Instant Pot Chickpeas

Instant Pot Chickpeas are less expensive and more flavorful than canned! Learn how to cook perfect beans at home in an hour!

Knowing how to cook Instant Pot chickpeas is a skill you want in your kitchen arsenal! You can use them for salads, dips, soups and more.

This guide will teach you the simple steps to easily cook chickpeas at home. Spoiler alert: it's as simple as adding all the ingredients to the pot and pressing a couple buttons. No need to stir or check on the beans. In 50 minutes, you'll have perfect fuss-free chickpeas!

Reasons to love pressure cooker chickpeas:

• Pressure cooked beans have a creamier texture.
• They have WAY more flavor then canned chickpeas.
• They go from dry to ready-to-eat in less than an hour! No need to soak the beans overnight.
• Perfect for meal prep. Make a big batch of chickpeas and store them in the fridge (or freezer!). Enjoy all week long.

How to flavor Instant Pot chickpeas:

The beauty of cooking beans at home is that we get to add FLAVOR! It takes 2 minutes to throw a few aromatics in the pot and the flavor payoff is big. These home cooked beans will have double, if not triple, the flavor of canned.

In this recipe we add:

• Shallot - one shallot, peeled and halved. You can also use half an onion.
• Garlic cloves - peeled and left whole
• Bay leaves
• Salt - more on that below!

Other nice additions would be:

• Hearty fresh herbs - like thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, etc.
• Citrus zest - use a peeler to peel of a 2-3 inch piece of lemon or lime zest
• Dried chilis
• Whole peppercorns
• Kombu - a seaweed that naturally makes beans more digestible.

Can I add salt?!

Yes! This is one of the reasons that makes Instant Pot chickpeas so flavorful.

While you can't add salt when cooking beans on the stove, you can when using a pressure cooker. The high pressure will ensure tender chickpeas even with the addition of salt.

Do I need to soak the beans?

Nope! While you can soak the beans, it isn't necessary. The beans will come out perfectly creamy and cooked through without soaking.

If you do soak your beans overnight, use plenty of water to cover the beans and soak them in the fridge. Adjust to cooking time to 12 minutes.

How to cook chickpeas in the instant pot:

Place 1 ½ cups of dry garbanzo beans in your Instant Pot. Cover with 6 cups of water.

Add in a a peeled shallot, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt and any other aromatics you are using.

Cover, set the pressure to high and cook for 50 minutes. Let the beans naturally release for at least 10 minutes. I usually let them naturally release even longer.

Vent the remaining pressure. Pro tip: drape a kitchen towel over the steam as it vents to prevent bean-juice misted cabinets! Remove the aromatics, drain the chickpeas, and enjoy!

How to store cooked chickpeas:

Once your beans are cooked, place them in zip top bags, jars, or any lidded container. Store the amount you will eat within 1 week in the fridge.

For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge or place the frozen beans right into soups!

Ways to use instant pot chickpeas:

• Curry Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
• 10 Minute Dark Chocolate Hummus
• 15 Minute Chickpea Scramble
• Grain Free Chickpea Granola
• 30 Minute Chickpea Walnut Chili
• Honey Chipotle Cauliflower & Chickpea Tacos
• Spinach Artichoke Hummus
• Mediterranean Chickpea Cauliflower Tots