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This Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice recipe takes a New Orlean's staple and adapts it wonderfully for the instant pot! Sausage, ham, vegetables, and seasonings combined with dry, uncooked beans cook all in one pot, making this an EASY and healthy instant pot recipe!
I love adapting recipes for the instant pot! I've got dozens of easy instant pot recipes you can cook all in one pot, for dinner, like this Instant Pot Stroganoff, and Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya.
I have vowed to only share practical Instant Pot recipes with you. Ones that I actually make my family, are easier to make in the instant pot than the stove-top version, and taste good! This delicious recipe checks all the boxes, and I'm really excited to share it with you!
What I love about this Healthy Instant Pot Recipe:
- Packed with protein from andouille sausage, diced ham, and beans, giving this recipe about 34 grams of protein per serving!
- Fresh vegetables including onion, celery, bell peppers, and green onion.
- Packed with New Orleans flavor from cajun seasoning, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, and parsley.
How to make Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice, step-by-step:
1. Brown sausage. Using Instant Pot sauté mode, brown sausages in 1 tablespoon of oil, remove to a plate.
2. Sauté vegetables. Sauté garlic and onions, celery, bell pepper, and green onions.
3. Add beans and spices, including black pepper, Cajun seasoning, thyme, oregano, bay leaves., water and chicken broth.
4. Pressure cook. Set on MANUAL/HIGH Pressure for 55 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural release.
5. Puree some of the beans to thicken the mixture. Add salsa, parsley, sausages and diced ham.
6. Turn to Sauté for 15 minutes, or until desired thickness.
Serve with a scoop of white long-grain rice. Top with remaining chopped green onion, and top with hot sauce, if desired.
Important Tips for success:
- Adjust the cooking time as needed: given the various brand of instant pots, different elevations of users, etc., think of the cooking times I list as a starting point. If your beans aren't cooked all the way after the 55 minute pressure cook, simply add a few more minutes.
- Check out your Instant pot manual. This recipe was created and tested in my Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W . Cooking times and liquid requirements may vary for your particular instant pot manual so it's important to consult your manual to see the recommended cooking method for dry beans and adapt accordingly.
Dry Beans or Cooked Beans?
Dry Beans! The best part of this recipe is you don't have to cook the beans, soak the beans, or use canned beans. Simply purchase a pound of dry, uncooked beans at the grocery store and let the instant pot do the rest.
Other Variations:
- Substitute the meat. Chicken or bacon could be substituted for the sausage. Cook the chicken or bacon completely in step 2, remove to a plate. (Both will overcook and be dry if you leave them to cook in the instant pot).
- Substitute the beans. You can substitute other dry beans for this recipe (black beans, etc.) but do not substitute canned beans!
- Make it vegetarian. To make this a vegetarian instant pot recipe, omit the ham and sausage. You could also add more sautéed vegetables, if desired.
Make-ahead, Storing, and Freezing Instructions:
To store: Red beans and rice will stay good stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To make ahead: This recipe can be made ahead of time and kept on warm for up to 2 hours before serving or make it 1-3 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Serve with hot cooked rice.
To freeze: Allow the red beans and rice to cool completely and store in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on the stove top. Serve with hot cooked rice.
Don't miss my other easy Instant Pot Recipes! And if you love this, you might also love Dirty Rice, Borracho Beans, or Instant Pot Chicken and Rice.
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound andouille sausage, , sliced 1/2-inch thick (smoked sausage can also be used)
- 1 heaping cup diced ham
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, , minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, , finely diced
- 4 ribs celery, , finely diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, , chopped
- 1 bunch green onions, , chopped, divided
- 1 pound dried red beans, (preferably New Orleans Camelia brand)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cup salsa
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley, , chopped
- Cooked white long-grain rice, , for serving
- Hot sauce, , for serving
Instructions
- Rinse beans and remove any small dirt or withered beans. Set aside. (You do not need to soak them).
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Brown the sausages in 1 tablespoon of oil until browned on both sides. Remove to a plate.
