Instant Pot Chickpeas (No Soaking Required)
Cooking chickpeas in the instant pot is faster than stovetop and you don’t have to soak them overnight. Now you can enjoy chickpeas in your favorite Chickpea Salad or homemade Hummus without needing to plan a day ahead. I included instructions for cooking chickpeas to your desired doneness (i.e. slightly chewy for salads and very soft for hummus).
The Instant Pot has gained so much popularity in recent years because it shaves hours of cooking time from recipes that require slow cooking to tenderize like Instant Pot Beets (which is genius), Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, and of course instant Pot Chickpeas!
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Instant Pot Chickpeas Video Tutorial
Watch this quick video and learn how to cook chickpeas in the instant pot. This is such an easy method and the hardest part is peeling the skins – thankfully that’s optional!
Chickpeas in the Instant Pot is Genius!
Homecooked chickpeas are less expensive and taste so much better than canned. Making them in the instant pot is super fast and easy. You don’t even have to prep ahead since there is no soaking required and they come out tender, creamy, and buttery. A full batch is enough to make 2 batches of hummus so we use half and freeze the other half for another day (see make-ahead tips below).
How to Cook Chickpeas in the Instant Pot
The ingredients and process are simple. All you need is dried chickpeas or garbanzo beans, water, and salt.
- Rinse the chickpeas and pick out any debris or shriveled/bad chickpeas then drain.
- Add beans to the 6-quart Instant pot, add enough to cover the chickpeas by 1-inch of water and add salt.
- For slightly lightly chewy chickpeas (used for salad): Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes followed by a 10 minute natural pressure release.
- For soft and tender chickpeas (used for hummus): Pressure cook on high pressure for 50 minutes followed by a 15 minute natural pressure release.
Pro Tip: If your chickpeas aren’t soft enough, you can cover and pressure cook another 5 minutes followed by a manual pressure release.
Common Questions
You can pre-soak the night before. If you pre-soak the beans, they will cook much faster. You can cook on high pressure for just 15 minutes for firm chickpeas or 18 minutes for very creamy and tender chickpeas, followed by a quick pressure release.
Before cooking, discard any stones and discolored, shriveled, or grey chickpeas which indicates bad chickpeas.
Keep some of the liquid for storing the beans. You can also use it in hummus or soups to add more flavor.
Peeling is optional. For some recipes such as hummus, where a smoother texture is desirable, you can peel the chickpeas. Transfer drained chickpeas to a bowl of water and rub them between your hands then skim off the skins.
Chickpeas are the same thing as garbanzo beans and the terms are used interchangeably. They are a type of bean in the legume family.
How to Serve Chickpeas
These are our favorite ways to serve chickpeas, but as they have gained popularity in recent years, people have gotten really creative. I’d love to hear how you use Chickpeas with your cooking in the comments below.
- Chickpea Salad – topping your salads with cooked chickpeas adds great protein, wonderful nutty and buttery flavor, and a fun crunchy texture.
- Soups – add them to soups as you would other beans.
- Hummus – homemade hummus is so much better than store-bought and cooking the beans in the instant pot takes it to the next level.
Make-Ahead
Refrigerator Storage – Cool beans to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container with a little bit of cooking liquid and store for 3-5 days.
How to Freeze – Place cooled chickpeas along with some liquid in a freezer- safe zip bag, squeeze out all of the air and seal tightly. Freeze flat for quick thawing and store in the freezer for 2-3 months. Package in portions that you know you will use when thawed, for example, we freeze half of the batch for hummus.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner, or want to skip some cooking time like with Instant Pot Beets to add to your favorite Beet Salad, you will love these recipes:
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken and Gravy
- Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Instant Pot Ribs
- Chicken Chili in the Instant Pot
Instant Pot Chickpeas (No Soaking Required)
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried chickpeas, 2 cups
- 6 cups water
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Rinse and chickpeas and remove any debris then drain well.
- Transfer chickpeas to a 6-quart instant pot and add 6 cups water or enough to cover the chickpeas by 1-inch of water. Add 1 tsp salt.
- For slightly lightly chewy chickpeas (used for salad): Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes followed by a 10 minute natural pressure release.
- For Soft and Tender Chickpeas (used for hummus): Pressure cook on high pressure for 50 minutes followed by a 15 minute natural pressure release.*
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Great instructions for making chickpeas in the Instant Pot. Easy to follow with fantastic results. Enjoy your recipes.
Thank you, Matt! I’m glad to hear that.
