Packed with protein and fiber, and full of flavor, these healthy Mexican Black Beans in Instant Pot are the perfect side dish to make for your family. No-soak, vegan & gluten-free!
Mexican Black Beans in Instant Pot are one of my family’s favorite healthy side dishes. I love to make these creamy black beans in the pressure cooker and add them to my Vegetarian Fajita Pasta and Brown Rice & Beans Casserole. They are so much more flavorful than canned beans and have less sodium too.
These healthy beans are so delicious that I can honestly say that they rival the Chipotle Mexican Grill black beans. Serve these delicious beans for your family and nobody will ever know that they were cooked in the Instant Pot! These beans are just as delicious as any authentic Mexican black bean recipe. They’re the real deal!
What are Black Beans?
Black beans were new to me when I moved to US 12 years back. We did not see black beans growing up in India. Although I bet now they are popular there too.
Black beans, also called black turtle beans, are a black colored legume that is native to the Americas. They’re most popular in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine, such as Cuban black beans, but can often be found in Creole cooking too.
Black beans are a versatile and healthy food that has become so popular for nutrition reasons, you can now find them at markets and restaurants all across the world.
You can find black beans canned or dried by the pound at nearly any grocery store local to you. When in doubt, check the Latin or International aisle at your local market. You can also find black beans at any Latin American or Caribbean specialty store, as well as in the bulk dried foods section at most specialty foods stores such as Whole Foods.
You should store dry beans in a cool, dark place. Make sure that they’re packed in a plastic or glass container with an airtight lid. Dried beans can be stored for 2-3 years without losing valuable nutrients.
How many cups is in 1 lb of dry beans?
- In my measurement, I see that 1 cup dried beans is about 7oz on the scale. So 1 pound dried beans typically yields a bit more than 2 cups dried beans. As the beans cook, they will expand to yield roughly 5 cups of cooked beans
- One (15-ounce) can equals about 1-1/2 cups cooked beans. This measurement is super handy to know if you want to use your own Instant Pot Black Beans in recipes that call for canned black beans.
Do we have to soak beans before cooking?
Great news! You do NOT have to soak black beans before cooking them in the Instant Pot. While soaking beans overnight may help to soften them and make them cook faster, the high heat of a pressure cooker takes care of all of that for you.
For this no soak black beans recipe, you can just put them right into your Instant Pot and cook them to nutritious perfection in about 35 minutes!
How long does it take to cook black beans in the pressure cooker?
When using fresh dried beans, you can cook them to peak softness in around 35 minutes in the Instant Pot.
If your beans are old, or have been sitting stored for a long time, you may need to increase the cooking time to 40-50 minutes to reach the ideal soft consistency.
Black Bean to Water Ratio for Instant Pot
To make your Mexican black beans super saucy, you’ll want to follow a ratio of 1 part beans to 2 parts liquid.
Feel free to reduce or increase the liquid by 1/4-1/2 cup to your taste.
How to Cook Black Beans in Instant Pot?
- First, add oil to the inner pot of your pressure cooker and turn it to saute mode.
- Add the veggies to the pot and saute for about 3 minutes.
- Add the Bay leaf and spices to the pot.
- Add the beans and water, stirring to deglaze the pot and incorporate the flavorful sauteed bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Cancel sauté mode, then close the lid and make sure the pressure dial is set to sealing mode.
- Set your Instant pot to manual and cook for 35 minutes (or 20 minutes for beans soaked overnight).
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release.
- When the pressure release is finalized, take the lid off and remove the bay leaf.
- Gently stir the beans, then serve.
How to season black beans?
- Add diced jalapenos to make them spicy
- Add cayenne pepper to taste
How to store cooked black beans?
- Cooked black beans will stay fresh for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
- For optimal freshness, allow the cooked beans to cool to room temperature, and be sure to pack them in an airtight container when storing.
- Cooked Mexican Black Beans will last for up to 6 months in the freezer.
What to serve with black beans?
If you’re looking for a great way to serve your pressure cooker black beans, consider one of these options:
- Serve alongside Avocado Cilantro Sauce
- Add them to burritos
- Use them as a topping or on the inside of enchiladas
- Serve them inside tacos or as a side dish to make a complete meal
- Serve them with fajitas
- Add them to a Taco Soup recipe
- Mix them with brown rice to make a rice and bean casserole
- Add them to a salad for extra protein, fiber, and flavor
To Serve Pressure Cooker Black Beans as a Soup
- Add 2 additional cups of water or broth to the beans in your Instant Pot
- Increase the pressure cook time to 50 minutes to make the beans softer.
- Mash some of the black beans up as desired to create a creamy soup texture.
Hope you enjoy this versatile black beans made in the instant pot!
Mexican Black Beans in Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
Spices
- 1/2 tbsp Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
- 1/2 tbsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Salt
To finish
- 1/2 tbsp Lime juice
- 1/3 cup Cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Set your pressure cooker to saute mode, and add oil to the inner pot.
- Add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot, and saute for about 3 minutes.
- Add the bay leaf and spices.
- Add the black beans and water, stirring to deglaze and incorporate the flavorful veggie bits from the bottom of the pot into the beans.
- Cancel saute mode, then close the lid, making sure the vent is set to sealing.
- Set the pot to manual or pressure cook mode on high pressure and increase the cook time to 35 minutes.
- When the cook time is finished, let the pressure release naturally.
- When the pressure has fully released, remove the lid of the pressure cooker, then gently stir the beans.
- Add lime juice and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
This is an excellent recipe, I am new to the Instant Pot and this is the easiest and tastier.
The only comment I have, as a Mexican cook, is that we usually soak the beans overnight to eliminate certain substances that may cause gastritis or stomach pain.
Saludos from Cancun, Mexico!
I am old fashioned and still soak my beans. I should just do it and see how I like it. I didn’t eat many dried beans before I got a digital pressure cooker, but now I do because it is so easy
Hi Judith – Do follow the method that works best for you. This no-soak method is helpful if you forget to soak beans sometimes.
Hi Beny – So glad to hear you enjoyed the beans. As you say, soaking beans is the norm in India too. However I wanted to share the no-soak method too here, as many people prefer that when especially they are in a hurry. Do adjust the cooking time if you soak the beans.
Do you cook this on high pressure?
With other beans I cook in my instant pot I use high pressure so I think it would be the same..?
Hi Rachae – Yes, please do cook on high pressure. I have clarified in the recipe instructions now. Hope you enjoy the black beans!