Instant Pot Chickpeas

Easy NO SOAK Instant Pot Chickpeas in less than an hour! Save time and money by making your own pressure cooker chickpeas at home, with better flavour and less salt than canned.

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If you’re someone who likes cooking dried beans from scratch but often forgets to soak them in advance, then the Instant Pot is a total game-changer in the bean cooking department. 

Today we’re taking a deep dive into Instant Pot Chickpeas, where I’ll let you in on everything I’ve learned about cooking garbanzo beans in an electric pressure cooker. 

Unlike my Spicy Instant Pot Black Beans, which come out totally seasoned and saucy and ready to serve, what we’re making today is what I like to call a “base bean”. That means that your perfectly cooked Instant Pot Chickpeas are going to be ready to be used an ingredient in pretty any chickpea recipe you can think of. You also may want to check out my post on How to Cook Mung Beans if you’re looking to switch things up in the bean department! 

I’ll talk you through different cooking times for a slightly firmer bean, like you’d want to use in a salad, or a softer bean if you’re aiming to make some creamy smooth hummus (like in these Roasted Cauliflower Hummus Bowls). If I’m cooking up a big batch of chickpeas that I’ll use in a few different recipes, I usually aim for a happy medium, so that’s totally fine too. 

What goes into Instant Pot Chickpeas?

Just two ingredients, my friends: 

• Dried chickpeas –> I used a full pound here.
• Water –> Yep, that’s it. 

Depending on what you’re using your cooked chickpeas for, you may or may not want to add some aromatics for a bit of flavour. You’ll see in the photo below that I’ve used half a yellow onion and a smashed clove of garlic, which I cooked together with the chickpeas and then fished out later. 

This is a great option if you’re using your chickpeas for savory recipes, but if you’re not sure, or if you know you’re going to be making something sweet like Chickpea Blondies or Dessert Hummus (it’s a thing), then definitely skip the garlic!

Equipment:

You’re going to need an Instant Pot or other kind of electric pressure cooker in order to make these Instant Pot Chickpeas. This is the model that I have (<– Amazon link) and the only model I have personally tested these instructions with.

No Instant Pot? Please refer to my (very ancient) general post about How to Cook Dried Beans for stove top or slow cooker instructions. 

How to make Instant Pot Chickpeas

Step 1: Start by giving your dried chickpeas a good rinse. Check for any stones and discard broken chickpeas. 

Step 2: Place the UNSOAKED dried chickpeas into the insert of your instant pot, along with any aromatics. I used half of a yellow onion, and a smashed clove of garlic.

Step 3: Pour cold water over top. The formula I use is one cup of water per every 100 grams of dried chickpeas. I used 500 grams of chickpeas (just over one pound) together with five cups of water. 

Step 4: Seal the lid on your Instant Pot and ensure the vent is flipped to “Sealing”.

Step 5: Set to Manual / High pressure for 40 minutes (for slightly firmer beans) or 45 minutes (for softer beans). Sometimes I aim for the middle and do 42 minutes. 

Step 6: After the pressure cooking cycle is complete, allow the chickpeas to naturally release for 15-20 minutes. At that point, flip the vent to “Venting” to release the remaining pressure. 

Step 7: Remove any aromatics you may have used, strain the beans, and enjoy!

Storing cooked chickpeas

If you cook up a big batch of chickpeas like I did (related: Batch Cooking for Beginners) you may want to divide them up for storage. 

Option 1: Storing cooked chickpeas in the fridge

To store your cooked chickpeas in the fridge, spoon them into any container that has a lid. I like these Weck Jars, but old jam jars, Ball jars, or even empty yogurt containers work fine as well. 

Personally, I like to store cooked chickpeas with a bit of the cooking liquid poured over top, as it prevents them from drying out. Your chickpeas will last for about 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Option 2: Freezing chickpeas

Can you freeze cooked beans? You bet you can! This is a great option for having cooked beans on hand and ready to use, fast. 

To freeze chickpeas, simply spoon them into freezer bags or other freezer-proof container. I love these resuable silicon bags for freezing cooked beans (and other things!). You can also use glass jars – just be sure you leave adequate space at the top for expansion.

I totally also freeze my cooked beans in empty yogurt containers when I’ve got them on hand. You do you. Your chickpeas will last 3-6 months in the freezer. 

Pro tip: freeze your chickpeas in commonly used portions so you don’t have to chip apart a block of frozen chickpeas. Many recipes call for 14-ounce cans, which are equivalent to about one and a half cups of cooked chickpeas. If you’re making a soup or stew, you can just toss the whole frozen block in at once.

If you’d prefer to have a bag of frozen loose chickpeas that you can reach in and grab a handful from, then start by flash freezing them in a single layer on a sheet pan, then transfer the frozen chickpeas to a freezer bag. 

There are some great tips on how to freeze pretty much anything on this post on How to Freeze Fresh Produce from Sustainable Cooks. 

Help! My beans are too firm!

The thing about cooking dried beans is that newer beans cook MUCH faster than old beans… but it’s hard to know what you’ve got. If you’ve had a bag kicking around the back of your cupboard since who knows when, it’s a pretty safe bet they’ll need extra time. 

My advice is to try different brands of dried beans (or buy bulk, where they tend to be fresher) and once you’ve got one you like you can use that as your benchmark. 

If you finish your cooking cycle and find that your beans are undercooked, you can pressure cook for an additional 3-5 minutes for softer beans. 

Ways to use cooked chickpeas

So, how do you put your cooked chickpeas to good use? I thought you’d never ask! 

Here are a few of my favourite vegetarian chickpea recipes:

Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry
Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup
Curried Cauliflower Chickpea Wraps
Olive Oil Braised Chickpeas
Chickpea Mason Jar Salads