Chickpeas are one of my pantry staples. I always keep some on hand, so I can make hummus as a quick appetizer. For years, those pantry chickpeas were in cans. Then I learned how easy it is to cook chickpeas in a pressure cooker.
But homemade chickpeas have a deeper flavor, and a creamier mouthfeel. And the bean cooking liquid is delicious - it adds another layer of flavor to any recipe you use it in. Try some homemade chickpeas; you will be surprised at how much better they taste. (I'm not against canned chickpeas. They work, if you're in a hurry. But if you have an hour, homemade chickpeas are so much better)
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No soaking, no fancy stuff, just a simple pot of garbanzo beans, cooked from dried in about an hour. And they make fantastic hummus!
🥫Ingredients
- Dried Chickpeas
- Onion
- Bay Leaf
See recipe card for quantities.
🥘 Substitutions
Chickpeas are also called Garbanzos in Spanish, or Ceci in Italian.
You can replace the onion with a couple of unpeeled cloves of garlic, or skip it altogether.
You can also skip the bay leaf if you don't have any. Beans, water, and a little salt are enough - but the onion and bay add a subtle extra flavor to the beans.
🛠 Equipment
A 6-quart pressure cooker. (Or larger - this recipe was originally cooked in my 10-quart stovetop pressure cooker, but I switched to full time Instant Pot use years ago.)
Pressure cooker dried beans are one of the reasons I became a pressure cooker convert. Try them - you’ll never go back to canned beans. (OK, maybe you will, for convenience - but see the Storage section for tips on make ahead freezer beans.)
📏Scaling
This recipe scales down easily - cut everything in half if you don’t need as many beans, or have a 3-quart pressure cooker. Scaling up runs into space issues; if you have an 8-quart pressure cooker, or larger, you can double this recipe, but it’s too much to fit in a 6-quart pressure cooker.
🤨 Soaking chickpeas?
I get the “to soak, or not to soak?” question all the the time. I don’t soak my chickpeas in this basic recipe. They don’t need an overnight soak, and cook to tenderness with 45 minutes at high pressure.
That doesn’t mean you can’t soak the beans. They turn out fine, though the bean broth isn’t quite as full bodied. Soaked beans cook much quicker, 20 minutes at high pressure. I use that when I’m cooking the beans with other ingredients, where the shorter cooking time keeps me from overcooking the whole dish just to get the beans tender.
Sorting Beans
Beans are an agricultural product, and stuff tends to creep in when they are processed. Beans should always be sorted and rinsed before using, to get rid of any twigs, stones, clumps of dirt, or broken beans.
To sort the beans, I pour them out on one side of a rimmed baking sheet (a half-sheet pan), to keep the beans from escaping. Then I slowly run my fingers through the pile of beans, pulling them towards me on the sheet. I watch the beans as they move, looking for anything that doesn't seem right. If I see something, I poke around in the beans until I find what caught my eye, and discard it. I repeat this a couple of times, until I'm satisfied everything is out of the beans.
Then I dump the beans into a fine mesh strainer and rinse them under cold running water, to wash off any dirt or dust still on the beans.
Now the beans are sorted, rinsed, and ready for soaking or cooking.
💡Tips and Tricks
- Salt your bean water! “Salt toughens beans” is a myth. Salting before cooking helps season the beans all the way through as they cook.
- If your beans are still tough when the cooking time is over, especially any “floaters” at the top of the pot, give the beans a stir, lock the lid, and pressure cook for another five minutes. Older beans take longer to cook, and if the beans have been sitting in the shelf at your store for a while, they may need extra time.
- Simmer to thicken: If you have the time, and want thicker bean liquid, simmer the beans for 20 minutes after pressure cooking. I set my Instant Pot to Sauté mode adjusted to low, set the timer to 20 minutes, and leave the lid off to let the broth evaporate.
Adapted From: Lorna Sass, Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure
Print
Pressure Cooker Chickpeas
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups cooked chickpeas 1x
Description
Pressure Cooker Chickpeas recipe - a basic technique for pressure cooker chickpeas. Use them right away, or save for later in the freezer.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 small onion
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Sort and rinse: Sort the chickpeas, removing any stones or dirt clods you find. Rinse the chickpeas, then put them in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker
- Pressure Cook for 45 minutes with a Natural Release: Add the water, onion, and bay leaf to the pot. Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 45 minutes in an electric PC, or for 40 minutes in a stovetop PC. (Use Manual or Pressure Cook mode in an Instant Pot). Let the pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes, then quick release the rest of the pressure.
