Instant Pot Kidney Beans (No Soaking, Not Mushy) - iFoodReal.com (original) (raw)

This easy Instant Pot Kidney Beans recipe is a foolproof, no soak method for perfectly tender beans. A quick way to add flavorful plant-based protein to any dish!

If you’re looking for other Instant Pot beans, try my Instant Pot black beans and Instant Pot chickpeas.

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients for Instant Pot Kidney Beans
• How to Cook Red Kidney Beans in Instant Pot
• Tips for Best Results
• Do I Have to Soak the Beans?
• What Can Instant Pot Kidney Beans Be Used for?
• How to Store
• FAQs
• More Instant Pot Recipes to Try
• Instant Pot Kidney Beans Recipe

Instant Pot kidney beans have been a real lifesaver. They’re affordable, healthy, and incredibly versatile. Not to mention quicker and easier than cooking dried beans on the stovetop, with no pre-soaking required!

These homemade kidney beans are more flavorful than canned beans with much better texture. After 1 hour you’ll have perfect plump beans to add into soups, stews, and chilis.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Foolproof recipe: I tested this recipe 3 times to make sure beans come out perfect and not mushy.
• Perfect shape: So you can make them for salads like Mexican bean salad and don’t worry about final results.
• Budget-friendly: Dried beans are cheaper than canned and great for making large batches. Save money and eat healthy!
• You’ll avoid BPA: Using quality dried kidney beans means no aluminum cans, no added salt or any other extras.
• Delicious: Can’t compare to canned beans, they’re delicious if you enjoy them freshly cooked.
• So many uses: Beans are the perfect addition to chili recipes, soups, casseroles and salads. You can even use the bean broth, see recommended uses below.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Kidney Beans

It only takes 3 ingredients to make perfect Instant Pot kidney beans.

• Dried red kidney beans: Most bulk sections of grocery stores have dried kidney beans. No soaking is required, but you will need to rinse them with cold water and drain after to get any dirt off.
• Cold water: Make sure to use cold water, warm or hot water with skew the cook time.
• Salt: Adding a touch of salt before pressure cooking adds flavor.

How to Cook Red Kidney Beans in Instant Pot

Other recipes call for 40-45 minutes but I found my beans very mushy in that time frame. Here is how to cook kidney beans in Instant Pot with 1 minute prep time and 25 minutes cook time.

There is a recipe card with full instructions below.

• Prep the beans: Rinse kidney beans in a medium mesh sieve under cold water and drain completely. Don’t soak.
• Combine ingredients: Add rinsed beans and cold water to the Instant Pot, then sprinkle with salt to taste and close the lid.
• Cook on High pressure for 25 minutes: Set pressure vent to Sealing and, depending on the model, press Pressure Cook on High or Manual button.
• Natural pressure release: Let pressure come down on its own with Natural Release, it will take roughly 20 minutes. Then turn valve to Venting to release remaining pressure. Don’t do Quick Release because beans won’t be cooked and pressure will destroy their outer shell.
• Rinse, drain, and serve: Rinse with cold water right away and drain. Use in recipes or store for later use.

Recipe Tip

If you see some kidney beans are still a tiny bit hard, re-close the lid and let them sit for 5 minutes. They will soften up quickly!

Tips for Best Results

Here are my expert tips for the best Instant Pot kidney beans.

• Use cold water: Warm or hot water will change the coming to pressure time of any electric pressure cooker and beans will not cook properly.
• Don’t skip salt: A pinch of salt brings out the flavor in beans and they’ll taste much better.
• Add seasonings if you want: Extra seasonings is not necessary, especially if you cook kidney beans for using in soups and stews. But you can add flavor by replacing water with vegetable broth or add seasonings like a clove of garlic, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, Italian seasoning, oregano, smoked paprika, or bay leaves.
• Use exact measurements: Whether you make a single batch, double or triple the recipe, be sure to use exact measurements as listed in the recipe to end up with perfectly cooked beans. Because less or more water will increase or decrease pressure build up time thus cooking time.
• After cooking, a lot of liquid is normal: You need it, so kidney beans stay submerged in water and cook fully.
• Drain and rinse beans immediately: After cooking don’t leave the beans in hot broth. They can become mushy as they will keep cooking.

