How to Make Dried Beans Instant Pot, Fastest Way to Re-Hydrate Dried Beans

Save Money and Reduce Waste. Keep all the Taste!

why prepare dried beans in an instant pot

Preparing dry beans at home in an Instant Pot instead of buying their commercially canned counterpart will save you money, reduce the amount of chemical load on your body, cut back on household waste (which also lowers your trash/recycling bill), put you in control of your added sodium.

Using an Instant Pot to prepare dry beans will save you money and time.  From start to finish, many dry beans can be ready to use in a recipe in about 45 minutes.

caught in convenience trap

I was caught in a loop of buying canned beans because each time I would try to rehydrate dry beans my husband would complain that they were not soft enough.  He was looking for fully rehydrated, soft and almost squishy beans that could fairly easily be turned into refried beans with little effort.

I had a different plan in mind.  Sure, I wanted my beans to be soft and mash-able rather than something that would get lodged in between my teeth as I ate.  But I wanted to save money, buy dried beans, and re-hydrate them myself without any additives I didn’t like.  Many canned beans have added salt or other preservatives.  Plus, there’s the issue of all the cans that need to be dealt with later…there has to be a better way!

Enter dried beans instant pot

What an incredible tool the Instant Pot has turned out to be.  I resisted buying one at first but the more I learned about just how versatile they were, I couldn’t get one fast enough.  Then I hesitated to buy a second (larger) Instant Pot.  Now I use both my 6qt Instant Pot and my 8qt Instant Pot several times a week most weeks.

These days, I’m making yogurt, hard boiled eggs, whole chickens, various entrees, soups, and more in my Instant Pots.

why dry beans instant pot?

Dry Beans Instant Pot means that you can have dry beans in the morning and be serving chili with those same beans later that evening (or after a few hours); and they’ll be cooked just right!  No unexpected crunch in your chili!

It saves time and effort to rehydrate dry beans instant pot.  Add the beans, some water, salt, oil and desired spices, turn on the Instant Pot, and walk away to accomplish your next Mom Mission.  After about 45 minutes, the beans will be ready when you are.

Consider buying dry beans instead of canned for several reasons: They will save you a pile of money.  I have seen estimates that you could save as much as 75% by using dried beans instead of canned.

If that isn’t enough, consider the chemicals that are found in the linings inside of those tin cans.  Inevitably, some of those chemicals will leech into your beans. Yuck.  Avoid those potentially dangerous chemicals by buying dry beans and canning them yourself.

Reduce your waste by using dry beans.  A 4 pound bag of dry beans can prevent you from having to dispose of potentially dozens of tin cans.  All that trash (or recycling) adds to the cost of buying the canned beans in the first place.

Regain control over the amount of sodium in your beans.  Since you are the one adding salt, you get to decide how much goes in.  Here again, generally speaking, dried beans prepared at home will have quite a bit less sodium than their commercially canned counterpart.

go ahead, buy the time-saving tool!

My hesitation to buy myself an Instant Pot makes me think of how I recently (finally) gave in and purchased a robot vacuum…I’m never going back.  Why?!? do I hesitate so long on trying these tools that so obviously will make my life easier??  I mean, it’s not like these things are hard-boiled egg slicers (no offense if you own and love an egg slicer); the Instant Pot and the robot vacuum do some serious tasks that save me some serious time!  I wanted to clean my floors every day, an honorable but seemingly impossible task in my home run by 3 young children.  In the 8 days I have owned the robot, my floors have gotten cleaned 6 of them!  A minor improvement if I do say so myself (and I do)!

what do I need for dried beans instant pot?

Instant Pot

1 Pound dry beans

8 Cups Water

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1-2 tsp Salt

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)

1-3 Bay Leaves (optional)

steps to prepared dried beans in instant pot

This is so easy!  Are you ready?

1. Combine all ingredients in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.  Fill no more than half full.
2. Secure Lid and close pressure regulator valve (on some models this is automatic).
3. Cook the Beans on the Bean or High Pressure setting according to the following times.

Black Beans 20-25 minutes

Black-eyed Peas 20-25 minutes

Great Northern Beans 25-30 minutes

Navy Beans 25-30 minutes

Pinto Beans 25-30 minutes

Cannellini Beans 35-40 minutes

Chick Peas 35-40 minutes

Red Kidney Beans 25-30 minutes *(boil for 10 minutes first)*

• Let pressure release naturally (20-30 minutes)
• Strain and use right away or cool and store.  Can be stored in cooking liquid in fridge for up to 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months.

can dried beans instant pot be pressure canned?

Yes!  If you aren’t able to use the full pound of beans or are lacking enough freezer space to store them longer, pressure canning could be a good option for you.  For those who regularly can to preserve their garden harvest, this would be a natural next step to preserve your beans that were sourced and prepared just the way you want. 

When pressure canning food at home, be sure to follow safety guidelines and at least until you are very well versed in how it all works, I would recommend that you only use tested and proven recipes from trusted sources.

how to use dried beans

Dried Beans rehydrated in the Instant Pot can be used in any recipe you would normally use cooked bean in.  You could whip up a batch of chili.  Use the beans to add a bit of protein and fiber to a batch of soup.  Mash them up and season them to make refried beans to add on tacos or burritos.  We recently spread them liberally on a tray of tortilla chips to make some barbeque chicken nachos.

Your options are really endless.  If you can make it with beans, you can use the beans that you have prepared in your own kitchen.  So, go ahead, be a little more self-sufficient.

How long to cook dried beans in instant pot

After spending time in the kitchen to prepare a meal with love for your family, be sure to reap the most reward by having Family Meal Time at the Table.

Enjoying your Insant Pot?  Here’s another crowd pleasing recipe: Chicken Pie in Crock Pot

Homemaking is not for the faint of heart.  It takes a lot of joyful reminders to keep you motivated and happily engaged in all of the tasks involved in this heavy job.  Please enjoy a read of Homemaking – Create Your Own Homemade Love Story