Instant Pot Black Beans (and how to freeze them for later)

Never eat canned beans again. Instant pot black beans are so flavorful, easy to make, and freeze well for later.

Meal prepping and batch cooking are my thing. Keeping my kitchen stocked with healthy food ensures that I always have food ready to go, especially on busy week nights.

Black beans are a family favorite and find their way into many meals around here. We make black bean tacos, black bean stuffed sweet potatoes, black bean soup, or just add them to salads or a plate of steamed veggies.

Sharing my recipe for making Instant Pot Black Beans today. After trying this recipe, you’ll never eat canned beans again. Just another reason that I LOVE my Instant Pot.

Why I Love Black Beans

Black beans are loaded with good for you things. Here’s a little peak at all the benefits:

❤️ super versatile… black beans are a healthy, clean protein you can use in tacos, soups, stews, on salads, and so much more.

❤️ nutrient-dense…. full of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, folate, vitamin k, and molybdenum

❤️ rich in soluble fiber… soluble fiber just means dietary fiber that disperses in water when the food is broken down. A lot of soluble fiber is viscous, which allows it to form a gel. This tends to regulate the speed of digestion, stabilize blood glucose, and permit better absorption of nutrients. Soluble fiber has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol and gut microbiome health.

❤️ rich in resistant starch… resistant starch is a type of dietary fiber that is essentially resistant to digestion. Resistant starch passes through the upper digestive tract without being broken down. Since the starch is not broken down, it is not converted into simple sugars. This may prevent the blood sugar level from rapidly rising and also may improve insulin sensitivity, which is great for diabetics.

❤️ good source of prebiotics… prebiotics are the food source for probiotics, helping you maintain a healthy, balanced gut. 

❤️ heart friendly and anticancer… they contain plant compounds called flavonoids, which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Reducing inflammation is key in protecting yourself from heart disease and every type of cancer.

Why to Skip the Canned Beans

Making your own canned beans is a better, healthier option.

❤️ less expensive to cook your own… organic, bulk beans are much cheaper than buying canned.

❤️ taste better… homemade instant pot beans just taste better than flavorless canned beans.

❤️ easier to digest… taking the time to soak and cook your own beans at home will ensure that your belly and digestion feels better. Canned beans are usually not soaked or cooked long enough and can create gas and digestive discomfort. Beans do not have to make you toot.

❤️ avoid toxic chemicals in your food… bisphenol A (known as BPA) is a toxic chemical that is present in the inner lining of cans. BPA protects the can from infectious agents and from corrosion but you do not want to be consuming this in your tacos. Aluminum for the cans can also leach into your foods.

❤️ preservatives… are used to keep foods from spoiling along with large amounts of regular salt. Neither of these are healthy for our bodies. Yes, I love a good sea salt but consuming an excessive amount of regular salt is not healthy.

❤️ poor quality… you do not know the quality or the age of the food inside of canned foods. IMHO, it is best to take control of your own food supply and cook your own food.

3 Reasons to Always Soak Your Beans Before Cooking

I’m a big fan of always soaking my beans before i cook them. Here’s why:

❤️ faster cooking time… soaking your beans will reduce the amount of time you have to cook them.

❤️ less gas… soaking beans before cooking helps to remove some of those indigestible sugars that cause gas. Never a bad thing, right?

❤️ reduces phytic acid levels and improves mineral absorption… beans contain a lot of anti-nutrients (phytic acid, tannins, and lectins.) Soaking reduces these, especially phytic acid, making it easier for us to absorb the nutrients from the beans.

How Much Dried Black Beans Will I need?

The recipe below is for 2 cups of dried black beans. You will end up with about 6 cups of cooked black beans. I often double the recipe in order to have leftovers to freeze for later.

 NOTE: 2 cups dried beans = about 6 cups cooked beans and  1 (15-ounce) can = 1 1/2 cups cooked beans.  Good to know if you are using a recipe that calls for a can of black beans. 

How to Make Instant Pot Black Beans

1. Soak your beans. Simply place beans in a large glass bowl or the insert of your Instant Pot and soak overnight, for 8-12 hours.
2. Rinse beans well before cooking.
3. Place rinsed bean into Instant Pot. Cover with clean water.
4. Add in cumin powder, garlic powder, oregano, and bay leaf.
5. Lock lid on Instant Pot and turn the vent valve to “sealing.” Cook on HIGH pressure for 9-11 minutes, depending on if you like a firmer or softer bean. Allow for a 15 minutes slow release then release the pressure fully. Salt to taste after cooking.
6. Black beans can be kept in air-tight container in fridge for 2 days or frozen in pint-size canning jars for up to 3 months.

How to Freeze Black Beans for Later

I prefer to freeze my instant pot black beans in pint-sized, wide mouth mason jars. Trust me on this one…. do not try to freeze your beans in just any random glass jar. I have tried other jars, and they often crack in the freezer. I have never had one of THESE crack on me.

I avoid plastic containers because they leach harmful chemicals in to food.

This is how I freeze my beans:

1. Fill you pint-sized jars with beans and a small amount of the cooking liquid. Be sure to leave at least an inch of room at the top as things will expand during the freezing process.
2. Allow the beans to cool before placing jars into freezer. It’s OK if they are still slightly warm. DO NOT PUT THE LIDS ONTO JARS when you put them in the freezer.
3. Once beans are fully frozen, place lids onto jars and leave in freezer until ready to use.
4. To defrost, place beans into fridge the night before you want to use them to defrost slowly. Or for quicker defrosting, soak jar in warm water until beans loosen from the sides of jar. Pour frozen beans into a small pot, cover with lids, and very gently(over low heat) warm beans up until defrosted. You may have to a a couple tablespoons of water to bottom of pan to keep beans from sticking.

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