I made some changes as I like my beans with more south of the border flavor. I added to the pot: seeded 2 guajillo & 1 arbol chili peppers, 1 cinnamon stick, bacon pieces, a large teaspoon of minced garlic, chicken bouillon and some taco seasoning. I normally do 1 1/2 cup of black beans or pinto beans along with 3 cups of water. Put on high for 47 minutes. Allow to slow release. Take out 1/4 of the pot – to include the chilis (remove cinnamon stick from pot) and blend then add back to the pot. This helps to thicken it up and breaks down the peppers for more flavor. I eat this pretty often as is or sometimes over brown rice. Can top with shredded cheese, chopped jalapenos, etc.
I liked your recipe but I wish I hadn’t been so quick to set the timer. If I’d read the comments, I’d have seen several people cook their beans longer. I wanted mine softer and so I restarted the crock pot and cooked another 12 minutes and had to let the steam release. Lesson learned….being in a rush only takes more time in the end! The beans were delicious in the end, creamy and flavorful. I ate some nachos sans beans while I waited.
In another comment you said the ratio of beans to water was 1:3, in this recipe you called for 2 cups of beans to 3 cups of water, but 1 lb of beans is 4 cups. So your recipe calls for 4 cups of beans and 3 cups of water.
Hi Corie, I’m not sure what you are referring to about a ratio of beans to water. But this particular recipe calls for 2 cups beans and 3 cups water. Hope this helps!
I love your recipes and would love to give this a try but I don’t have a pressure cooker or insta-pot. How might I modify this recipe to use with a crock pot?
Hi Janine! I haven’t tried the black beans in the crock pot but I have pinto beans so the method might be similar. Hope this helps! Here is the link: https://www.wellplated.com/crock-pot-pinto-beans/
Regarding pairing, why not have Cuban mojo chicken with Cuban black beans? It’s the perfect combination. Mexican-style chicken is a world apart from Cuba flavorings.
I tried this exactly recipe as written and found that 3 cups of water was not nearly enough. The beans were very dry and hard (not cooked). I will try again and double the water.
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe Karen. Was there any vapor or water escaping while this was coming to pressure? This is typically the main reason as to why the bean can turn out in that manner. Let me know how it goes after you’ve added the extra liquid.
You really don’t seem to want to hear it but this was not enough water at all. Burnt the bottom of my pan. Beans inedible. Should have been 6 cups more likely. Fix this recipe or take it down, so annoying
Erika, I am so sorry to hear this! I have not had this issue; are you sure that your instant pot was properly sealed? I’ve had issues before when I didn’t realize it was slightly vented so a lot of water escaped while the pressure built and caused it to burn. I’d love to help troubleshoot!
Easy and delicious! Saving this for all time. I made 1x the recipe and it was barely enough for 6 adults and 7 kids with a few lucky to get a small second serving. Zero leftovers. Next time, I’ll double if I’m serving to that many people so people can chow down on these amazing black beans!
I’ve been reading the comments here. I always want to be respectful and sure before I jump in. I’ve been using a pressure cooker for 40 years and I knew there was not enough water in this recipe for a pound of beans. Sure enough I scorched my expensive pot. Revise?
Hi Mary, I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe. We’ve not been able to replicate the issue, could you tell me what size and model Instant Pot you are using? Thank you!
I made the simplest version of the recipe possible (beans, spices, water) and it turned out great. I used 1 pound of dry black beans, measured by weight – this is about 2 cups in volume. I added 3 cups of water, plus cumin and powdered garlic. 35 minutes high pressure, 20 minutes natural release – just like the recipe says. They were firm, but fully cooked and perfect to add to the chili I was making. No burning at all.
This was too little water and not enough cooking time. I used the quantities listed and need to add another 2 cups of water and cook another 40 min to make them soft enough to eat.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Amy. The amounts and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
For those complaining of not enough liquid, I followed the suggested ratio and it worked like a dream. The ratio does work.
Dearest Erin, I really wanted to make it your way, but I was in a hurry and was missing some of your suggested ingredients. Instead, I threw the beans in the Instant Pot, added 1 can of original Rotel (which, as a Texan, I always have on hand), plus your suggested ratio of liquid (some of which was broth because I needed to get rid of it) closed the lid and set it for the time you suggested. WOWEE! They were so flavorful and delicious. It was such an easy way to cook them and it didn’t take all day over a hot stove. Also, I love the advice on the equivalent of a can of beans. I packaged and froze mine for later use and they still tasted freshly cooked. My husband said they were the best beans he ever tasted and we are Mexican food lovers and have eaten at many of the best Mexican food restaurants in Texas and California, so that was one heck of a compliment.
Many thanks for sharing! I will never forget this!
