Cooking chickpeas in the Instant Pot couldn’t be easier. Just add the dry beans and water, press a button, and walk away! Today I’m going to show you how to cook them, step-by-step, so you’ll be able to ditch beans from a can and save money at the same time.
I’m going to show you how to cook chickpeas in the Instant Pot using two different methods, with both soaked and un-soaked dry beans. Soaking the beans ahead of time means your cooking time will be much faster, but it also involves planning ahead, which I’m not always the best at. So, I’ve got you covered whether you plan ahead or not!
The perk of using the Instant Pot when cooking dry beans is two-fold. First, you don’t have to watch the stove. So, you don’t have to wait while the water comes to a boil, you don’t have to watch to make sure the foamy water doesn’t spill over as the chickpeas simmer, and you don’t have to keep adding water to the pot as the dry beans cook.
The second perk is that dry beans cook faster under pressure. While it can take 1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook chickpeas on the stove, they cook in 50 minutes in the Instant Pot, without soaking them ahead of time. (With soaking, they cook in just 12 minutes under pressure!)
Many people believe that soaking dried beans can remove some of the indigestible sugars that cause gas and bloating, so it may be a good thing to try if eating beans tends to give you digestive discomfort. However, you don’t have to soak dried beans ahead of time. (I personally don’t feel a difference either way when I eat them.)
If you’d like to soak your beans, but forgot to do it the night before, there’s another way– the quick-soak method. Simply cover 1 cup of dried beans with 3 cups of water and cook them in the Instant Pot for 2 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then move the steam release valve to venting to release any remaining pressure. Rinse and drain the beans, and now they’re ready to cook as if they’ve been soaked overnight. Use fresh cooking water and follow the directions below.
Now that I cook my own dried beans at home, I’ve picked up a few tips about selecting them. Here’s what you should know:
This recipe is specifically for cooking plain chickpeas that would replace a can of chickpeas in any recipe. Do not add salt to your cooking water until AFTER the beans are totally tender, as salt (and acids) can interfere with the cooking process. In my experience, sometimes salting the water can prevent dry beans from becoming tender at all. If you’d like to make seasoned chickpeas, please cook them until they are tender, then add any seasoning you like.
Here's HOW TO COOK CHICKPEAS in your Instant Pot, using soaked or un-soaked dried beans. The pressure cooker makes the cooking process fast & easy!
Cover the chickpeas with 3 inches of water in a large bowl, and let them soak 8 hours, or overnight. When you're ready to cook, drain the chickpeas, then add them to the bowl of your Instant Pot.
Cover the soaked chickpeas with 6 cups of water and secure the lid, moving the steam release valve to SEALING. Select the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button and cook at high pressure for 12 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. When the screen reads LO:10, move the steam release valve to VENTING to release the remaining pressure.
When the floating valve in the lid drops, it's safe to remove the lid. Test the chickpeas for tenderness by mashing one against the side of the pot with a fork. Use the cooked beans right away, or store them in 1 1/2 cup portions in the fridge or freezer to replace a can of chickpeas in recipes.
Cover the dry chickpeas with 6 cups of water and secure the lid, moving the steam release valve to SEALING. Select the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button and cook at high pressure for 50 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. When the screen reads LO:10, move the steam release valve to VENTING to release the remaining pressure.
When the floating valve in the lid drops, it's safe to remove the lid. Test the chickpeas for tenderness by mashing one against the side of the pot with a fork. Use the cooked beans right away, or store them in 1 1/2 cup portions in the fridge or freezer to replace a can of chickpeas in recipes.
Reader Feedback: Have you tried cooking your own beans from scratch? Try freezing them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then store them in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use. I love how the individual beans don’t stick together that way, so they reheat easier later.
0 
Star