Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans are protein-rich, vegan, and gluten-free!
These no-soak beans are also a great source of fiber, sure to be a welcome addition to tacos, burritos or burrito bowls, nachos, or any Mexican meal!
Super flavorful, soft, and budget-friendly – what else could you want?!
Serve these Instant Pot Black Beans with your favorite Pulled Pork Tacos, Tex-Mex Enchiladas, or other Mexican Recipes, and I’m sure it will become one of your favorite Instant Pot Recipes.
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Why You’ll love this Recipe
- Flavorful. These Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans burst with flavor, are incredibly healthy tender black beans, and are very easy to make!
- Taco Night. Make a big batch of these flavorful beans for the best side dish for taco night or when throwing a Cinco de Mayo party!
- Feed A Crowd. Double the recipe to feed a crowd or store half of these tender beans to use in other recipes that call for canned black beans. You can even make refried beans!
Why This Recipe Works
- Step By Step. This Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans recipe includes step-by-step instructions with photos for making the dish from scratch. There’s no way that you’ll get lost along the way.
- Pantry Ingredients. Most of the ingredients used in this recipe are likely to already be in your pantry (especially if you love Mexican cuisine), and if not, are readily accessible in your local grocery store.
- Set It & Forget It. Once you’ve prepared and added the ingredients to the Instant Pot, there’s nothing left for you to do other than step aside and allow your trusty cooking appliance to work its magic!
- Recipe Tips. You don’t need to scroll too far before coming across helpful recipe tips and tricks to make this black bean dish stress-free and enjoyable.
- Tried And True. I’ve been making Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans for the family for years which means that you can trust that I’m guiding you all the way.
- Variations Included. Recipe variations have been included in case you want to mix things up or try something new to keep things interesting for yourself and the family.
- Serving Suggestions Included. Serving suggestions are provided in this recipe so that you can enjoy these beans to the maximum!
What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
🍽 Equipment
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- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker – This is the Instant Pot that I use. You could use any electric pressure cooker.
🥘 Ingredients
Below I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions in case you don’t have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.
- Black beans – I know life can get busy but I always try to ensure that I’ve properly cleaned and rinsed the dry beans for this recipe. After all, they are the star of the show, providing an excellent source of protein! However, what is not required is soaking the beans. There is no need to start with soaked beans.
- Water – You can increase the cold water if you want more of a saucy dish or even add in some vegetable broth.
- Salt – I use Kosher salt.
- Bay leaves – These were added whole to the Instant Pot.
- Onion – I’ve used white onion but yellow onion would also work too. The onion is cut into 2-inch pieces so that they cook through easily, releasing maximum flavor that’s absorbed by the beans.
- Garlic – You can either mince your garlic yourself or buy it pre-minced.
- Jalapeño – You can deseed the halved jalapeno to reduce the amount of heat added to this dish or keep them for an added kick of heat like I’ve done! Increase the amount of jalapeno used or decrease depending on your preferences. Cayenne pepper is also a great way to increase heat.
- Cilantro – Chopped. I’ve added this fresh cilantro together with the queso fresco as a topping.
- Queso Fresco – This is an optional topping ingredient in addition to chopped cilantro.
🔪 How To Make Instant Pot Black Beans
- Place the dry black beans, water, salt, bay leaves, onion pieces, garlic, and jalapeño in the instant pot.
- Press the pressure cook button and set the time to 40 minutes on high pressure.
- When the time is finished, allow to slow release for 15 minutes, then do a quick release.
- Add cilantro and queso fresco to the top of the dish before serving.
💭 Recipe Tips
- Double It. This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a larger crowd or for you to store half in the freezer for later use. Always make sure that you allow the cooked black beans to completely cool before storing in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.
- Versatile. Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans make delicious refried black beans or can be turned into a soup by adding extra water!
- Side Dish or App. You can enjoy these Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans as a side dish to grilled meats, as a topping or filling for tacos and nachos, or as tasty party appetizers with avocado cilantro sauce!