- Serve: Remove the pressure cooker lid – open it away from you to protect yourself from the hot steam. Discard the onion and bay leaves. Serve the beans with their broth, drain them for use in other recipes, or freeze them in their broth in 2-cup containers for up to 6 months.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Basic Technique
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
☃️ Storage
A 2-cup container of cooked chickpeas, with cooking liquid, replaces a 15-ounce can of beans from the grocery store. They’ll last in the refrigerator for a few days, and freeze for up to 6 months. I always make extra beans, and freeze the leftovers for use in other recipes. Freezer beans are ready to use with about 5 minutes in the microwave, and are so much better than canned.
🤝 Related Posts
Pressure Cooker Hummus
Sautéed Chickpeas
Instant Pot Smashed Chickpea and Scallion Salad
Pressure Cooker and Oven Roasted Chickpeas
Click here for my other pressure cooker recipes.
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Paola says
Hi!
I have a question, there is no need to presoak the chickpeas?
Mike V says
No - they cook fine without pre soaking.
Abby says
OMG thank you! I was getting so discouraged with my new pressure cooker as most things I tried did not taste very good. When I tried to cook plain beans... some were overcooked and some undercooked... and didn't taste very good. These are AWESOME! And if it's the only thing I cook in my pressure cooker, that's OK. OMG! I can't get over how GOOD these are!!!
Mike V says
You're welcome!
ThucLuong says
I was using a pressure cooker for many years.
I loved the pressure cooker and pressure cookers what helped me.
I have a blog to share the shopping experience as well as using a pressure cooker.
hope everyone has had for more helpful information.
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Laurel says
The steaming idea is interesting. I might have to try that. Thanks Dad Cooks Dinner for your great info on using pressure cookers!
Noah says
If the chickpeas are soaked in water for 8+ hours prior to cooking, they can be steamed instead of boiled in the pressure cooker. I steam the peas for 25 min. then dump them in the steaming water to sit for a few minutes. Perfect every time. Maximum flavor and creaminess. Try it, you'll like it (tm). 8 qt fagor w/steamer basket.
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
7 cups of water leaves me with just enough broth to cover the chickpeas. Maybe your chickpeas are dryer than mine?
Regardless, you can add more water if you want - 8 cups is fine, and I've seen as much as 4 quarts recommended. Soaking or brining the beans would also help...but I rarely plan ahead enough for that.
—
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Phil says
Hmm. I love your recipes, but this one I think misstates the water requirement. I put in 7cups with 1 pound of chickpeas, cooked for 40 mins and let pressure come down naturally, but was left with very little water. Chickpeas themselves are nice, with the right amount of chew (i.e. not mushy), but no broth to speak of. I noticed something similar when I did not brine some black beans I pressure cooked -- they took up ALL the water, and in fact burned out and didn't cook nearly enough.
Did you brine the chickpeas in this recipe?
PS **THANKS** for this site. Total pressure cooker bible for me!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
I double the amount in the recipe...
Aaron says
How much water do you use when making two pounds of dried chickpeas?
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Sorry they weren't soft for you. Sometimes, with older beans, it can take even longer to cook. If the beans are still tough after 40 minutes of cooking plus natural release, bring the pot back up to pressure for another five to ten minutes. Quick release the pressure and check them - they should be done at that point
Melvela007 says
Tried you recipe using my new Fagor pressure cooker for the first time. I made 1/2 your serving size as it was only for me and my husband. I made the mistake of adding salt, and didn't have any bay leafs on hand. I cooked the beans for 40 mins and let the pressure out naturally. Total time about 50 mins. I have to say they were pretty good, granted they tasted plain and weren't really soft but that's nothing some olive oil and salt can't fix. Can't wait to try it again with no salt and a bay leaf. 🙂
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@Zelda:
I'm lost. I don't mention baking powder or baking soda in this recipe...
Zelda says
Baking powder and baking soda are not the same. All other sources advise soda. Why do you advise powder?
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@Pam:
While I find it easiest to cook dried chickpeas in the pressure cooker, you don't have to...since I've read you have an aversion to gadgets. 🙂
You can cook them like you would any other bean, in a pot covered with water, at a slow simmer for (about) three hours or until tender.
I prefer the pressure cooker because it fits into my schedule - an hour to make beans is something I can just pull off after I come home from work; three hours for beans would have to wait until the weekend.
Pam Anderson says
I'm discovering the same thing about beans--that the dried soaked ones are more flavorful with a wonderfully chewy texture. I think it's time to reintroduce myself to my pressure cooker!