Want to know how to cook chickpeas in an instant pot? This guide has everything you need to know about making Instant Pot chickpeas. Plus, soaking is optional!
Instant Pot Chickpeas
Has anyone out there ever wanted to get into meal prepping, but just can’t seem to find the time to commit to a whole day of cooking? Because same.
Instead of going all out with a big meal prep menu of completed meals, I love to set myself up for the week ahead by preparing a few staple ingredients to have on hand when I’m in a pinch that I can easy turn into a meal. A batch of grains, sliced veggies, some rinsed salad greens, and a pot of cooked beans will work hard for you all week long.
Now I know what you’re thinking – dried beans? Really? Yes, really! They don’t have to be tedious to make and they are such an affordable, powerhouse source of fiber and plant-protein. I love making a batch of dried chickpeas on a Sunday to use in meals all throughout the week. They’re a great, simple addition to salads and bowls, or you could easily blend them up with some lemon, garlic, tahini and olive oil to make a batch of hummus!
If you’re anything like me, any recipe that requires soaking oftentimes get the side-eye. It’s definitely way harder than it sounds to remember to soak ingredients overnight and I always forget to do it. Well, good news! Soaking is optional for these Instant Pot chickpeas! So grab your pressure cooker and let’s kick off the week with garbanzo beeeeans!
How to Cook Chickpeas in an Instant Pot
As an option, you’ll start this recipe the night before by soaking your chickpeas. Soaking will cut a considerable amount of cook time off of this recipe, so if you can remember the night before, I highly recommend covering your dried chickpeas with water and letting them sit out overnight. But if you forget, no sweat!
Next, whether you soaked them or not, you’ll rinse your chickpeas and add them to your Instant Pot or pressure cooker and fill the pot with water, making sure the chickpeas are fully submerged. The general rule of thumb here is 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of chickpeas. To make 2 cups of cooked chickpeas, you’ll want 1 cup chickpeas and 2 cups water. If you’d like to make more, just scale the recipe up in volume according to the 2:1 ratio, and the cook time will remain the same.
Then seal up your Instant Pot, set it to high pressure and turn off the keep warm setting. If you soaked your chickpeas, you’ll set the cook time for 10-15 minutes. 10 minutes in the Instant Pot will give you a chickpea with a bit of bite to it, and 15 minutes will give you a buttery soft chickpea. If you did not soak your chickpeas, set the cook time to 40-45 minutes. Once the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for a full 20 minutes, then release any remaining steam, drain off any excess water and you’re ready to enjoy!
To store your chickpeas, pack them into an airtight container and pop the in the fridge. They’ll keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. These are also freezer friendly! Place your chickpeas in a freezer safe container and they will store well for up a month.
Vegan Chickpea Recipes
I love making a batch of Instant Pot chickpeas at the beginning of the week for an easy meal prep idea that lends itself well to so many different meals. If you’re looking for delicious ways to use chickpeas throughout the week, here are some of my favorite vegan chickpea recipes!
- Vegan Chickpea Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
- Chickpea Pumpkin Coconut Curry
- Hawaiian Chickpea Burgers
- Chickpea Pancakes with Avocado Sauce
- Vegan Sweet and Sour Chickpeas
- Vegan Chicken Salad Sandwich
Instant Pot Chickpeas
Want to know how to cook chickpeas in an instant pot? This guide has everything you need to know about making Instant Pot chickpeas. Plus, soaking is optional!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 2 cups water (2:1 water to chickpeas)
Instructions
- Pour dried chickpeas into a colander and thoroughly rinse under running water
- Optional: Add rinsed chickpeas to a bowl and cover with water until the water rises a couple inches above the chickpeas. Allow the chickpeas to soak at room temperature overnight, or for about 8 hours.
- If you soaked your chickpeas, strain off the soaking liquid, then add the drained chickpeas to the pot of your pressure cooker. Pour in 2 parts fresh water for every 1 part of dried chickpeas (for 1 cup of dried chickpeas, you’ll use 2 cups of water). The water should fully submerge the chickpeas.
- Seal the lid on your pressure cooker and set to high pressure and turn off the keep warm function.
- For soaked chickpeas, set the cook time for 10 minutes, or up to 15 minutes if you prefer a softer chickpea. For unsoaked chickpeas, set the cook time for 40-45 minutes.
- Once the cook time is finished, allow for natural pressure release for 20 minutes.
- Release any remaining steam using the pressure valve and strain out any excess liquid.