Do I Have to Soak the Beans?

No. Soaking the beans rehydrates them so they cook faster, but the Instant Pot does that for you. So all you need to do before pressure cooking the beans is rinse and drain them.

You can’t cook soaked beans using this recipe, the pressure cook time is for dried beans not previously soaked. They will come out mushy if you soak the beans.

What Can Instant Pot Kidney Beans Be Used for?

You’ll love having a batch of Instant Pot red kidney beans on hand, there are so many great uses for them!

We love adding kidney beans to healthy turkey chili, ground chicken chili, and Tex mex spaghetti squash.

They also make a great salad topping, are the perfect compliment to Instant Pot long grain white rice, bulk up a burrito, or make British-style beans on toast garnished with fresh parsley.

Leftover broth is great for making soups like mushroom bean soup or vegetarian borscht (sub with some chicken broth to avoid overpowering flavor of the bean broth).

How to Store

Store: Cooked kidney beans should be stored in an airtight container, and will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

If you’d like to use them in place of canned beans, 1.5 cups drained cooked beans would equal a standard 15 ounces can.

Freeze: I like to freeze beans in individual servings that equal a 15 ounce can of drained beans. To do that, drain and rinse kidney beans with cold water. Transfer 1.5 cups into a resealable freezer-safe bag, let air out, seal, and freeze for up to 6 months.

FAQs

Is it safe to cook kidney beans in Instant Pot?

Yes, it’s safe to pressure cook the kidney beans. Unlike with slow cooking where it is not safe because the slow cooker doesn’t get to a hot enough temperature.

Kidney beans contain a toxin that is only destroyed after being boiled for at least 10 minutes. An electric pressure cooker will get water to the right temperature.

What is the ratio of dried beans to water in Instant Pot?

In this particular recipe the ratio of dried beans to water is 1:3 1/2. A lot of cooking liquid is needed to ensure beans are completely submerged and cook evenly.

How long to cook kidney beans in Instant Pot?

Pressure cook beans for 25 minutes on high pressure with 20 minutes Natural Release. Other recipes on the web call for 40-45 minutes but I found my beans were overcooked and mushy after that long.

How do you fix mushy beans?

You can’t really fix overcooked mushy beans. They won’t be good to make a bean salad but will work just fine in a soup or just make Instant Pot refried beans with them.

How much does 1 cup of dried beans yield?

1 cup of dried kidney beans will give you 3 cups cooked beans.

More Instant Pot Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot rice and beans
• Instant Pot turkey chili
• Instant Pot chili
• Instant Pot baked beans
• Instant Pot vegetarian chili
• Instant Pot black bean soup

• ▢ 1 cup dried red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• ▢ 3 1/2 cups cold water
• ▢ Pinch salt

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• In Instant Pot, add kidney beans, cold water and a pinch of salt.
• Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual button for 25 minutes.
• After let pressure subside on its own for 20 minutes and then release remaining pressure by turning valve to Venting.
• Open the lid, stir gently and try a few beans. If you see some are still a tiny bit hard, re-close the lid and let them sit for 5 minutes. They will soften up quickly!
• Rinse beans with cold water and drain. Use in recipes or store. Don't let them sit in hot liquid because they will become mushy.

🎉 Last step! If you made this recipe, please leave a review and let us know what you think!

• Store: Cooked beans refrigerate well for up to 5 days. You can use them in place of canned beans with a ratio of 1.5 cups drained cooked beans = 15 ounces can.
• Freeze for later: Drain and rinse with cold water. Measure 1.5 cups (equal to a 15 ounces can drained) into resealable sandwich bags, let air out, seal and freeze for up to 6 months.
• Thaw: Place bag with frozen beans on a counter for a few hours or in the fridge overnight. You could also place it in a bowl with hot water for 5 minutes and then drain it.
• Water: It is super important to use cold water not to alter cook time.
• Bean broth: Do not discard the liquid. Use as a base for making any soup.

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 210kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 21mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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