I have to agree with others on 3 cups not being nearly enough liquid. I’m guessing by looking at your Instant Pot pinto bean recipe for one pound of beans with four cups of broth and three cups of water that you accidentally omitted the broth portion in this recipe? I’ve found w trial and error that 5.5 cups of liquid works best for me with this recipe, and weighing the dry beans at 1 lb also consistently comes out to 2.5 dry cups, not 2. I’ve also upped the cooking time to 50 minutes, which made for softer and fully cooked beans.
I do love your crockpot pinto beans and Instant Pot pinto beans recipes as well as your crockpot black beans recipe, but this one definitely required some tweaks to be workable and might need revisiting as far as cooking time and liquid goes. Thank you for the work you do and the content you provide, I do appreciate it and use your recipes often.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Mike. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
You might want to make a small update on this recipe. You don’t say to release the remaining pressure before opening the lid off the Instant Pot. I would feel very sad should someone not know that the remaining pressure needed to be released. Thanks for reading my comment. I love the beans!
Hi Peggy, in our tested the pressure release in the 20 minutes of natural release, so there shouldn’t be any extra pressure involved. Was that not your experience?
What sorcery is this? I began a meal plan/prep almost a month ago. Most of the time I use canned beans, but this is the first time I tried to make them in my instant pot. They smell heavenly and will go great in the tortilla black bean casserole I plan to make next week.
I have been wanting to make beans in an instant pot to move somewhat away from canned beans. This recipe was great! I made these today for dinner, but only made 1/2 the recipe, for 3 people. I will have to make more…I ate most of them! It was so delicious. Thank you so much, Erin.
I came across this recipe at the perfect time! I just picked up my first instant pot and have been loving it! Beans turned out perfect, soft but not squishy soft. These turned out so much tastier than canned black beans!
For the first time ever I got a burn notice on my instant pot. Followed the recipe to a t with 3 cups of water, 1lb (whole bag) of beans. I added an additional 3 cups of water to try to salvage it, but then the beans were mushy. Flavor was bland, probably because all the spices got burned in the bottom of the first go.
I’m sorry to hear you had problems with the recipe, Tatiana. It has worked well for myself (and others) and I wished it would have been a hit for you too.
Have made this probably 30 times in the past year. My go to recipe for beans.
Hi Heather! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I made some changes as I like my beans with more south of the border flavor. I added to the pot: seeded 2 guajillo & 1 arbol chili peppers, 1 cinnamon stick, bacon pieces, a large teaspoon of minced garlic, chicken bouillon and some taco seasoning. I normally do 1 1/2 cup of black beans or pinto beans along with 3 cups of water. Put on high for 47 minutes. Allow to slow release. Take out 1/4 of the pot – to include the chilis (remove cinnamon stick from pot) and blend then add back to the pot. This helps to thicken it up and breaks down the peppers for more flavor. I eat this pretty often as is or sometimes over brown rice. Can top with shredded cheese, chopped jalapenos, etc.
Glad it worked out for you Mari!
I liked your recipe but I wish I hadn’t been so quick to set the timer. If I’d read the comments, I’d have seen several people cook their beans longer. I wanted mine softer and so I restarted the crock pot and cooked another 12 minutes and had to let the steam release. Lesson learned….being in a rush only takes more time in the end! The beans were delicious in the end, creamy and flavorful. I ate some nachos sans beans while I waited.
Glad you enjoyed them Susan!
1 pound of beans is 4 CUPS! Not 2 cups- completely wrong measurements, ruined the recipe.
Hi Josephine! Typically the 1 pound of pinto beans should equal to 2 cups. When in doubt, use 2 cups. Hope this helps!
In another comment you said the ratio of beans to water was 1:3, in this recipe you called for 2 cups of beans to 3 cups of water, but 1 lb of beans is 4 cups. So your recipe calls for 4 cups of beans and 3 cups of water.
Hi Corie, I’m not sure what you are referring to about a ratio of beans to water. But this particular recipe calls for 2 cups beans and 3 cups water. Hope this helps!
I love your recipes and would love to give this a try but I don’t have a pressure cooker or insta-pot. How might I modify this recipe to use with a crock pot?
Hi Janine! I haven’t tried the black beans in the crock pot but I have pinto beans so the method might be similar. Hope this helps! Here is the link: https://www.wellplated.com/crock-pot-pinto-beans/
Regarding pairing, why not have Cuban mojo chicken with Cuban black beans? It’s the perfect combination. Mexican-style chicken is a world apart from Cuba flavorings.
You can definitely pair them with whatever you’d like Robert! Enjoy!
I tried this exactly recipe as written and found that 3 cups of water was not nearly enough. The beans were very dry and hard (not cooked). I will try again and double the water.
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe Karen. Was there any vapor or water escaping while this was coming to pressure? This is typically the main reason as to why the bean can turn out in that manner. Let me know how it goes after you’ve added the extra liquid.
