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    Home » Tutorials

    How to Cook Chickpeas in the Instant Pot

    Published: Jan 10, 2022 · Modified: May 14, 2022 by Emily

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Pressure cooking dried chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, in the Instant Pot is a quick and easy way to prepare this healthy legume. You'll be amazed at how much better fresh beans taste over canned!

    a bowl of cooked chickpeas next to an Instant Pot pressure cooker.
    Jump to:
    • 📋 Instructions
    • ✨Top Tips
    • 🤷To Soak or Not to Soak
    • 🥣 Storage
    • 👪 Serving size
    • 💪 Nutrition
    • 🥗 Uses
    • 🍽️ Equipment
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Chickpeas, also known as Garbonzo beans, are members of the bean family and packed with nutrition. They are often found in Indian and Middle Eastern recipes, such as curry, falafel and hummus. In the United States, they are often roasted until crunchy, making them a popular, healthy snack. They are also used in many soup and salad recipes and are used to make vegetarian burgers. It's also becoming popular for pasta to be made out of chickpea flour, instead of wheat flour. Check out our "Complete Guide to Cooking with Chickpeas" to learn more about chickpeas, their health benefits, and how to use them.

    Here in the United States, chickpeas can be bought at the grocery store in two different forms: canned or dried. Canned chickpeas are already soft and ready to use, but dried chickpeas need to be cooked before being added to a recipe. I have found that the quickest and easiest way to do this is in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

    Full disclosure, chickpeas are one of those foods I eat because they're healthy, not because they taste great. Sure, if you put enough seasonings on them they can taste good, but by themselves...they nasty! My entire life, however, I had only ever had canned chickpeas. Once I tried Instant Pot chickpeas, my mind (or rather stomach) was changed. Turns out freshly cooked chickpeas are 100% better tasting than canned ones. Do yourself a favor and try it out!

    📋 Instructions

    Optional Soaking: At least 6-8 hours before cooking, place the chickpeas in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for a maximum of 12 hours. When ready to use, drain water.

    Using a colander, rinse dried chickpeas with clean water and add to the bowl of the pressure cooker. Cover chickpeas with an inch of water. Add salt (if using), and stir. Place the lid on the Instant Pot.

    Cook on high pressure for 20 mins (soaked) or 40 minutes (unsoaked). Let natural pressure release for 15 minutes. Then vent any remaining pressure.

    Do a taste test to check your chickpeas for desired consistency. If you prefer softer, pressure cook for 5 more minutes and then do a quick pressure release.

    ✨Top Tips

    • It's a good idea to rinse the chickpeas before placing them into the Instant Pot. This removes any dust or debris that may have settled on the beans in storage.
    • Typically water is used to cook the beans, but broth could be substituted if you want to add a specific flavor. You could also add any type of seasonings in with the beans to create more flavor.
    • Sometimes people recommend adding in baking soda when cooking dry beans, with the hopes that they cook faster. We've tried this idea out and I would not recommend doing it. Yes, they cooked faster, but their flavor and texture was awful. You can read more about that experiement here.
    • The length of time it takes to soften the chickpeas to desired texture depends on personal preference. The times I have given are for chickpeas that are soft, but have a little bit of chew still to them. If you are planning on mashing your chickpeas, you'll probably want to cook them at least an additional 5 minutes to make them even softer. If you like your chickpeas chewy, you'll want to cook them for less time. Experiment a bit until you find the perfect time for you.

      Cook time also depends on if you have pre-soaked your beans or not. See section below for more info.

    🤷To Soak or Not to Soak

    One of the most common questions when it comes to cooking dried beans is whether or not beans need to be soaked before cooking. And honestly, the answer is complicated. From a taste and texture standpoint, I have found when cooking dried beans in the Instant Pot, soaking dry beans is not necessary. The final results are basically the same. (This is different than when cooking on the stove. Soaked dry beans turn out a lot better on the stove).

    The real benefit of pre-soaking beans comes down to cook time. Soaked beans cook significantly faster than unsoaked beans. There are different methods on how to soak. For example, some suggest soaking overnight in cold water, while others suggest a quick 1-hour soak in hot water. Once again, I have found that in the Instant Pot, either option results in a similar cook time.

    Honestly, the best soaking (or no-soaking) method is the one that works for your schedule. Perhaps it's easier for you to soak your beans all day while you are at work and then come and only have to cook them for a short amount of time. Maybe you have lots of time in the evening and always forget to do things in the morning (me!). You can easily toss the beans in the Instant Pot unsoaked. They will just take longer to cook. But trust me, either method will result in tasty chickpeas.

    I have a whole series of posts answering all your dried bean questions. You can find out all about soaking, salting, and various cooking methods. Check out "The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Dry Beans" to learn way too much info about preparing the perfect dried beans.

    🥣 Storage

    Cooked chickpeas should be stored in an air tight container and will last in the fridge for 4-5 days.