- Add remaining oil to the pot, then add garlic and onions. Sauté over medium heat until onions become transparent. Add celery, bell pepper, and half of the green onions and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add red beans, black pepper, Cajun seasoning, thyme, oregano, bay leaves. Add water and chicken broth.
- Set on MANUAL/HIGH Pressure for 55 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural release.
- Remove bay leaves. Spoon 1 ½ cups of the mixture into a bowl, mash until smooth (or use a food processor) and stir back into the pot. Add salsa, parsley, sausages and diced ham.
- Simmer on SAUTE for 15 minutes, or until desired thickness.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Add up to 1 cup more water or broth if beans seem too thick.
- Serve over white long-grain rice. Top with remaining chopped green onion, and season with hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
Important Tips for success:
- Adjust the cooking time as needed: given the various brand of instant pots, different elevations of users, etc., think of the cooking times I list as a starting point. If your beans aren't cooked all the way after the 55 minute pressure cook, simply add a few more minutes.
- Check out your Instant pot manual. This recipe was created and tested in my Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W . Cooking times and liquid requirements may vary for your particular instant pot manual so it's important to consult your manual to see the recommended cooking method for dry beans and adapt accordingly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?!
RATE THIS RECIPE AND COMMENT BELOW! I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR EXPERIENCE.
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times. It is perfect each time. Family and friends love it and it has a better flavor than many places I have eaten in and around New Orleans. I adjust the spices based on who will be eating it and their tolerance for spice. It is better when I use small red beans rather than larger red kidney beans. I cook for 60 minutes and the beans are tender but not mushy. And, best of all, it tastes even better after a day (or two) in the fridge and it freezes well.
Best red beans and rice I ever made! My husband ate 3 servings and insisted we send the leftovers to our son and daughter-in-law so they could taste the magic.
To the people who say the cooking times were wrong or there was too much liquid, I suspect old beans. Or possibly slightly incorrect beans. I used perfectly fresh Goya red beans from Aldi and the proportions and cooking times were spot on.
I used hot salsa for a tiny bit more heat, other than that followed recipe exactly. Might add jalapenos next time. But don’t need to mess with perfection.
This was great! I added a chopped jalapeno for a little more heat, and I had already soaked my beans overnight before I found this. Definitely will make a bunch more. Thank you
This was very good! I’ve been on a mission to recreate the red beans and rice we had at a Cajun restaurant in East Texas, and my husband said this is the closest I’ve come so far. I didn’t use the ham because I didn’t have any, I cooked the beans for 60 minutes (but would do 65 or 70 next time, or soak them first), and I added Gumbo
File powder and salt at the end. I thought the salsa would be weird but it wasn’t, it just melted in and added flavor. Thanks!
Whoa! Beans are still hard after 55 minutes plus 15 for natural venting. Something isn’t right about this recipe! I think whoever posted this recipe meant presoaked beans.
Dave, 55 minutes is usually more than enough time for unsoaked kidney beans in a pressure cooker. Some possibilities to consider are older dryer beans and the temperature setting. Also, tomato products like salsa can prevent beans from softening so be sure to add tomato products after the initial cooking time.
I followed the recipe to the letter and used the brand recommended for the beans and I had the same issue. From the comments, it seems a lot of people did.
This is definitely a keeper! I substituted ultimate plant-based sausage links and Louisville vegan bacon bits. I only put four cups of vegetable broth in it. I happen to have some mashed potatoes so I just served it over that. Delicious thank you so much!
I love this recipe for red beans and rice. It was the best I have ever tasted.
Best overall recipe and results I’ve ever seen for Red Beans & Rice…including at restaurants.
can i put the uncooked rice in the pot with everything and cook it together?
No. Rice cooks in a different way and time as beans. If you just toss in dry rice to the recipe, it will soak up the liquid and turn to mush before the beans are done. I’m not confident it will also cause the dish to burn, but it’s a definite possibility.
No
Can you use vegetabe or beef broth instead of chicken? My friend is allergic to chicken.
Yes you can!