed into salads, blended into hummus and dips, or simmered in your favorite curries.
I grew up in India, where growing up, I had never seen a can of chickpeas. I know, surprising…right? But in India, everyone uses their beloved stovetop pressure cooker to cook chickpeas from dried ones. They are cheaper and better for you.
Then I came to Chicago for work and realized the abundance of canned products. At first, it seemed exciting that I could use a can of chickpeas and not have to wait to boil them.
But then, I started reading nutrition labels and realized the downside of the cans. Quickly, I moved back to the traditional methods. And so will you, after realizing how easy it is to cook chickpeas in an Instant Pot.
Make these perfectly cooked chickpeas, store them in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze them in small batches for later use. So you have them handy for any recipe that calls for chickpeas.
I like to use these to make my chickpea salad. Another great way to use them is in chickpea pulao or coconut chickpea curry. Or use them to make the best hummus…Yum!
Table of Contents
To Soak or Not?
You can either soak the chickpeas or cook them right away. However, the difference is how long they take to cook. Unsoaked chickpeas take about 40 minutes to cook under pressure, while soaked chickpeas take 20 minutes.
As you can see, there is a significant time difference. I prefer to soak the chickpeas and reduce the cooking time; it also saves some electricity.
Below, you can see how the chickpeas grow in size as they are soaked for 6 hours.
How to Cook Chickpeas in the Instant Pot?
Make sure to rinse the dried garbanzo beans to remove any dirt and discard any shriveled or bad ones. Soak the chickpeas if you prefer.
I like to add a little salt when cooking chickpeas, but that’s optional. This also means I reduce the salt used in the dish that I prepare with the cooked chickpeas. Optionally, you can also add garlic and/or a bay leaf when cooking.
I cooked these chickpeas in an Instant Pot, but you can use any pressure cooker. Add the chickpeas and water to the pressure cooker, then set it to cook at high pressure for the required time. I use a 1:3 chickpea-to-water ratio.
Pressure cook for 20 minutes if using soaked chickpeas or 40 minutes if using unsoaked chickpeas.
Once pressure cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally, or you can manually release the pressure 10 minutes after the instant pot beeps.
Remove the bay leaf using tongs. Using a slotted spoon, you can remove the cooked chickpeas.
One cup of dried chickpeas yields just more than 2.5 cups of cooked chickpeas. You can drain the leftover water or use it as a broth in a soup or curry.
Why are the Chickpeas Not Tender Cooked?
I see this happen if the chickpeas are old. Also, if you’re not soaking the chickpeas, they may take longer to cook.
Not a big issue! Just pressure cook them for another 6-8 minutes, and they will become tender.
How to Use Instant Pot Chickpeas?
We love chickpeas, which means I have a lot of recipes on the blog for them. I am sharing some of my favorites below, but I would love to see how you use your chickpeas.
- Chickpea Salad: Chickpeas are a great addition to any salad. They make the salads hearty and also add protein.
- Chickpea Rice: Chickpeas are cooked with rice and veggies to make an excellent one-pot meal.
- Curry: There are not one, but three curries I’ve shared that you can make with these chickpeas – Coconut Chickpea Curry, Chana Masala, and Chana Saag.
- Chickpea Squash Fritters: Mashed chickpeas mixed with tender squash and then fried for an amazing, nutritious snack.
- Hummus: Homemade hummus is so much better than store-bought. It is so easy to make hummus with these Instant Pot cooked chickpeas.
How to Store?
These Instant Pot chickpeas are a great meal prep recipe, just like my Instant Pot quinoa and Instant Pot potatoes.
Cool the chickpeas to room temperature and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To store for longer, you can store the chickpeas in freezer-safe containers or bags in small portions. They can be stored for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator to use.
Fun Fact: Below is the picture I clicked for this recipe when I first shared it in 2017.
