This post can lead you to all you need to know about How to Cook Dried Beans in the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot. And Cinco de Mayo is coming up and you might want some beans for a Mexican side dish, so enjoy!
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This post is a Public Service Announcement for anyone who still buys canned beans! Once you learn How to Cook Dried Beans in the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot you might never go back to buying canned beans again. Slow Cooker or Instant Pot beans are not only much less expensive, but cooked-from-scratch dried beans are so much tastier than the ones that come in a can. And cooking dried beans in a slow cooker or Instant Pot is so easy!
I hope once you’ve looked around a bit at all the bean-cooking information I’ve gathered here you’ll get excited about cooking beans from scratch in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot. Use Beans and Legumes to see all the recipe with beans on this site.
Cooking Dried Beans in a Slow Cooker:
If you’re a slow cooker fan, check out the very popular post with tips for cooking dried beans in a slow cooker from Kalyn’s Kitchen, including a comparison of cooking times for soaked or un-soaked beans. There are also some thoughts there about why I think fresh-cooked beans are so much better than canned one, and ideas for using the beans. Check out all the Dried Beans Recipes at Kalyn’s Kitchen if you want more ideas for beans.
Cooking Dried Beans in the Instant Pot:
If you prefer using the Instant Pot, my friend Letty from Letty’s Kitchen is definitely an expert on Instant Pot Beans. Letty has a great post on How to Cook Pinto Beans in a Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot, as well as great tips for Instant Pot Garbanzo Beans or Instant Pot Black Beans. Check out Legumes Recipes at Letty’s blog for more ideas for dried beans.
Favorite Dried Beans Recipes from Kalyn’s Kitchen:
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Spicy Black Beans with Cilantro
Instant Pot Mexican Beans
Instant Pot Copycat Recipes for Rubios Pinto Beans
Instant Pot Refried Beans
CrockPot Anasazi Bean and Cabbage Soup
Vegetarian Dried Beans Recipes from Letty’s Kitchen:
Spaghetti Squash with Chile-Spiced Pinto Beans
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Pozole
Mexican Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
Spicy Instant Pot Chard and Pinto Bean Risotto
Spicy Black Bean Chili with Hearty Greens
More Dried Beans Recipes You Might Like:
The BEST Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Refried Beans
Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Vegetarian Mexican Beans
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Recipes for Mexican Beans
Slow Cooker Recipes for Black Beans
Instant Pot Recipes for Black Beans
Krithi, love knowing that 2/3 cup dried beans = a can of beans, since so many recipes come with cans. I don't cook my own beans 100% of the time, but I'm working on it!
Kalyn, In India, we do not get canned beans (not yet I guess), we always pre-soak beans. The most commonly used ones were garbanzo and we pre-soak it about 6-8 hours (or overnight) and then pressure cook for use.
These days I measure dried beans (any and all variety) by 2/3 cups which would yield me cooked beans equal to 1 can. And after cooking I transfer to a ziploc and label it. So I don't reach out for can these days. Just my freezer where I have the beans I prepared at home without all the sodium and preservatives.
Elizabeth, the beans are still firm, even after this long.
I too much prefer cooked-from-scratch beans over canned beans. Very very occasionally, we use canned beans and are always horrified by the liquid that they are in. We always rinse it away, making using canned beans even more costly.
I see that you do not add salt to your beans when you're cooking them. Nor do I. Or at least not until I want to arrest them from softening any more. Do the beans remain firm when cooked for such a lengthy period in the slow cooker?
I cut ham in one inch chunks and then when almost done I bake corn bread in a cast iron skillet and fry sliced potatoes to a golden brown fried in real butter, No one leaves my table untill their tummys are full
Thanks, glad you like it! I really do like the cooked-from-scratch beans much better than canned ones and it saves money too.
Great post Kalyn!!! This is something I have been meaning to do. Thanks!