These Instant Pot Black Beans are flavored with warm spices, bacon, onion, garlic, and poblano pepper for a smoky but mild taste that pairs well with almost everything. Simple, tasty, and ready in under an hour!
Easy Instant Pot Black Beans
These Instant Pot black beans might just be my new favorite way to cook beans. Their warm, smoky taste pairs with everything from Tex-Mex dishes to simple sides like cilantro lime rice. My personal favorite way to enjoy these is with a poached egg atop some chopped tomatoes and avocado.
Prefer refried beans? Check out my Instant Pot refried beans recipe too.
Why I Love Making Black Beans in the Instant Pot
Cooking black beans in the Instant Pot is a total game-changer! Instead of waiting 60–90 minutes on the stovetop (or even longer if you forgot to soak them), this method gives you perfectly tender, flavorful beans in just 45 minutes.
- No soaking necessary. Making dry beans typically requires soaking them overnight but the pressure cooker speeds up the process significantly, with just 10 minutes of “soaking”.
- Ready in 45 minutes. You can easily have tender, flavorful beans on the table in less than an hour, any day of the week.
- Great for meal prep. This recipe makes a lot of beans, but you can easily freeze the extra cooked beans and defrost them for later use or just use them in recipes throughout the week.
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What You’ll Need
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to make these black beans in the Instant Pot. Scroll down to the recipe card for measurements.
- Black beans – We’re starting with a bag of dry black beans.
- Spices – Salt, cumin, chili powder, coriander, smoked paprika, and ground black pepper season these black beans.
- Bacon – Center cut bacon adds flavor to the beans.
- White onion & garlic – Aromatics added for flavor.
- Poblano pepper – Adds a bit of heat without making the beans too spicy. Be sure to seed and dice the pepper first.
- Chicken broth – Use low sodium broth since we’re adding salt.
- Tabasco – Green Tabasco sauce adds more flavor and heat.
How to Make Instant Pot Black Beans
Here’s an overview of how to make these Instant Pot black beans. See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
- Pre-soak. Add the rinsed beans to the Instant Pot with 8 cups of water and salt. Cook in manual mode for 4 minutes then switch to “Keep Warm” mode for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans.
- Combine the seasonings. Combine the seasonings in a small bowl.
- Combine the ingredients. Switch the Instant Pot to saute then add the bacon and cook for 1 minute. Saute the onions and pepper for 3 minutes then add the spices and garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Pour in the broth and drained beans. Mix well.
- Cook. Add the lid, turn the steam release handle to “sealing” and push “Bean/Chili” mode. Cook for 15 minutes then allow to pressure release naturally. Stir in the Tabasco. Enjoy.
Tips & Variations
- For a deeper flavor, allow beans to sit in “Keep Warm” mode for at least 30 minutes. This gives the flavors extra time to meld. You can taste the difference! Plus it gives you time to prep the rest of dinner.
- Adjust the spice level. These black beans do have a bit of a kick, though they’re fairly mild. You can omit the poblano pepper or adjust the spices as desired. For spicier beans, opt for a hotter pepper or add a pinch of cayenne.
- Make them vegetarian. If you want a vegetarian side dish, omit the bacon and swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Ways to Serve Instant Pot Black Beans
Oh, the number of ways you can serve these black beans! I love to make a batch at the beginning of the week and add them to meals throughout the week. Here are a few ideas:
- Over white rice
- In burritos
- On or in quesadillas (like these chicken or shrimp quesadillas)
- With enchiladas
- On a taco salad
- As a side to other Mexican and Tex-Mex favorites
- With a poached egg topped with chopped tomatoes, avocado, and scallions
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Store leftover beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. Transfer cooled beans to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat. The easiest way to reheat these beans is in the microwave, though you can also do it on the stovetop.
More Bean Recipes You Will Love
Instant Pot Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry black beans
- Kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
- ½ medium white onion, diced
- ½ medium poblano pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon green Tabasco
Instructions
- Pressure cooker pre-soak: Rinse beans and add them to the Instant Pot with 8 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt. Close the lid and pressure-cook in manual mode for 4 minutes. When cycle is finished, switch to “Keep Warm” mode for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse beans.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cumin, chili powder, coriander, smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon kosher salt and pepper.
- Switch to pot to “Sauté” When hot, add the bacon and sauté for 1 minute. Add the onions and poblano and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the spices and the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more. Pour in broth and drained beans and mix well.
- Place lid on Instant Pot, make sure steam release handle is on “sealing.” Push “Bean/Chili” mode and cook for 15 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally then add Tabasco and mix well.
- For a deeper flavor, allow beans to sit in “Keep Warm” mode for at least 30 minutes.
