Select the "sauté" button on the Instant Pot. Set to "normal" and adjust time to 7 minutes. Once the pot says "Hot", drizzle in 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add diced onion. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté the onions until softened, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Deglaze the pot by adding ~¼ cup of the vegetable broth. Stir to remove any stuck on bits of onion. Add the rest of the vegetable broth and water. Add fire roasted tomatoes with juices, seasonings (chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, optional cayenne), black beans and brown rice. Don't stir.
Lock the pressure cooker lid in place and set the pressure release valve to "sealing". Cook on high pressure for 28 minutes. Once the cook time is done, let the pressure release naturally. This will take about 15 minutes. Once the pressure has released (the floating pin will be dropped down) you can remove the lid.
Test beans for doneness. Stir and taste for seasonings. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Can I use canned beans? No. This recipe won’t work with canned beans because they need less time to cook and less liquid.
Can I use white rice? No. White rice cooks much more quickly than brown rice and requires a different liquid amount so it won’t work in this recipe.
Can I use another type of bean? You can try this recipe with pinto beans or red beans because they are a similar size as black beans. Kidney beans and chickpeas will take longer to cook so I don’t recommend using them.
Can I soak the beans? Yes! I recommend soaking the beans at least 8 hours or overnight. Reduce the cook time to 22 minutes (that’s how long it takes to cook brown rice).
Leftovers and freezing Keep leftovers refrigerated in a closed container for 3-4 days. The rice and beans can be frozen on their own for up to 3 months.
Beans aren't cooked through? Just pop the lid back on, seal the vent and cook for 2 minutes, adding more time as needed. Once the time is up you can do a quick pressure release.
Check out my YouTube for the full step-by-step Instant Pot Rice and Beans video.This recipe was updated January 20th, 2021. The seasonings were doubled and the method slightly adjusted for more consistent results.