Instant Pot Brown Rice and Black Beans

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!

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 similar recipes?

• Instant Pot Vegan Refried Black Beans 
• Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas
• Vegan Quinoa Taco Salad
• Chipotle Black Bean Soup (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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

Calories: 371kcal

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 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.

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