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Instant Pot Brown Rice and Black Beans

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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!

Black beans and brown rice with Instant Pot in the backgroundRice 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!

Black beans and brown rice in an instant pot

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.

Spoonful of black beans and rice on a bowl of rice and beans; topped with cilantro

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!

Bowl with a spoonful of black beans and brown rice

Looking for more vegetarian Instant Pot recipes?

All of my Instant Pot recipes are made in a 6 qt DUO60 Instant Pot. Check out more of my Instant Pot recipes here.

Black beans and brown rice with Instant Pot in the background
Print Recipe
4.5 from 6 votes

Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice

This healthy instant pot recipe is made with brown rice, dry black beans and taco seasonings in under an hour.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time1 hr
Servings: 6 servings (1.5 cups each)
Calories: 371kcal
Author: Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LDN

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.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barbi

    I doubled the recipe so my family of 4 would have lots of leftovers. I was unsure about cooking time with it being doubled so I cooked for 35 minutes. Unfortunately it came out mushy but the flavor was so good and my family ate all of it! I will definitely make again and shorten the cooking time. Also, I added a bay leaf while cooking. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    Reply

  2. Kaci

    I never comment on anything, but just wanted to say how great this recipe is! My two toddlers (and picky husband) love it and it makes enough for us to have a couple of meals and freeze the rest for later. So easy to make with what’s on hand and so delicious!

    Reply

  3. Anna

    Great recipe, thanks for sharing!! I like to soak my beans and rice before cooking so I decided to try this recipe with them soaked. I soaked them for about 8 hours and rinsed and drained them before adding them in. I left out the cayenne and added smoked paprika and a bay leaf to the seasonings. I decreased the cooking to 22 minutes. Turned out so good, will for sure make this again!

    Reply

  4. 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.

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  6. 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.

    Reply

  8. 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.

    Reply

  9. 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!!

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  10. 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!

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

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