•Phenolic compounds concentrate in the seedcoat rather than seed.•Catechin, rutin and quercetin-3-glucoside found in highest abundance.•Seedcoat also shows acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity.•PCA showed correlation of AChE inhibition with different phenolics. Adzuki bean is a minor pulse crop in Australia, but there is potential to expand its production if it can be established as a high-value crop. This study profiled the phenolics in the seed and seedcoat material of nine Australian adzuki bean genotypes using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The most abundant phenolic compounds were catechin, rutin and quercetin-3-glucoside. The total phenolic content of the seedcoat (2714–3764 mg gallic acid equivalents GAE/100 g) was much higher than that of the seed material (60–286 mg GAE/100 g). The seedcoat material also showed moderate anti-acetylcholinesterase activity, which may provide potential anti-Alzheimer benefits. This may support the use of adzuki bean material – particularly the seedcoat – in the functional food market.