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Black beans in a large white bowl served with a spoon with seasoning, fresh cilantro, sliced limes and a blue and white towel surrounding the bowl with a white background.

How to Cook Black Beans (Stovetop or Instant Pot)

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  • Author: Elaine Gordon
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Learn how to make black beans from scratch with two easy cooking methods: the stovetop and the Instant Pot. All you need are dry black beans, water and a little salt, but feel free to add more seasonings depending on what you're craving!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups dry black beans
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 tsp salt

Instructions

Stovetop Method:

  1. Rinse the beans and pick out any wrinkled or shriveled ones to discard.
  2. Add the beans, salt and any desired seasonings (see notes) to a large pot and cover with enough water so that they are fully submerged.
  3. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil.
  4. Once it comes to a boil, keeping the lid on, reduce the burner to low heat and cook for one hour before checking its softness.
  5. Check on the beans every 10 minutes after the first hour until they reach your desired consistency.

Instant Pot Method:

  1. Rinse the beans and pick out any wrinkled or shriveled ones to discard.
  2. Add water, salt and desired seasonings to the pot along with the black beans.
  3. Cook on "Manual" / "High Pressure" for 25 minutes. Make sure the lid setting is set to "Sealed."
  4. Naturally release the pressure for an additional 20 minutes. Done!

Equipment

Notes

More seasoning options:

  • Extra virgin olive oil - I'll usually add just a teaspoon when using for creamier dishes.
  • Garlic cloves or onions
  • Spices - bay leaves, chili powder, fresh cilantro, cumin, red pepper flakes and black pepper

Altitude plays a role in cooking time and amount of water needed to cook black beans. If you are cooking black beans at a higher altitude, you may need to make adjustments to this recipe. I recommend you increase the amount of water a bit and also increase the cooking time by 15-20 minutes. You typically have to cook beans and lentils longer at a higher altitude because of the lower air pressure because liquids evaporate faster and the boiling point of water is also lower.

See more recipe tips in the blog post above this recipe card.

  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Category: How to
  • Method: stovetop or instant pot

Find it online: https://www.eatingbyelaine.com/how-to-cook-black-beans-stovetop-or-instant-pot/