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Forget soaking! Cook Dried Beans in only 2 hours...really! This last-minute meal prep hack makes the creamiest beans for dips, salads, and soups. Even readers say, "I'll never soak and cook dried beans the traditional way again".
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There is no soaking required for this oven-baked method. It's truly my favorite way to cook dried beans because it always produces the creamiest, dreamiest beans. I got the idea from an America's Test Kitchen lentil-cooking episode. They believe this method cooked them more gently than stove-top boiling, which helps retain their shape and texture. So, I tried it with ALL the beans and loved the results.
Ingredients needed to cook dried beans in the oven
- dried beans (garbanzos, pintos, or black beans)
- Kosher Salt
- water
- (optional) dried seasonings
How to cook dried beans without soaking
- Rinse dry beans and place in an oven-safe pot.
- Fill water to cover beans by two or three inches and add salt.
- Cover with a heavy lid and bake for 2 hours at 375°.
- Check for doneness with a taste-test; bake longer, in 30-minute increments, if needed.
- When beans are done, you can either drain them, or store them in the liquid. I prefer the latter. Allow them to cool down and store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
How to use cooked beans for recipes
white beans (Great Northern or cannellini) - Oh yes! I love to use these for my White Bean Dip or Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup. Both recipes are extremely popular here on the blog!
chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - I like to meal prep chickpeas using this method because it cooks them to the perfect texture for this authentic hummus recipe. Otherwise, once they're cooked, I drain them, and keep the juice (aquafaba) to use it for other things. I pack the chickpeas to use in recipes like Kale Chickpea Salad and Chickpea Salad Sandwich.
black beans - I love to turn these into my Loaded Black Bean Dip or Refried Black Beans or black bean soup.
pinto beans - I love to make a big pot of pintos using this method and eat them straight! I do like to add a tablespoon of dried oregano to them prior to cooking. I use them for when any of my Mexican recipes calls for beans.
Why you'll love this method
- no soaking required
- 5 minute prep
- hands-free - shove the pot in the oven and get stuff done.
- budget-friendly - dried beans are cheap as heck
- meal prep made easy - no planning required
- creamiest homemade beans for dayyyys
- use them in ALL the recipes that call for beans.
Does soaking beans reduce gas?
Some believe that soaking beans reduces gas. The jury has always been out on this one for me. Mainly, because I've never done a side-by-side test of soaked beans vs. non-soaked beans. Not gonna lie, probably won't do that test because measuring flatulence sounds...tedious
Do all beans cook in the same amount of time?
Not all beans are alike, so you have to experiment and adjust cooking times accordingly. 2 hours is generally adequate for this method, but the bean cooking time will completely depend on the type of bean and how old the beans are.
📖 Recipe
How to Cook Dried Beans in 2 Hours (without soaking)
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Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Dried Beans (white beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans, red beans, etc), same as 2 cups dried beans
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 7 cups Water
- (optional) Seasonings, use any seasonings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and center the oven rack.
- Sort and rinse DRIED BEANS and place them in a dutch oven.
- Add WATER and (optional) SALT.
- Cover and bake for 2 hours minimum.
- Carefully remove the pot, stir the beans, and test beans for softness. If needed, continue baking in 15 or 30-minute intervals until desired consistency is reached.*Final cook time depends on the age of the dried bean, so it can take longer than the stated time.
- Serve beans with the juice, or drain.
Serving and Storage Instructions
- Store cooked beans in an airtight container up to five days in the refrigerator or freeze up to 3 months (or longer, if vacuum sealed).
Equipment
- baking sheet for sorting dried beans
- 4.5-quart dutch oven or heavy soup pot
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
No. You can cook dried beans in 2 hours using the oven-baked method. (see recipe above)
It depends on the cooking method. It takes two hours using the oven-baked method. It takes about an hour in the instant pot. Unsoaked beans can require 6-8 hours in the slow cooker.
You will know when beans are cooked by their texture. They should be softened to the point that they are pleasant to bite into. The skins may fall off certain beans, like pintos and garbanzos. Ultimately, beans are cooked when they are softened to your personal preference.
menkens says
Decided to try this approach for my New Year's black-eyed peas which worked pretty well with a couple of changes since using ham hocks for seasoning -- put ham hocks & water in container for baking and simmer until meat starts coming off the bone; remove ham hocks and trim off the "fatty" part and cut off most of the meat then return everything to pot except "fatty" part; and I used 1 pound of black-eyed peas. Baked at 325 for ~1 hour, checked & stirred and baked another hour after adding more water. Also, added my favorite seasoning and dried onions in the beginning. The black-eyed peas are still a bit firm; not mushy -- so might cook a bit more but we like them this way. Happy New Year's and thanks for teaching me a new way to cook dried beans!
Traci says
Apologies for my delayed response. I'm surprised these took that long to bake in the oven, but it is a nice hands-free way of cooking them. Glad you enjoyed and thanks for sharing your experience! Cheers!
DJ says
Worked great for my white beans. Easier than the sites that tell you that you have to stir, and definitely easier than pre-soaking!
Traci says
Lol yeah this recipe is super hands-free which is why I love it so much and had to share it. Thanks for the feedback! So glad you're enjoying it!
Donna says
My dad and I make all our beans this way and only this way.
Traci says
Yay! I'm so glad to hear you both are enjoying it 🙂 Thanks for sharing your experience!
Susan says
Hi Traci, In one of your comment responses you said you use about 8 cups of water (for 2 cups of beans). But in the ingredient list it says 4 cups of water. Which amount should I use? Im excited to try this!!
Thank you!
