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Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans Recipe — Quick & Flavorful

Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans are flavorful and largely authentic. These pressure-cooked black beans work beautifully as a side or served over rice for a satisfying main. Making Cuban-style black beans from dry beans in the Instant Pot is simple and dependable.

Cuban Black Beans in a brown bowl in front of pressure cooker
Originally published on 6/06/2019

Black Beans in the Instant Pot

Black beans are increasingly popular, and for good reason: they’re versatile, nutritious, and delicious in countless dishes. They’re also easy to find and affordable.

This recipe presents a mostly authentic Instant Pot Cuban black beans method using an electric pressure cooker. I cook beans in my Instant Pot often and usually skip soaking; they still turn out tender and well-cooked. If you prefer to soak them, that’s fine—soaking reduces both active cook time and the amount of liquid required.

pot of beans and vegetables ready to cook in pressure cooker
This is an easy “dump and start” recipe—no chopping required if you’d rather keep the aromatics whole.

Recipe Variations

  • Vegetarian: Use water or vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Add extra vegetables such as sweet potatoes or carrots to boost flavor and nutrition.
  • Meaty: Stir in smoky bacon, chorizo, or ham hocks for a richer, smoky profile.
  • Spicy: Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to taste if you want heat.
  • Toppings: Finish with sour cream or plain yogurt, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, avocado, pickled jalapeños, or your favorite hot sauce.

Brown bowl of Cuban Black Beans

Beans for Meal Prep

Make a big batch and divide into single-serve containers for quick lunches or dinners through the week. Beans reheat well and pair nicely with rice, salads, or grain bowls.

Storing Cooked Black Beans

Refrigeration: After cooling, transfer beans to an airtight container and refrigerate for 4–5 days.
Freezing: Portion cooled beans into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat when ready to eat.

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For a quick, flavorful dish that captures Cuban-style flavors, Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans are an excellent choice. The recipe is forgiving, easy to prepare, and adapts well to dietary preferences.

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating to share how it turned out.

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Cuban Black Beans in brown bowl

Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans

Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans are mostly authentic and so delicious. These flavorful pressure-cooker beans are excellent as a side or over rice for a main.
Prep: 12 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Natural Pressure Release: 30 mins
Total: 1 hr 17 mins
Servings: 8 – 10

Ingredients

  • 1 lb black beans, unsoaked, rinsed
  • 1 large yellow onion, whole
  • 2 jalapeños, deseeded
  • 8 cloves garlic, left whole
  • 2 bell peppers (1 green and 1 red), tops removed and seeds shaken out, left whole
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3–4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth (depending on desired consistency)

To Finish

  • 2 tsp kosher salt (or more to taste)
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/3 cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. Prepare the vegetables: Peel the onion but leave it whole. Halve the jalapeños and remove seeds. Peel the garlic and keep the cloves whole. Remove tops and seeds from the bell peppers and leave them uncut.
  2. Add the beans, whole onion, jalapeños, garlic, bell peppers, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and 3–4 cups broth to the Instant Pot liner. Ensure the beans are submerged.
  3. Close the lid and set the steam release to Sealing.
  4. Select Pressure Cook/Manual on High Pressure and set the time to 25 minutes. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
  5. When the cooking cycle ends, turn the pot off and let it sit undisturbed for 15 minutes (natural release). Then carefully move the steam release to Venting to release remaining pressure.
  6. When the lid can be opened and the float valve has dropped, open the lid. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
  7. Spoon out the onion, jalapeños, garlic, and bell peppers and transfer them to a blender along with about 1/4 cup of beans and 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
  8. Blend until smooth, then stir the purée back into the pot.
  9. Add the salt, sugar, and olive oil and stir to combine.

Bring to Pressure Again

  1. Close the lid, set the steam release to Sealing, and pressure cook on High for 10 minutes. After cooking, allow a 10-minute natural release, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
  2. Serve hot over rice or on its own.

Notes

Use 3–4 cups of broth depending on how soupy you prefer your beans.

Nutrition

Calories: 311 kcal (approximate)

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: Cuban