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. 2I’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.
Pressure Cooker Chickpeas recipe – a basic technique for pressure cooker chickpeas. Use them right away, or save for later in the freezer.
Ingredients
Scale
1 pound dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
6 cups water
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 small onion or 2 cloves of garlic, peeled (optional, but recommended for flavor)
1 bay leaf (again, optional, but adds flavor)
Instructions
Sort, rinse, and cook the chickpeas: Sort the chickpeas, removing any stones or dirt clods you find. Rinse the chickpeas, then put them in the pressure cooker. Add the water, onion and/or garlic, and bay leaf. Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 45 minutes in an electric PC, or 40 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes, then quick release the rest of the pressure. Check a couple of chickpeas for doneness, then use the beans (and their liquid).
Notes
Use or save the chickpeas: Save the beans for later by refrigerating for up to a week, or freezing in the bean liquid for up to six months. (I like to have a couple of 2 cup containers of beans and liquid in my freezer at all times.)
Category:Basic Technique
Method:Pressure Cooker
Cuisine:American
Sorting chickpeas
Rinsing chickpeas
Ready to lock the lid
Notes: *I confess – I still keep a can or two of chickpeas in the pantry. But I’ve been using them less and less. This recipe makes four two cup servings.
That is, four servings, each two cups in size. Is there a better way to say that? It sounds awkward. Anyhow…I use one serving, and freeze the other three for use later. When it’s time to use them, I thaw them out in the microwave, and continue as before.
*If a recipe calls for drained chickpeas, I save the liquid, and substitute it for the liquid in the recipe. As I said in the opening, that’s one of the advantages of making your own beans – the liquid is an ingredient that is just as useful as the beans themselves.
Self portrait: “Reflections in a Pressure Cooker Lid”
Adapted from: Lorna Sass’s various pressure cooking cookbooks. For beans, I like her Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure. It has a handy chart on the inside covers for timings for all different types of beans, soaked and unsoaked.
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I cooked 1lb 6 oz garbanzo beans in filtered water to the 10 C mark in my instant pot. I think it’s a 6 quart duo. I added 3 cloves of garlic, smashed, 2 bay leaves, a teaspoon dried onion and 2 teaspoons of salt. (America’s Test Kitchen taught me to add salt to beans)
Set it on beans /soup for 40 minutes and went to the eye doctor. When I got home I had the best beans ever! Perfectly tender but not mushy. Some went into my shrimp pasta dish and the rest are in the fridge, waiting to become hummus, roasted chickpeas or just gobbled up by granddaughter!
Thank you for cooking, Dad!
On an electric pressure cooker, does the 40 minutes include the time it takes for the pressure to build. I have a Power Pressure Cooker XL, and the timer only goes to 30 minutes.
But…If you soak the beans in water for 8 hours (or overnight) before cooking, and drain them, the cooking time cuts to about 20 minutes under pressure. Try that?
Hey Lynda K. I have a Power XL too. Select the Chicken/meat setting, then select Medium cook time, then also use the time adjust button to bring the time up to 40 minutes.
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!!!
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.
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 ™. 8 qt fagor w/steamer basket.
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. — Sent from Mailbox for iPhone
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!
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
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. 🙂
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.
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!
I cooked 1lb 6 oz garbanzo beans in filtered water to the 10 C mark in my instant pot. I think it’s a 6 quart duo. I added 3 cloves of garlic, smashed, 2 bay leaves, a teaspoon dried onion and 2 teaspoons of salt. (America’s Test Kitchen taught me to add salt to beans)
Set it on beans /soup for 40 minutes and went to the eye doctor. When I got home I had the best beans ever! Perfectly tender but not mushy. Some went into my shrimp pasta dish and the rest are in the fridge, waiting to become hummus, roasted chickpeas or just gobbled up by granddaughter!
Thank you for cooking, Dad!
★★★★
Approximately how many cups is 1 lb of garbanzo beans?
About 2.5 cups
These are delicious and I am happy to have found them again!!
On an electric pressure cooker, does the 40 minutes include the time it takes for the pressure to build. I have a Power Pressure Cooker XL, and the timer only goes to 30 minutes.
No, sorry, that’s the time spent cooking at high pressure.
But…If you soak the beans in water for 8 hours (or overnight) before cooking, and drain them, the cooking time cuts to about 20 minutes under pressure. Try that?
I tried the pressure cooker at 30 minutes, natural release, and they were great. Maybe it’s the brand?
Hey Lynda K. I have a Power XL too. Select the Chicken/meat setting, then select Medium cook time, then also use the time adjust button to bring the time up to 40 minutes.
Just cooking a batch now.
★★★★
How many pounds pressure?
High pressure is typically 15 PSI in a stovetop pressure cooker and 12 PSI in an electric pressure cooker.
Hi!
I have a question, there is no need to presoak the chickpeas?
No – they cook fine without pre soaking.
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!!!
You’re welcome!
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.
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
The steaming idea is interesting. I might have to try that. Thanks Dad Cooks Dinner for your great info on using pressure cookers!
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 ™. 8 qt fagor w/steamer basket.
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.
—
Sent from Mailbox for iPhone
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!
I double the amount in the recipe…
How much water do you use when making two pounds of dried chickpeas?
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
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. 🙂
@Zelda:
I’m lost. I don’t mention baking powder or baking soda in this recipe…
Baking powder and baking soda are not the same. All other sources advise soda. Why do you advise powder?
@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.
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!