Traci says
Hi Susan, I just edited the instructions to make this recipe easier. Instead of starting with 4 cups and adding water later, I'm finding that adding the full amount (7 cups water for 2 cups dried beans) is more effective. Hope that answers your question and let me know if I can help further. Enjoy!
Andrea says
Is there a way you can figure out if the beans in the store are old?
Traci says
The expiration date on the packaging is the best way to tell. If you transfer dried beans out of the packaging and into some other storage container, I recommend adding a date. Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂 Enjoy!
Eric Cummings says
Can you add a couple ham hocks using this method?
Traci says
Yes! Just add them to the pot at the beginning of the cook cycle. When the beans are done, remove and discard. If there's any meat on the ham hocks, you can add it to the beans. Let me know if you have more questions. Enjoy!!
Sophie says
Can you do this recipe without a dutch oven? I have a heavy ceramic baking dish thats about 4 inches deep and doesn't have a lid. I'm wondering if I can use this
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Sophie, I haven't tried that method. I think the absence of the lid might change the cooking time and/or outcome, but I can't say to what degree. Aluminum foil might work. Let me know if you give it a go 🙂
Marlaena says
My beans come out perfectly, everytime. Ham hock, beans and cornbread. Delish for the cooler weather!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad to hear it! Yes, bring on the cool weather comfort food. Thanks for taking the time to review...much appreciated!
Vivian says
Hello I absolutely loved this method of cooking beans. I will always cook my beans this way. Absolutely delicious.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy Vivian ... I'm sooo there with you! Glad you're enjoying this method and thanks for the feedback. Cheers!
sandy J says
You really want to soak your beans and grain. Do a search of phytic acid, and slower is better than fast food. People have gone full throttle on the fast food and there is a reason to soak.
The Kitchen Girl says
Sandy, thanks for the tip for those interested 🙂
Tom says
I forget what I was looking for when I happened across this gem you wrote... I actually have pinto beans and collard greens in the crock pot at this very moment, about halfway through an 8 hour cook (4 on high and 4 on low). I've been cooking dried beans without soaking for quite some time now, ever since I found out that (a) the flavor is better, and (b) it's less prep. But I've always slow cooked them - even when I did them in the oven. After reading your article, I'm going, "duh, why didn't I think of that..." Anyway, I'm looking forward to cooking them this way next time in my Lodge cast iron Dutch oven. Thanks for the tip!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Tom! I think you're going to love the outcome. This method makes THE BEST pinto beans! Your Lodge dutch oven will be great for this. Cheers and enjoy!
tuyet nguyen says
i cooked the pinto beans at 375 for 2 hrs, but the beans were still not thoroughly cooked; i had used cold water from the tap. was the water supposed to be brought up to a boil before placed in the oven?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Tuyet! No boiling was necessary, but I'm going to guess that your pintos may have sat on the shelf a little longer. This is very common. The recipe indicates that if the 2 hour time frame isn't enough, simply add a little more water to the beans, cover, and put back in the oven in 15-30 minute intervals until they're to your liking. Let me know if you have further questions 🙂
David says
I added 2 fingers' worth of water and after two hours the liquid was completely gone and the beans were browned and toasty.
I added a good 4 cups of water and put them back in he oven for another hour. The result was amazing. The beans were firm and with a lively mouthfeel - what Italians would call al dente - toasty, almost crunchy, and delicious. I tossed them with some newly pressed olive oil, salt, raw garlic, and Italian parsley, and the end product was like no beans I have ever had.
The beans I used were Italian-import cannellini.
The Kitchen Girl says
That sounds amazing, David! So glad this method worked with your special beans 🙂 Thanks for the mouth-watering recap!
Hugo says
Hi, if you double the amount of red beans, do you double the cooking time. Instead of 2 , 4 hours?
Thank you
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Hugo, I don't believe that will be necessary, but it might. The cooking time often comes down to the age of the beans. How I do it is I grab my oven mitts, pulle them out, and check them at the 2-hour mark. If they aren't soft enough, I add more water and back in the oven they go, with the lid on, until they reach that point. Hope that helps!
Riley says
Amazing! Made these beans twice and both times they were incredible. Best ever, I will never go back to stove top. I can attest to the differing times, both times I used the same type of bean, Pinto from the same maker, but from different bags on different days. One batch took 30 min. longer. Family loves them, thanks!
Traci Antonovich says
Riley, this makes my day! I feel the exact same way about this method and am glad you discovered them too 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. Happiest holidays to you!
David says
I'm currently fast-soaking a 2lb load of pintos. Will be going the conventional route and simmering via the stove top this time around. That said however, your oven baking technique sounds quite intriguing and not to mention times saving as it doesn't call for soaking... really like that part.
Looking forward to giving it a go!
David says
Me again...
On second thought, decided to go ahead and preheat the oven to 375 and just oven bake the fast-soaked beans mentioned previously, ones I just pulled off the stove. I'm figuring in about a 90 minute bake time; call it an experiment. Regardless, sure it'll turn out okay. Thanks again for the idea.
Traci Antonovich says
Haha nice! Apololgies for not responding sooner, but yes, that sounds like a good experiment. So many possibilities with this method. Hope you love it like we do. Cheers!
Traci Antonovich says
Yes! Hope you do and hope you love it!
Michelle says
Hello! I haven’t tried the method yet and I’m intrigued! I have a few questions as well... Will it change the cooking time to throw in some fresh garlic and a quartered onion to the pot? Will the excess steam damage the oven long term? I’m excited to try this recipe! Thank you!
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Michelle...cooking time doesn't need to be changed for produce add-ins. As for your other question...I've been doing this method for 5 years, about 5 times a year, and never had a problem 🙂 I hope that helps...and hope you love this method like we do!