More Instant Pot 101 Recipes
Instant Pot 101
Amazing Steamed Broccoli – Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 101
No boil / Cold Ingredients Yogurt (Dahi) – Instant Pot
Instant Pot 101
Easy Peasy Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree
Instant Pot 101
Instant Pot Beets / How to cook beets in Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot Chickpeas (Tender, Perfectly Cooked)
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cup Chickpeas (Chole/Garbanzo beans), dry
- 1 teaspoon Salt , (optional)
- 1 Bay leaf, (optional)
- 6 cup Water, for cooking
Instructions
- Rinse the chickpeas in ample water and remove any debris.
- (optional) Soak the chickpeas in water overnight or for 6 hours. Drain water before cooking.
- Add the chickpeas along with 6 cups of water to the Instant Pot. Add salt and a bay leaf (optional). Close the lid with the vent in the sealing position.
- Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure, and adjust the timer to 20 minutes (40 minutes if using unsoaked chickpeas)
- When the cooking time is up, turn off the Instant Pot and do a 10 minute NPR, which means release the pressure manually 10 minutes after the beep.
- Strain the liquid and refrigerate or freeze the chickpeas in small batches.
Hi Meeta! I’m new to IP but found your blog right away and have been enjoying your chana dhal so much! I have made it numerous times over the last couple of months!
So, I thought I’d ;look you up as I wanted to try and cook chick peas rather than the canned versin I’ve been using all the time!
I want to cook a lot and freeze them in smaller batches as you’ve mentioned.
Do they get soggy when defrosted or will they remain firm?
Thanks so much 🙂
Rosemary in Sydney, Australia.
Hi Rosemary – So glad to hear you have been enjoying the Chana Dal recipe. The chickpeas stay good and don’t get mushy when defrosted in the refrigerator overnight. I hope you give it a try.
The flavor of these is so much better than canned chickpeas. I added the bay leaf. What a difference. I’ll never go back to canned!
Hey Becky – Cooking chickpeas at home definitely makes a big difference. Glad you enjoyed these 🙂
Hi I love all your recipes. I’m just trying to cook chole with preboiled Chana . Can I preboil Chana based on this recipe in instant pot and use that Chana for preparing with gravy on stove top?
Hey Harini – Yes, you can cook chana using this recipe. Then mix it with the gravy on stovetop. I would recommend to let it simmer for 10-15 mins with the gravy, so the flavors get infused well.
Hi Meeta,
What about the darker ( kaale) Chaney? Same time???
Hey Goldie – For Kala Chana, I do 30 mins at high pressure. Here is a recipe with black chickpeas – https://pipingpotcurry.com/instant-pot-kala-chana-black-chickpeas/
How long do you cook the chick peas if you are looking to make 2 cups?
Reema
Hi Reema – The cooking time does not change even if you half or double the quantity. The instant pot will just take less or more time accordingly to come to pressure and release pressure.
Hi Meeta,
I just want to let you know how much I love your recipe for chickpeas, especially your suggestion to add garlic and bay leaves! So flaverful!!! Thank you so much!!
Robin
Hey Robin – Happy to hear you liked the chickpeas. I love the flavor of garlic (in anything :-)). Thank you for sharing your review!
If I’m adding these to stew, can I add them in still dry, and make sure that the stew cooks for 40 minutes at high pressure? Would probably be adding a handful of these, and a handful of red lentils to my standard stew.
Hey Danny – Yes, you can do that. If there lots of tomatoes in the stew, then cook for 45-50 minutes. I hope you enjoy the stew.
Hi Meeta, I just discovered the Instant Pot, your blog, and am new to Indian food. I had no idea how much I would love the exotic flavors! I am enjoying your recipes very much. I followed your instructions for chickpeas in the Instant Pot and they turned out great. Thank you so much!
Hey Michele – I am so glad you found the blog and are trying Indian food. Do let me know if I can help with any recipes you are trying 🙂
If the outer layers are peeling off, did I overcook?
No, they are perfectly fine. This happens at times. If you prefer a firmer texture, you can reduce cooking time a bit. Cooking chickpeas depends a lot on the quality of chickpeas. Hope you enjoy them!
Thanks for the info and recipe!
These came out perfect! Thank you!
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing back your review.