How to Cook Kidney Beans

overhead photo of kidney beans in a white bowl

Learn how to cook kidney beans from scratch with this simple step-by-step tutorial. Covering three different ways to cook dried kidney beans, you'll end up with creamy, perfectly-cooked beans every time.

Course Beans

Cuisine American

Keyword dried kidney beans, kidney beans

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 5

Servings

Calories 155kcal

Author Katie Trant

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

1 cup dried kidney beans
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Instant Pot Kidney Beans

Check the beans for any stones or broken beans. Rinse well.
Add dried kidney beans, 3* cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt to your Instant Pot.
1 cup dried kidney beans, 4 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt
Set the Instant Pot to Manual / High Pressure for 42 minutes.
When the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Then, flip the vent to "releasing" and quick-release the remaining pressure.

Stovetop Kidney Beans

Check the beans for any stones or broken beans. Rinse well.
In a large pot, combine dried kidney beans, water, and salt.
1 cup dried kidney beans, 4 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt
Place the pot on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer with the lid off until the beans are tender - about 50-70 minutes.

Slow Cooker Kidney Beans

Check the beans for any stones or broken beans. Rinse well.
Combine dried kidney beans, water, and salt in a pot on your stovetop. Bring to a boil, and maintain a rolling boil for at least 10 minutes. This step is essential for ensuring kidney beans are safe to consume - do not skip it!
1 cup dried kidney beans, 4 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt
Transfer the kidney beans along with the cooking water to your slow cooker.
Slow cook the beans for 4 hours at high, 6 hours on low, or until the beans are tender.

Notes

Nutrition values are an estimate only, and are based on 1 cup of dried kidney beans serving four people.
*If you're cooking beans in the Instant Pot, you can reduce the water to 3 cups.
This recipe can easily be scaled up or down depending on what quantity of beans you want to cook.
If you're cooking kidney beans in a slow cooker you MUST boil them on the stove top first for a minimum of 10 minutes in order to ensure they are safe to consume. Do not skip this step!

Nutrition