The first year I owned my Instant Pot, it was just an expensive rice cooker. It made perfect rice every time. But it was a big investment and a bulky appliance for a job that a lidded pot did just fine. And I still made rice in a pot half the time that year anyway. Habits are so hard to break.
But, thanks to my kitchen savvy Sister in Law (again), I’m finally in the habit of cooking Dry Chickpeas in the Instant Pot as part of our weekly meal prep. It just seemed so much simpler when she explained it, so I hope to pass on that simplicity here.
We eat so many chickpeas when they’re a fixture in our fridge, so this is a routine that keeps us eating healthy all week long. Plus, they taste SO MUCH BETTER than canned. And they’re BPA free. More info about BPA can be found here.
If you’re not already familiar with it, an Instant Pot is a pressure cooker that multitasks. You can make just about anything in this magic pot, with the right accessories. To cook dry beans like chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) though, you only need the pot, the lid it came with, and about 75-80 minutes.
If you have another type of pressure cooker, it works the same for cooking the chickpeas. Since I have an Instant Pot, I’ve included the instructions for this brand. But any pressure cooker works and if you’re like me and have procrastinated about trying it out – I promise you it’s simpler than you think.
The Oh So Simple Process
Pour 2 1/2 cups of dry chickpeas into a strainer and give them a thorough rinse. Always rinse your dry beans well before cooking because they haven’t been washed yet. They can’t get wet before being packaged, or they turn moldy. So you’re essentially washing them for the first time.
Add the rinsed beans to the Instant Pot or pressure cooker, and add 5 cups of water. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and turn it to lock in the closed position. Make sure the pressure valve is set to “Sealing” on top. (Don’t forget this tiny step – I have and the pot won’t come up to pressure without it.)
Then press the “Pressure Cook” button on the front panel, and use the up arrow to get to 50 minutes. Once you get up to 50 minutes, you can also press the “Keep Warm” button to turn it off. It comes on automatically, so I turn it off since it’s not necessary for cooking dried beans. Once you’ve turned on the Instant Pot, you’re done until it beeps. And that’s over an hour from now.
When the cooking cycle is finished
The Instant Pot beeps to let you know that the cooking cycle is finished. It depressurizes naturally after that beep, which takes about 20 minutes. Or you can speed things up a bit by opening the valve manually. I throw a towel over the top of the valve because some liquid spits out along with the steam. Simply turn the valve to “Venting” to open it.
Once the pot has depressurized, remove the lid and carefully lift the pot out. Use oven mitts or a towel to lift it out – the pot is HOT! Strain your chickpeas, and they’re ready to eat! (Let them cool before storing.)
Delicious Vegan Chickpea Recipes
If you make Dry Chickpeas in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker for the first time, let us know how it went in the comments below. Or leave a rating, and show us your results on Instagram #plantednoshery. We hope you found this easy and helpful – Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
How to cook dry Chickpeas in the Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups Dried Chickpeas
- 5 cups Water
Instructions
- Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly in a strainer
- Add the rinsed chickpeas and water to the pot of the pressure cooker
- Turn your pressure cooker on to High Pressure cook for 50 minutes
- The Instant Pot or pressure cooker will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure, cook for 50 minutes, and then takes about 10-15 minutes to depressurize at the end of the cook
- When the cook time is over, the pressure cooker will beep to signal it is finished – at this point you can manually release the pressure by placing a towel over the valve and turning it to the open Venting (open) position. Boiling hot steam will be coming out of the valve, and while the towel helps to protect it from touching your skin, take care not to place your hand over the top of the valve. Keep your hand to the side when opening the valve and wait until all the steam has released before removing the lid. Pressure will naturally begin to release once the cook time has ended. It will take about 30 minutes. Both methods for depressurizing work when cooking chickpeas from dry in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Once pressure has released naturally or manually, strain the chickpeas. If you let them sit longer in the water they will soften and absorb more water.
- Once you have strained the chickpeas, let them sit in a colander for ~30 minutes or more over a towel or plate, as excess liquid will continue to drain. Use as you would regular canned chickpeas, or refrigerate until you need them. They keep well in an airtight container for ~1 week in the fridge. Enjoy!
Wow, thank you for providing the information in the last couple steps. I’ve been occasionally cooking dry chickpeas in the Instant Pot for years, and I could never figure out why they turned out extra soft and waterlogged compared to canned chickpeas. I’m about to try out your method now!
Great! Let me know how they turned out!
Thank you! We FINALLY purchased an Insta-Pot and I made dried chickpeas in it according to your recipe last night. They came out beautifully and we had no mishaps. (I especially liked the tip re: putting a towel over venting area. Brilliant!) After the CP cooled, I prepared your recipe for CP egg salad sandwiches. I’ll serve them today.
I really appreciate your effort in sharing recipes as my DH and I embark on a WFPB way of life and I’m learning to cook differently. I’ve bookmarked your page!
Blessings! Kat
Hi Kat!
So happy to hear you found us while on your plat-based journey. Hope you enjoyed the sandwiches! It’s one of my husband’s favorites.
Cheers!