Wow!!! I just made these tonight and they turned out perfectly. I used an 8 qt Instant pot and covered a package of chickpeas with an inch of water. I put it on high for 50 minutes and did a 15 minute release. They are literally perfect. Thanks for the easy and fast method for making chickpeas!
Hi Aimee! That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing.
The “salad” chickpea cooking instructions did not work.
I followed as instructed
2 cups dry chickpeas, 6 cups water, 45min pressure cook,10min natural release. They came out way too soft for salad. I believe 30min would have worked.
Hi Isabel, I wonder if you maybe used a different-size pressure cooker? Also, make sure if you are pre-soaking them that you cook for less time. Pre-soaking shortens the cooking time.
These are terrific. I make about a pot a week to have for salads and sides. Perfect. Have also cooked the recommended bit longer for hummus and used your recipe to rave reviews!! Thanks 👍
That’s great! I’m glad it was enjoyed.
Hi! Thanks for sharing. I love your recipes. Do you know if the process for beans would be the same?? Like black beans?
Hi ZL, from what I have researched, it’s best to cook black beans on the stovetop.
Nope. I live in the land of black beans & have cooked them in the traditional clay pot and in a stovetop pressure cooker. Hands down, the best black beans I ever made were in the Instant Pot.
Yes, absolutely best in instant pot. 58 years old raised on black beans.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
This is my go to recipe! So much easier then the crock pot and since they are so creamy, I portion them out and then mash them as I need them and mix with whatever I want.
Great to hear that, Richard. Thank you for the awesome feedback!
The liquid (called Aquafaba) from cooked chickpeas was discovered by a French chef to replace egg whites. It can be used as a binder in vegan recipes, in homemade Mayo, whipped and added to waffles, and even meringues/macaroons.
Wow, that’s some amazing culinary 411… Thanks for sharing!
How long do you have to cook them if you do not have an IP. or is this even an option to do without one. Thanks Natasha, love your recipe’s.
Hi Diane, I’ve only tried them using the IP. Let’s see if others can share in the comments if they’ve tried a different version.
How would you make roasted chicken peas for snacking using this recipe?
If not pressure cooking, you need to soak them for 8 or more hours, drain, rinse, the cover with water, bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 40-50 minutes.
If I wanted to cut this recipe in half, would I still need to use 6 cups of water or would I use 3 cups?
Hi Jennifer, the important thing is to “add enough to cover the chickpeas by 1-inch of water and add salt.”
This is a great post and thank you. You specifically specify a 6 quart IP but I only own an 8 quart IP. Is it still possible to make this recipe in the 8Q please?
Hi Christine, Although I haven’t tried it in an 8 quart, I bet it will work well! Ensure you meet the minimum liquid requirement and adjust the recipe accordingly.
Hi Natasha, love your recipes and wonderful videos, you always make me smile😊
I am seconding the request for a hummus recipe to go along with the instant pot chickpea recipe, please! And thank you😊
Thank you so much for that suggestion, Tammy!!
I can’t believe you haven’t posted a recipe for hummus. I did a search on your site and none came up. I love your recipes and would like to learn how you make your hummus.
Hello Laurie, that’s right. I don’t have a recipe for hummus yet but I’ll try to add this to our list. I’ll make sure to share it when I find an awesome recipe for it!
This instant pot chickpeas recipe is truly so GOOD! This method is so easy and we love using this instant pot method.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
This is now the only way I will make chickpeas from now on! They come out perfect every time, thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Donna!
This is fantastic! I love making homemade hummus, and it tasted WAY better after making chickpeas this way than using the canned ones. Thanks!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, April!
Wow! I will definitely make this. We enjoy this delicious, nutritious little marvel regularly; but alas they’re always canned or store bought. I can see myself making my own hummus.
Thanks for the great recipe!
It is so GOOD! I can’t wait for you to try it!
I like what I’ve read here about the chickpeas. About a month ago I made chickpea soup which turned out very well. I gave some of it to my neighbour (an excellent cook) to try and she said it was very good soup. She and her husband thoroughly enjoyed it. I’d never heard of chickpea soup but it worked out fine for me.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Eugene!
Hi Natasha,
I always cook my chickpeas in the instant pot when I want to make hummus but would do the overnight soak first. Glad to hear it is not needed and it cooks fine without the soak. Next time I will definitely try it this way. I am so grateful to have found and follow you because I love all your videos and recipes. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!😊❤
Yes, it’s a great way to cook them if you need them without having to pre-plan. I’m so glad you found that helpful. Thank you for the wonderful and encouraging feedback.
Recipe is great. Less expensive and better taste than canned.
👍😋
Thank you Judy! Yes, it’s much less expensive than canned and tastes so much better.