Instant Pot Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

5 from 17 votes

Instant Pot Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

Instant Pot chickpeas are tender, creamy, pressure cooker chickpeas ready in about an hour, soaked or not. So many great uses!

Prep Time5

Pressure cook time40

Total Time1

Course: Ingredient, Meal Prep

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: cups

Calories: 124kcal

Author: Traci

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound Dried Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) 2 ½ cups, sorted and rinsed
6 cups Water
½ teaspoon Salt optional

Instructions

Place CHICKPEAS (dried or soaked), WATER, and (optional) SALT in the Instant Pot.
Note: If using soaked chickpeas, add only enough water to cover them.
Close the lid and set the valve to the Sealing position.
Select Manual or Pressure Cook (High) and set the timer to 45 minutes for DRIED CHICKPEAS or 20 minutes for SOAKED CHICKPEAS.
When the cycle ends, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining steam.
Open the lid and check the texture (al dente, tender with some chew, soft with skins on, or very soft with skins falling off). I prefer the latter for hummus.
If the chickpeas are not at your preferred softness, add water as needed to keep them covered, then repeat the pressure cook process in 5-minute increments, allowing a natural pressure release each time, until they reach your desired texture.
Cool chickpeas completely, then refrigerate with or without the cooking liquid in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 30 days (longer if vacuum-sealed).

Video

Notes

Bean age matters: Older chickpeas take longer to cook, so you may need to repeat step 6 a few times. That’s normal, just continue the process until they’re tender.

Salt control: When you cook chickpeas from scratch, you control the salt. Add it at the start for flavor throughout, or skip it and season later based on how you plan to use them in other recipes.

Save the juice: Save the cooking liquid (aquafaba) for soups or plant-based recipes.

Freezing tip: Freeze chickpeas in portions with a bit of their cooking liquid to keep them from drying out.

Nutrition