Easy Pressure Cooker Spiced Black Beans (vegan)
These Easy Pressure Cooker Spiced Black Beans are a total game-changer for taco night! They’re quick to make, full of bold flavor, and way better than anything from a can. Once you try cooking black beans from scratch in the pressure cooker, you’ll never go back.
Spotlight on These Spiced Black Beans
Easy and fresh: There’s nothing like batch cooking a pot of homemade pressure cooker black beans. They are easy to make, taste so fresh (compared to canned beans), are cheap to make, quick to cook, and absolutely delicious!
Great for meal prep: Also, one pot of these perfect black beans can be used for several meals. It makes quite a few servings and is a great way to meal prep.
A staple: This is one of those Insta Pot recipes that will be one of your favorite go-to vegan recipes. That’s because they are so easy to make, and the result is the most flavorful, tasty black beans!
My Favorite Ways to Eat These Vegan Black Beans
Tacos: We like to eat bean-based tacos over here. Toppings usually include grilled or roasted veggies, guacamole or avocado, shredded cabbage, and salsa. Yum!
Nachos: These homemade black beans will take your nachos to the next level!
Dip: As a chip dip with guacamole, these beans are so tasty that eating them by the spoonful also works! Also, I love making a vegan 7-layer dip with these beans.
BBQ side dish: These beans are so good on their own as a healthy side dish. Who would have known that black beans would make a great side dish?
The Ingredients
Red onion: While you can certainly use white or yellow onion for this recipe, I enjoy the health benefits of red onion. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
Jalapeno: Feel free to remove this ingredient if you are making the beans kid-friendly. To be honest, it doesn’t really make them spicy since you will be removing the seeds. It’s more about flavor here.
Garlic: Definitely use real garlic instead of garlic powder. It’s truly a game-changer. A side note on garlic is to make sure to purchase it organic.
Bay leaf: This herb will really bring a great flavor to the beans. I recommend it however it is optional. It won’t make or break your final product. But bay leaves are known to upgrade warm dishes.
Dried black beans: You cannot use canned black beans. They must be dried beans for this recipe. You’ll find that once you make pressure cooker beans, you’ll never want to go back to canned.
Salsa: Use fresh restaurant-style salsa for these beans. It gives the beans a wonderful texture and flavor that you will love. Jarred salsa will work, however, the fresher the better.
Vegetable broth: While you can replace the vegetable stock with cups of water, there is so much flavor from the stock! I highly recommend using it if you can.
Spices: It’s all about the spices for these spicy black beans. You’ll use the following: cumin, Italian seasoning, paprika, chili powder, and salt.
The Instructions
Step one: Rinse and drain the dried black beans. Add them to the bowl of the electric pressure cooker.
Step two: Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl. This includes red onions, jalapeno, bay leaf, salsa, veggie stock, spices, and salt. Give it all a good stir.
Step three: Secure the lid. Set the vent to “pressure”. Use the buttons to select “high pressure” and the cook time is 37 minutes.
Step four: When the black beans are finished cooking, allow the pressure to naturally and completely release. This is important as the beans continue to cool during the natural release process. Do not use the quick release function.
Step five: Gently remove the lid. Carefully remove the bay leaf. Give it all a good stir. Serve them warm.
Tips + Modifications
You can customize these beans by specifically choosing your favorite fresh salsa. The flavor of the salsa greatly influences the outcome of these beans. And a side note, bottled salsa is not as good. I suggest real, fresh salsa. Also, make sure it is a blender, restaurant-style salsa. Stay away from thicker salsas like Pico de Gallo.
If you have picky eaters in the house, I suggest removing the jalapeno and chopped onion as well as making sure you use a basic, mild, restaurant-style (blended) fresh salsa.
You can adjust the heat of your beans by adding cayenne pepper or using spicy salsa. Or, leave the recipe as is for a heat-free meal.
These beans will last in an air-tight container for up to a week in the refrigerator.
To reheat beans, simply add them to a pot and heat them on the stove, stirring often. If they are a little dry, add a splash of leftover vegetable stock. You could also reheat them in the microwave.
Other Delicious Mexican Vegan Recipes
Simple Vegan Black Bean Taquitos with Fresh Mango Salsa
Easy Pressure Cooker Spiced Black Beans (vegan)
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded, and finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dried black beans, rinsed *You can use pinto beans, as well
- 1/2 cup fresh salsa of choice *Use restaurant-style
- 1 1/4 cup vegetable stock or filtered water
- 1/2 teaspoon spices: ground cumin, Italian seasoning, paprika, and salt *For less spice, only use 1/4 tsp of each
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder *For less spice, only use a dash of chili powder
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the dried black beans. Add them to the pressure cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl. This includes red onions, jalapeno, bay leaf, salsa, veggie stock, spices, and salt. Give it all a good stir.
- Secure the lid, set the vent to pressure, set to high pressure and cook time 37 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow the pressure to completely and naturally release.
- Gently remove the lid, carefully remove the bay leaf, and give the beans a good stir. Serve warm.
Notes
- Store the beans in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- To reheat, add a splash of leftover stock and cook on the stovetop for a few minutes while stirring frequently.
- To make the beans kid-friendly, I suggest removing the diced jalapeno and onions as well as making sure to use mild, restaurant-style (blended) fresh salsa.
- If you want your black beans less spicy, reduce all seasonings (besides salt) to 1/4 teaspoon.
Nutrition
Enjoy!
XOXO
Michelle