You really don’t seem to want to hear it but this was not enough water at all. Burnt the bottom of my pan. Beans inedible. Should have been 6 cups more likely. Fix this recipe or take it down, so annoying
Erika, I am so sorry to hear this! I have not had this issue; are you sure that your instant pot was properly sealed? I’ve had issues before when I didn’t realize it was slightly vented so a lot of water escaped while the pressure built and caused it to burn. I’d love to help troubleshoot!
Easy and delicious! Saving this for all time. I made 1x the recipe and it was barely enough for 6 adults and 7 kids with a few lucky to get a small second serving. Zero leftovers. Next time, I’ll double if I’m serving to that many people so people can chow down on these amazing black beans!
Glad you enjoyed it, Lori!
I’ve been reading the comments here. I always want to be respectful and sure before I jump in. I’ve been using a pressure cooker for 40 years and I knew there was not enough water in this recipe for a pound of beans. Sure enough I scorched my expensive pot. Revise?
Hi Mary, I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe. We’ve not been able to replicate the issue, could you tell me what size and model Instant Pot you are using? Thank you!
I made the simplest version of the recipe possible (beans, spices, water) and it turned out great. I used 1 pound of dry black beans, measured by weight – this is about 2 cups in volume. I added 3 cups of water, plus cumin and powdered garlic. 35 minutes high pressure, 20 minutes natural release – just like the recipe says. They were firm, but fully cooked and perfect to add to the chili I was making. No burning at all.
Thanks for the feedback, Judy! Glad you enjoyed them!
This was too little water and not enough cooking time. I used the quantities listed and need to add another 2 cups of water and cook another 40 min to make them soft enough to eat.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Amy. The amounts and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
For those complaining of not enough liquid, I followed the suggested ratio and it worked like a dream. The ratio does work.
Dearest Erin, I really wanted to make it your way, but I was in a hurry and was missing some of your suggested ingredients. Instead, I threw the beans in the Instant Pot, added 1 can of original Rotel (which, as a Texan, I always have on hand), plus your suggested ratio of liquid (some of which was broth because I needed to get rid of it) closed the lid and set it for the time you suggested. WOWEE! They were so flavorful and delicious. It was such an easy way to cook them and it didn’t take all day over a hot stove. Also, I love the advice on the equivalent of a can of beans. I packaged and froze mine for later use and they still tasted freshly cooked. My husband said they were the best beans he ever tasted and we are Mexican food lovers and have eaten at many of the best Mexican food restaurants in Texas and California, so that was one heck of a compliment.
Many thanks for sharing! I will never forget this!
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Cindy!
Followed the recipe exactly as given. Best black beans my family has eaten! Will be making these again and again.
Thank you Kathy!
I have to agree with others on 3 cups not being nearly enough liquid. I’m guessing by looking at your Instant Pot pinto bean recipe for one pound of beans with four cups of broth and three cups of water that you accidentally omitted the broth portion in this recipe? I’ve found w trial and error that 5.5 cups of liquid works best for me with this recipe, and weighing the dry beans at 1 lb also consistently comes out to 2.5 dry cups, not 2. I’ve also upped the cooking time to 50 minutes, which made for softer and fully cooked beans.
I do love your crockpot pinto beans and Instant Pot pinto beans recipes as well as your crockpot black beans recipe, but this one definitely required some tweaks to be workable and might need revisiting as far as cooking time and liquid goes. Thank you for the work you do and the content you provide, I do appreciate it and use your recipes often.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Mike. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
You might want to make a small update on this recipe. You don’t say to release the remaining pressure before opening the lid off the Instant Pot. I would feel very sad should someone not know that the remaining pressure needed to be released. Thanks for reading my comment. I love the beans!
Hi Peggy, in our tested the pressure release in the 20 minutes of natural release, so there shouldn’t be any extra pressure involved. Was that not your experience?
What sorcery is this? I began a meal plan/prep almost a month ago. Most of the time I use canned beans, but this is the first time I tried to make them in my instant pot. They smell heavenly and will go great in the tortilla black bean casserole I plan to make next week.
So glad to hear you are enjoying them, Coleen!
I have been wanting to make beans in an instant pot to move somewhat away from canned beans. This recipe was great! I made these today for dinner, but only made 1/2 the recipe, for 3 people. I will have to make more…I ate most of them! It was so delicious. Thank you so much, Erin.
So glad you enjoyed it, Chelsea!
I came across this recipe at the perfect time! I just picked up my first instant pot and have been loving it! Beans turned out perfect, soft but not squishy soft. These turned out so much tastier than canned black beans!
So glad you are enjoying your instant pot, Peyton! Glad you enjoyed the beans too!
For the first time ever I got a burn notice on my instant pot. Followed the recipe to a t with 3 cups of water, 1lb (whole bag) of beans. I added an additional 3 cups of water to try to salvage it, but then the beans were mushy. Flavor was bland, probably because all the spices got burned in the bottom of the first go.
I’m sorry to hear you had problems with the recipe, Tatiana. It has worked well for myself (and others) and I wished it would have been a hit for you too.