    Cooked chickpeas can also be easily frozen. It's a great idea to make a large batch and freeze portions so you can always have them ready to go.

    Make sure your cooked chickpeas are completely cool before transferring to a freezer-friendly container. (Making sure they are completely cool will help prevent freezer burn). Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

    👪 Serving size

    1 cup of dried chickpeas makes about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.

    There are about 1.5 cups of beans in a can of chickpeas.

    💪 Nutrition

    Garbanzo beans are a great source of plant-based protein! In a 1 cup serving, you're getting 11 grams of protein. They are also high in fiber and nutrients. Chickpeas are naturally gluten-free.

    They are high in healthy carbs, so they should not be part of a low-carb or keto diet.

    There are 269 calories in 1 cup of cooked chickpeas.

    For a full rundown of chickpeas' nutritional values, check out the USDA's website.

    🥗 Uses

    Here are some of my favorite recipes from around the web:

    Easy Chickpea Curry from A Couple Cooks

    Better than Store-Bought Hummus from Inspired Taste

    Chickpea Burger from Nora Cooks

    Chickpea Tikka Masala from Foodie with Family

    Crunchy Oven Roasted Chickpeas from Yay! for Food

    Mediterranean Chicken and Chickpeas Bowl from Iowa Girl Eats

    🍽️ Equipment

    Need a Pressure Cooker? There are a lot of great options out there, but the Instant Pot Ultra is my favorite. I love being able to make yogurt in it!

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying orders, at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting The Incredible Bulks.

    A bowl of cooked chickpeas on a blue and white towel. The words "instant pot chickpeas" are written on the bottom.

    📖 Recipe

    a bowl of cooked chickpeas are resting on top of a blue and white towel.

    Easy Instant Pot Chickpeas

    5 from 18 votes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 3 cups
    Calories: 269kcal
    Pressure cooking chickpeas is the quickest and easiest way to prepare this tasty legume.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup dried chickpeas
    • 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
    • water

    Instructions

    • Optional Soaking: At least 6-8 hours before cooking, place the chickpeas in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for a maximum of 12 hours. When ready to use, drain water.
    • Using a colander, rinse dried chickpeas with clean water and add to the bowl of the pressure cooker. Cover chickpeas with an inch of water. Add salt (if using*), and stir. Place the lid on the Instant Pot.
    • Cook on high pressure for 20 mins (soaked) or 40 minutes (unsoaked). Let natural pressure release for 15 minutes. Then vent any remaining pressure.
    • Do a taste test to check your chickpeas for desired consistency. If you prefer softer, cook for 5 more minutes and then do quick pressure release.
    • Drain chickpeas and use or store immediatley. Chickpeas will last in the fridge for 4-5 days, or can be frozen for months.
    Did you try this recipe?Please give it a star rating or leave a comment!

    Notes

    1 cup of dried beans makes about 3 cups of cooked beans. 
    There are about 1.5 cups of beans in a can of beans.  
    Presoaking beans allows them to cook faster and more evenly but is not necessary.
    *Adding salt drastically improves the taste of plain beans, and I would recommend using it if you are serving your chickpeas plain.  If you are planning on using your chickpeas in a recipe that already has a lot of seasonings, and you are looking to lower your salt intake, you can skip the salt.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Potassium: 477mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 0.9IU

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jeannie says

      January 20, 2022 at 6:28 pm

      5 stars
      dried chickpeas are better because they don't have additional sodium as compared to cans, this recipe is quick to follow.

      Reply
    2. Debra says

      January 20, 2022 at 6:38 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome...they came out perfectly and it was so easy to make the chickpeas in the instant pot...no more overflowing pot mess on my stovetop.

      Reply
    3. Amy says

      January 20, 2022 at 7:56 pm

      5 stars
      Can't believe I never thought to use the instant pot for this! This is a game changer!

      Reply
    4. kyleigh says

      January 20, 2022 at 7:59 pm

      5 stars
      wow this is so easy! what a game changer!

      Reply
    5. Bernice says

      January 21, 2022 at 10:02 am

      5 stars
      Who knew cooking chick peas in the instant pot was possible?! Such a time saver!

      Reply
    6. CD says

      January 21, 2022 at 11:19 am

      5 stars
      So easy!!

      Reply
    7. Sara says

      January 21, 2022 at 11:43 am

      5 stars
      This makes chickpeas perfectly every time!

      Reply
    8. Peggy says

      January 21, 2022 at 1:25 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! Thanks for this awesome recipe!

      Reply
    9. Serena says

      January 21, 2022 at 1:51 pm

      5 stars
      So simple!

      Reply

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    Hi! I'm Emily!

    I'm a mother of 4, trying to expand my kids' taste palate beyond buttered noodles. Shopping in the bulk section of the grocery store has helped us try new and healthy ingredients, and I hope to spread the bulk shopping love to you! Enjoy! 

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