Easy Instant Pot Chickpeas

Explore the versatility and convenience of instant pot chickpeas with our dual method guide, covering both soaked and dried approaches. Whether you've planned or need a quick solution, these simple methods are designed to make your meal preparation smoother.

Chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans are an integral part of a balanced plant-based diet, rich in protein, fiber, and essential nutrients. Often used in soups, salads, and the popular Middle Eastern dish hummus, they can be cooked to perfection with the help of an Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Pressure cooking eliminates the hassle and time commitment of traditional cooking methods, rendering garbanzo beans soft and delectably flavorful. Read on to discover how to transform these humble legumes into the star ingredient of your meals using your Instant Pot.

Also, with one pound of dried chickpeas, you get up to 4 cans of cooked beans.

Jump to:

• 🧾 Ingredients
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🔪 How to cook chickpeas in instant pot
• 👨🏻‍🍳 How long to cook soaked chickpeas and dried chickpeas
• 🫖 Using cooking liquid
• 🥢 How to serve
• 🥡 Storage
• 📚 More chickpea recipes
• 🎥 Video
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews and Comments

🧾 Ingredients

This instant pot chickpeas recipe is made with just a few staple ingredients:

• Dried chickpeas: Chickpeas are the primary ingredient in this recipe, known for their high protein and fiber content, which contribute to a balanced diet and promote satiety.
• Baking soda: Baking soda softens the chickpeas more quickly, improving the texture while reducing the cooking time in the Instant Pot.
• Garlic cloves: Garlic is added to impart a robust, aromatic flavor, enhancing the overall taste of the cooked chickpeas.
• Onion: Onion adds depth and a subtle sweetness to the chickpeas, complementing the other flavors well.
• Rosemary - or Thyme: These fresh herbs are used for their distinct, fragrant flavors; rosemary is piney and slightly bitter, while thyme is subtly sweet with a hint of mint, adding a layer of complexity to the dish.
• Bay leaf: Bay leaf is added for its unique, subtly sweet, and slightly floral flavor, adding to the depth of flavor in the chickpeas.
• Salt and Pepper: These are essential seasoning ingredients used to enhance and bring out chickpeas' natural flavors and other ingredients, making the dish more palatable.

Substitutions

• Onion: For those who cannot consume onions, try using a small amount of fennel bulb or celery for a different but equally savory flavor base. Both offer a unique taste, with fennel being slightly sweet and anise-like and celery offering a fresh, light flavor.
• Rosemary or Thyme: If these specific herbs are unavailable, you could substitute them with oregano or sage. Keep in mind that each herb has its distinct flavor profile, so the taste of your chickpeas will change slightly.

🍽 Equipment

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker: The Instant Pot is essential for this recipe as it significantly cuts down the cooking time of chickpeas, compared to traditional stovetop methods. This multi-functional cooker allows for even, high-pressure cooking, ensuring that the chickpeas are cooked uniformly and to the desired softness.
• Colander: A colander is necessary for draining the chickpeas after soaking (for the soaked method) and also after cooking. It ensures that excess water is removed, while its perforations make it easy to rinse the chickpeas thoroughly, removing any remaining skin or debris.

🔪 How to cook chickpeas in instant pot

Cooking chickpeas is super easy, and even more if you use a pressure cooker. First, rinse the dried beans to get rid of any stones or debris.

How to cook soaked chickpeas in instant pot

Soaking chickpeas reduces the pressure cook time. Adding baking soda renders more tender chickpeas but is not necessary.

Hint: serve your instant pot garbanzo beans with a drizzle of olive oil and smoked paprika.

How to cook dried chickpeas in instant pot (no soak method)

Follow the same steps as for soaked chickpeas while changing the cooking times. Cook garbanzo beans as per the table below.

👨🏻‍🍳 How long to cook soaked chickpeas and dried chickpeas

Chickpeas Texture	Use (chickpea recipes)	Soaked (8 hours)	Unsoaked chickpeas (Dried)
Firm cooked Chickpeas	For cooking: snacks, curries, roasting, and Air frying. Recipes: chickpea snack, crispy chickpea kale salad, chickpea curry	10 minutes	40 minutes
Tender but firm Chickpeas (like store-bought canned chickpeas)	To make burgers, salads, and bowls. Recipes: chickpea burger, vegan "tuna" salad, avocado chickpea salad, Buddha, or Poke Bowls.	12-13 minutes	50 minutes
Super creamy and soft Chickpeas	For Hummus and dips. Recipes: Avocado Dip, Roasted pepper, Pumpkin, and Lebanese Hummus.	15 minutes	60 minutes

*We used baking soda, which helps soften the chickpeas; if not using, add 2 minutes of cooking time for the soaked chickpeas and 5 minutes for the dried chickpeas.

**We use 1 cup of dried chickpeas (225 grams or 8 ounces); more requires augmenting times.

*** To make falafels, you don't need to cook chickpeas; you just need to soak them overnight.

🫖 Using cooking liquid

The cooking water from chickpeas, often referred to as "aquafaba," is a versatile ingredient with a range of uses:

1. Egg Substitute: Aquafaba can serve as an egg substitute in many recipes, particularly those that call for egg whites. It can be used to make vegan meringues, macarons, and other egg-free baked goods.
2. Thickener: It can be used as a thickening agent in soups, sauces, and gravies.
3. Emulsifier: Aquafaba can be used as an emulsifier in homemade vegan mayonnaise or aioli.
4. Binder: In recipes that call for a binder, such as veggie burgers or fritters, aquafaba can provide excellent binding properties.
5. Dairy-Free Whipped Cream: You can whip aquafaba just like egg whites to create a fluffy, vegan, dairy-free whipped cream.
6. Chickpea Soup: Use the cooking liquid as a base for a hearty chickpea soup or curry. This flavorful broth, combined with your cooked chickpeas and other vegetables or herbs of your choice, can create a comforting and nutritious meal.

Remember to store the liquid in the refrigerator if you're not using it right away, and it should last for about a week. You can also freeze it for future use.

Hint: if you plan to make sweet or baked goods, don't use herbs or salt, simply follow the directions without adding the seasonings.

🥢 How to serve

Use your cooked chickpeas for various recipes like chickpea coconut rice, dark chocolate hummus, and fennel soup with chickpeas.

🥡 Storage

Store-cooked chickpeas in the Fridge:

1. After the chickpeas have completely cooled, transfer them to an airtight container. You can store the chickpeas in their cooking liquid to keep them moist and flavorful.
2. Store the containers in the refrigerator. The chickpeas will keep for up to a week.

Reheating:

1. When you're ready to use the chickpeas, simply remove the desired amount from the fridge.
2. You can reheat them in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove, stirring occasionally until warmed through. Alternatively, you can microwave them in a microwave-safe dish, stirring every 30 seconds until heated evenly.

Freezing:

1. To freeze chickpeas, first, ensure they are thoroughly cooled.
2. Spread them out on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until solid. This will prevent them from clumping together.
3. Once frozen, transfer the chickpeas to airtight freezer bags or containers and return them to the freezer. They can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Reheating From Frozen:

1. You do not need to thaw frozen chickpeas before reheating. Simply remove the desired amount from the freezer.
2. You can reheat them directly in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove, stirring occasionally until heated through. If using a microwave, place them in a microwave-safe dish and reheat, stirring every 30 seconds until warmed evenly.

📚 More chickpea recipes

⭐ If you try this recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

🎥 Video

📋 Recipe