- Make-Ahead. You can prepare elements of this dish ahead of time to store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator overnight, saving you some time and cleaning up the following day.
- Water Ratio. The usual black beans to water ratio for the Instant Pot is 1 part black beans to 2 parts water. Since this recipe calls for 1 pound (2 cups) of black beans, I’ve added just over double that in cold water. You can either increase or decrease the water by ¼-½ cup to increase or decrease the level of sauciness in this dish based on preference.
📖 Variations
- Main Dish. Turn these Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans into a main meal by adding in some shredded meat like chicken, turkey, or pork, or by adding in some pasta with dressing.
- Change The Beans. The black beans called for in this recipe can easily be replaced by beans that you enjoy the most, such as pinto beans or red beans.
- Omit Jalapeños. You can omit the jalapeno in this recipe if you don’t enjoy any heat in your food or you could double the quantity called for.
- Double It. If you’re serving a crowd, consider doubling the ingredients – it’s so easy!
- Refried Beans. Turn your Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans into delicious refried beans!
- Soup Time. Create a soup with this recipe by adding 2 additional cups of water (or broth) to the Instant Pot and increasing the cooking time to 50 minutes so that the beans are extra soft. Once cooked, mash a few beans to create a creamy soup texture!
- Add Seasoning. Feel free to add more seasoning, such as chili powder.
What To Serve With Black Beans
These Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans provide the perfect side dish to any Tex-Mex main meal.
Of course, you could also use these black beans as a filling or a topping in dishes such as tacos, burritos, empanadas, or a burrito bowl, or serve it as a snack alongside some tortilla chips and avocado cilantro sauce!
These black beans can also be added to soups, combined with white rice, brown rice, or Mexican Rice for a rice and bean casserole, or included in salads as a boost of plant-based protein!
FAQs
How Should I Store Leftover Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans?
This Mexican-inspired black bean dish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You also have the option to freeze these black beans in an airtight container for up to 3 – 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven, covered, or on the stovetop with a splash of water if required.
HOW MANY CUPS IS A POUND OF DRIED BEANS?
One pound of dried beans is roughly 2 cups which then measures around 5 cups of cooked beans once they’ve expanded from the cooking process.
If you plan on using Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans in another recipe that calls for canned black beans, then it’s super helpful to know that a 15-ounce can of beans equals 1-½ cups of cooked beans!
DON’T I NEED TO SOAK THE DRIED BLACK BEANS PRIOR TO COOKING?
The great thing about cooking beans in an Instant Pot is that no prior soaking is required! Once cleaned and rinsed, add them to the Instant Pot together with the other ingredients and set to cook!
WHAT ARE BLACK BEANS?
Black beans, otherwise known as black turtle beans, are black legumes most commonly used in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine. They’ve become increasingly popular due to their nutritional value and are more readily available throughout the world.
If you struggle to find black beans, head to the health section, specialty foods, or international foods aisle of your local grocery store or source them online.
IS THIS RECIPE VEGAN-FRIENDLY?
Absolutely! All of the ingredients used in this recipe are vegan. In fact, most are plant-based whole foods which means that you’ll be enjoying a nutrient-rich side dish of black beans from this easy and budget-friendly recipe.
DOES THE SHELF LIFE OF THE BEANS AFFECT HOW THEY COOK?
While dried beans are often thought of as ingredients that can be stored almost indefinitely, it’s good to be aware that if your beans have been in storage for a long time, you will most likely need to increase the cooking time by an additional 5-15 minutes to ensure that they reach peak softness.
Can I Make These Black Beans In A Slow Cooker?
Yes.
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Recipe
Instant Pot Black Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black beans cleaned and rinsed
- 5 cups water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 onion cut into 2 inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 jalapeño halved
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
- 1/2 cup queso fresco for serving, optional
Instructions
- Place the black beans, water, salt, bay leaves, onion pieces, garlic, and jalapeno in the instant pot.
- Set the bean button and turn the time to 40 minutes.
- When the time is finished, allow to slow release for 15 minutes, then do a quick release.
- Add cilantro and queso to the top of the dish before serving.
