Description
Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice – Classic red beans and rice made in a pressure cooker! This easy flavorful dinner tastes amazing. (The leftovers are even better!)
Note: It will take 12-14 min for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. (I’ve included that in the cook time)
Ingredients
Scale
FOR THE RED BEANS
- 1 lb. dry red kidney beans, rinsed & sorted*
- 12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth (or water)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4–1/2 cup minced cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
- salt & pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1 Tbsp. butter, ghee, or olive oil
TO SERVE:
- Cooked rice (I usually use white rice here)
- Sliced green onions (optional)
- Hot sauce, like Tabasco
Instructions
- Press SAUTE button on your Instant Pot. Drizzle in olive oil and add sausage.
- Cook sausage on SAUTE mode for 5-7 minutes, or until it’s browned on the outside.
- Remove sausage from Instant Pot and set aside.
- With the Instant Pot still on SAUTE mode, add onion, celery, and bell pepper to the Instant Pot.
- Cook 3-4 minutes to soften slightly, stirring up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add garlic and Cajun seasoning and stir to combine, cooking 1-2 minutes longer.
- Press CANCEL to stop SAUTE mode. Return sausage to the pot, and add rinsed/sorted red beans. Stir to combine veggies, sausage, and beans.
- Pour broth over the whole mixture, stirring a few times to work the broth into the beans mixture.
- Tuck bay leaves just under the surface of the broth.
- Cover with the lid and seal the lid securely.
- Double-check that the pressure valve is set to SEALING (not VENTING!).
- Press PRESSURE COOK (known as manual pressure) and set timer for 50 minutes.
- The mixture will take about 12-14 minutes to come to pressure, then will cook at high pressure for 50 minutes.
- After the 50 minute timer beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 20-25 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
- Carefully open the lid. Remove and discard bay leaves.
- Use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to mash some of the beans (this will thicken the beans). The goal is only to mash some of the beans, so work slowly, then stir so you know when you’ve reached your ideal thickness.
- Stir in fresh cilantro or parsley. Taste mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. If you’re using it, stir in butter, ghee, or additional olive oil and serve with rice, sliced green onions, and hot sauce, as desired.
Notes
*”Sorting” beans refers to removing any stones, pebbles, or misshapen, damaged beans.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: About 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American