How to Cook Chickpeas in an Instant Pot

Chickpeas can easily be cooked in an Instant Pot in a fraction of the time. Cooking your chickpeas is also so much more affordable than buying canned chickpeas. Learn how to cook chickpeas in an Instant Pot below!

I bought an Instant Pot a few months ago and it’s been a complete game-changer for me. If you follow me on Instagram Stories, you probably saw how excited I was about it when I first started using it – I shared a good 20 Stories about various cooking adventures with it.

Over the last few months, I’ve completely stopped using the Indian pressure cooker my mom gave me back when I headed for grad school (which was a very long time ago) and now only use the Instant Pot. You can read more about why I got an Instant Pot in my Instant Pot Lentil Soup post (I go into plenty of detail there, for anyone considering buying one).

How to Cook Chickpeas in an Instant Pot?

So how easy is it to cook chickpeas in an Instant Pot? Literally 3 steps. All you need to do is:

1. soak your chickpeas overnight or for about 8 hours
2. rinse them in water
3. combine them with water and set the Instant Pot to cook for 15 minutes on the “pressure cooking” (on high) setting

Voila! And there you have it – cooked chickpeas. And if you don’t care to soak them (but I highly recommend it, keep reading), just go straight to step 3 but cook them for 30 minutes on the “pressure cooking” (on high) setting. Doesn’t get any easier, right? And unlike a traditional stovetop cooker pressure (if you’ve had the excitement of owning one), you don’t have to monitor the Instant Pot closely once you set it.

Wait, what about Canned Chickpeas?

I’d be the first to admit I’ve always loved the convenience of canned chickpeas. Usually costing around $1-$2 a can (depending on the brand you buy), all I need to do is open, rinse, drain, and pour — how easy it that? Of course, I’d opt for the BPA-free lining and organic cans of chickpeas. But ever since I got my Instant Pot, things have changed quite a bit. It’s so easy to cook my chickpeas – for a fraction of the time and half the cost.

One cup of dried chickpeas make about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas and take about 15 minutes in the Instant Pot (that doesn’t include the 10 minutes it takes to build up the pressure and another 10 minutes to release pressure) if you soak them or else 30 minutes if you decide to skip soaking.

I’ll make a cup on Sundays and then use the 3 cups it makes throughout the week in my bowls and other dishes. And personally, I think they taste so much better! Plus I don’t have to worry about preservatives, checking for BPA linings on the cans, and how long they’ve been sitting on the shelf. If you have an Instant Pot, then you have to try cooking chickpeas!

Why Soak your Chickpeas?

Since it’s so easy to take some dried chickpeas and soak them in water the night before, I always opt for soaking. Plus soaking your chickpeas is great for so many reasons. First of all, it reduces the amount of time it takes to cook the chickpeas. Next, it allows the chickpeas to “sprout”, making it easier to digest (aka less bloating and other digestion issues related to beans in general). I highly suggest soaking all beans before cooking them. Your tummy will thank you.

I hope you find this quick and easy “how to cook chickpeas in an Instant Pot” recipe useful. If you try making these, I’d love to hear what you think!  Just tag your photos to #realandvibrant on Instagram or tag me on Stories! There’s truly nothing that inspires me more than seeing you guys trying out the recipes I post.