This healthy instant pot recipe is made with brown rice and dry black beans in under an hour. Perfect for a week of meal prep or a last minute dinner!
Rice and blacks beans is hands-down one of the most common meals in my house. They’re great for a last-minute dinner recipe and make for versatile leftovers.
This hassle-free Instant Pot rice and beans recipe is a must have in your kitchen. It takes under an hour to make, the majority of which is hands-free.
Pre-Instant pot (Pre-IP?) I would begrudgingly make a pot of brown rice on the stove and throw in canned black beans and taco seasonings. Thankfully the days of mushy black beans and stove cooked brown rice are gone!
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Dry black beans taste so much better than canned black beans and they’re free from added salt. They’re also an inexpensive plant protein; you can usually get 1 pound of dry black beans for under $2. And that’s a lot of black beans!
How to make rice and beans in your electric pressure cooker
Start by sauteing onions until translucent, then add in your garlic for a minute more. Add taco seasonings or spices of choice; feel free to customize the spices and add-ins to your preferences. The spices in this recipe are Mexican-inspired, but you can certainly adapt the base recipe to different cuisines.
Add your liquids; I use a combination of water and vegetable broth to amp up the flavor. By cutting the vegetable broth with water you can lower the sodium content of your meal significantly without sacrificing flavor.
Add rinsed rice and beans and stir everything together. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, then allow pressure to release for 10 minutes before removing the lid. Test the beans for doneness; you can reseal and add 5 more minutes on high pressure if needed.
From my experience it takes anywhere from 25-35 minutes at high pressure to fully cook dry black beans; note that the cooking time may vary a bit based on the age of your beans. You need to cook on high pressure for at least 22 minutes to fully cook the brown rice.
How to enjoy your Instant Pot rice and beans
- Add to a corn tortilla for an easy taco filling, or wrap in a tortilla with your favorite burrito fillings
- Pair with lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and sliced avocado for a taco salad
- Use as a tortilla chip dip for a party appetizer
- Or my favorite way: enjoy on their own!
Looking for more vegetarian Instant Pot recipes?
- Instant Pot Vegan Refried Black Beans
- Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas
- Vegan Quinoa Taco Salad
- Chipotle Black Bean Soup (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
- Red Lentil Curry with Sweet Potatoes
All of my Instant Pot recipes are made in a 6 qt DUO60 Instant Pot. Check out more of my Instant Pot recipes here.
Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice
Ingredients
Base Recipe for Rice and Beans
- 1 and 1/2 cups brown rice, rinsed
- 1 and 1/2 cups dry black beans
- 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups water
Optional Add-Ins
- 1 teaspoon oil of choice, more as needed
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the black beans and remove any debris. Set aside.
- Add the oil to your electric pressure cooker and press the "saute" button. Saute the onions until translucent. Add garlic and saute a minute more.
- Add the seasonings, tomatoes with juice, black beans, and rice. Pour in the vegetable broth and water. Stir to combine.
- Lock the pressure cooker lid in place and set the pressure release valve to "sealing". Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
- Once the cook time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Carefully move the pressure valve from sealing to venting and manually release the remaining steam. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make this recipe without the canned tomatoes substitute 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth.
- Older beans may take longer to cook. If you find that your beans aren't cooked all the way through, lock the lid back in place and set to high pressure for another 5 minutes. Release pressure manually.
- You can freeze rice and beans for up to three months. Place in the fridge to thaw at least 24 hours before you plan to use. These are my favorite freezer-safe glass containers.
Dana Chappell
If I want to add some chicken to this
would I just put it in at the same time as
everything else?
Cassidy
Hi Dana, I’m not sure as I haven’t cooked chicken in the Instant Pot before. I think chicken usually only takes 10-15 minutes in the IP so it may overcook with this recipe.
Ellie
Can you use jasmine rice if you’re out of brown ?
Cassidy
I haven’t tried it out, but I think it might turn out mushy because jasmine rice takes only 10 minutes to cook. Let me know if you try it out!
Jayme
How would I do if I only have a crockpot?
Cassidy
I don’t think this recipe can be made in the slow cooker because the water amounts and soak time would be different. I’ll let you know if I ever make it into a slow cooker recipe 🙂
Janet R
I happened on this recipe while looking for ways to use my new instant pot and also a gluten-free main course. I followed the recipe for the most part but only had dry small red beans on hand and jasmine brown rice. I ended up using both vegetable and chicken broth instead of water. I did pressure cook for 32 minutes as I’d never used dry beans before. Turned out delish. Topped with salsa and chips on the side. Thank you!
Cassidy
Thank you! Glad to hear it turned out well with red beans.
Rachel
Hey, I’m really worried about the whole arsenic thing with rice. Should I soak rice before hand but that would change the recipe…. Help!!
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Hi Rachel, you are right that soaking the rice may alter the recipe, so I wouldn’t recommend doing that. Rinsing your rice thoroughly can help reduce arsenic if it is present. If you are eating a variety of grains and not eating processed gluten-free products frequently (gluten alternatives often use rice products), you should be okay to consume brown rice in moderation. I hope that helps!
puroth
How much is a cup in ml? I’m guessing it is American cup?
Just got my instant pot and can’t wait to try this recipe.
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Yes, it’s an American cup measure. One cup is 8 ounces or 240 mL for liquids. Hope that helps.
Rachel L.
I’ve made this twice now and we love it! Very delicious and filling.
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Thanks for the comment! Glad you like it.
Hara
Apologies if you have this somewhere and I am missing it, but how big is a serving. I see it’s 6 servings per recipe but is it a cup, cup and a half? TIA super excited to have this recipe, always looking for good veggie IP recipes.
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
One serving will be a little over 1.5 cups. Thanks for asking, the exact amount is actually not listed in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Jessica
If I used canned black beans, how could the recipe be adjusted?
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Hey Jessica, unfortunately this recipe would need to be changed a lot for canned beans. You would use at least half the amount of water and black beans would be added at the end so that they don’t get mushy.
Mikey
Use caution if the beans aren’t cooked to completely soft. Mine were just a little undercooked and that does not make for a pleasant day.