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!
![A bowl of cajun red beans and white rice that was cooked in the Instant pot.](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Instant-Pot-Red-Beans-Rice-7.jpg)
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, Cajun Pasta, and Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya. Let me teach you how to use your instant pot!
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.
![Four process photos for making red beans and rice in the instant pot.](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Instant-Pot-Red-Beans-Rice-10.jpg)
5. Puree some of the beans to thicken the mixture. Add salsa, parsley, sausages and diced ham.
![An instant pot with red beans and rice mixture, chopped ham and sausage on top.](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Instant-Pot-Red-Beans-Rice-11.jpg)
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.
![Inside of an instant pot filled with red beans and rice with chopped green onion on top.](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Instant-Pot-Red-Beans-Rice-6.jpg)
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.
![Close up of a white bowl with red beans and rice topped with white rice and chopped green onion.](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Instant-Pot-Red-Beans-Rice-8.jpg)
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.
Recipe
![A bowl of cajun red beans and white rice that was cooked in the Instant pot.](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Instant-Pot-Red-Beans-Rice-7-500x500.jpg)
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
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I left out the salsa because it should never be in a Cajun recipe, but the rest of the ingredients looked correct. I added a smoked turkey leg because we don’t eat pork and chicken andouille. While it didn’t necessarily save much time, I didn’t want to heat my kitchen up by turning on the stove so having an instant pot recipe is great. I will try making a vegan version of this for times we aren’t eating meat, without the salsa of course.
Easy to make and is delicious! We make a double batch every time.
Hard beans? Old beans will rarely soften or take hours. Also, adding tomato products like salsa too early which are treated to not break down, will stop the beans from softening. As does too much salt, salt AFTER pressure cooking.
I used 4 cups LOW sodium chicken broth and 1 cup water and a 10oz can of spicy Rotel vs. the salsa. Everything worked fine. Was tasty and made everyone want more!
I grew up in South Louisiana (Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Bogalusa), and I can promise you nobody except NOBODY buts salsa in their red beans! Salsa is a Mexican condiment, for gosh sakes. Bless your little heart. I rate it two stars for the addition of Mexican flavors into a Cajun dish.
What salsa do you recommend for this recipe?
Leave the salsa out!!! Mexican flavors do not belong in a Cajun dish. Yes, Cajun dishes have some Spanish influences, but that is different from Mexican.
I saw your recipe. I had to make it. I have a instant pot mini. so I had to adjust a little 12 oz of sausage good 3 cups of liquid maybe 1/2 cup too much. I took off a cup of liquid and pureed some of the beans, I had to add 1/2 cup of reserve liq back. I used Johnsonville andouille sausage. I cooked 45min and added another 20 min very tasty. i will make it again and again I should be southern but forced to live North
While this can be made in an Instant Pot as described, it’s just so much extra work to do so. For the amount of time and effort, this would be easier in a stock pot on the stove. When I search for meals for the Instant Pot, I want them to be more like a one-pot meal and less like a marathon cooking session. It’s just too much work as designed. Also: it needs salt.
Sorry but I did not care for this recipe at all. The celery, peppers and onion were a little mushy for my taste. Ill try again but next time Im only cooking the beans.
The beans took closer to 70 minutes in my instant pot. I thought everything tasted great up until I added the salsa. I’m a south Louisiana girl and we have red beans almost every Monday. The salsa sounded strange but I enjoy trying new things. The beans tasted tangy and it overpowered the dish. Unfortunately, no one in my family enjoyed this recipe. I gave this 3 stars because I’ll cook it again without the salsa addition.
My instapot took an hour and a half to cook it. Taste wonderful but I didn’t use bell peppers and celery. I like it a little better in a slow cooker. I used beef polish sausage and loved it.
Just made this last night. I have agree with the person who said that the beans were still hard at 55 min + 15 delayed steam release. It took a total of 2 hours for the beans to cook and I used the small red beans, not kidney. And I didn’t add the tomatoes until after cooking. Usually plain unsoaked beans will be done cooking by 40 min in my instant pot, so this was weird. Flavor was good, though.
When you say cajun seasoning, You mean like slap ya mama right????
That’s perfect!
Native New Orleanian. Absolutely no salsa or tomato of any kind in authentic red beans. Everything else looks spot on, though!
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.
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!
Have not used my Instant pot for a few years. When I found your recipe I had to try my Pot.
Your recipe turned out great despite my ignorance using the Pot. Thanks
Great recipe! Very happy with the outcome, will definitely make it again . I used Camelia brand small red beans. Hint: an immersion blender also works for step 6.
This is my last internet recipe. It makes a wonderful red bean broth. I was suspicious of the amount of liquid so cut 2 cups out. My only deviation was to use a ham bone. There is no way that deviation made this as thin as it did. Flavor is there. Red bean consistency is not.
Next time, make a little roux to thicken it. That’s what we do in louisiana when we cook it on the stove top. You can add the roux at the end of cooking and let it simmer for an additional 10 min while stirring. Only reason not to start with the roux is I suspect you will have to deal with the burn notice.
Delicious! Amazing flavors. Takes a while to prepare but we really enjoyed it!
My first time making a recipe with dried beans in my instant pot. I was amazed how perfectly tender the beans were. This red beans recipe is absolutely amazing! Thank you Lauren for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
So amazing! Thank you for the delicious recipe! We used kielbasa and smoked bacon. Yum!
So good! I skipped the ham and the parsley but did everything else per the recipe. It is just spicy enough and very tasty. It was also so simple once all of the veggies were prepped. It makes a ton and tastes very clean. I’ll definitely make this again.
Made this for dinner tonight. I’m a Louisiana girl, and these red beans and rice were good enough for my dinner table! They were a hit! And the instant pot makes it so easy. Thanks, Lauren!
Delicious and easy. We actually had left over ham from the holidays in the freezer and it worked out perfectly. Definitely making this again.
I made this tonight for dinner using chicken chorizo and skipping the ham. It was soupier than I’d hoped but with the rice it turned out perfect. I did bump the time to 60 minutes to soften the beans a tick more. Tons of flavor and heat. I’ll definitely make it again, thank you!
I tried this recipe and it came out great! Thank you so much for it!
Thank you Lauren for this amazing recipe. Beans have always been one of my favorite foods, and the only thing I eat at Popeye’s chicken is the red beans and rice. This is by far the most amazing red beans recipe. I did leave out the ham because our holiday ham was brown sugar ham, too sweet. Otherwise, changed nothing. This is a new favorite.
Made this today using a smoked turkey sausage. Omitted the green pepper because I didn’t have it. I cooked the beans with a frozen smoked turkey wing during the pressure cook stage. Didn’t have parsley so I added about a 1/2 Tbsp of dried cilantro. Removed the skin and bones from the turkey wing and cut up the meat from the wings. Absolutely delicious. The salsa was a great addition I would not have considered in the past, but it added a ton of great flavor. Thank you!
Lauren – your instant pot red beans and rice recipe was delicious, but the cooking time was off by an order of magnitude. I ended up cooking them roughly double the amount of time you had in your recipe.
Very convenient compared to on the stove, and just a great recipe. Thank you for sharing
So amazingly good! I’d eat this even as just a soup every week.
SO GOOD and easy to throw together! Amazing flavor (I thought salsa was an interesting addition and it really worked well). Husband raved. I will definitely make this again and again. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
The flavors of this recipe are really good; however, it turned out way to soupy for me. I had to remove a lot of the liquid to thicken it up. Is the recipe correct that it is 3 cups of water and 3 cups of chicken stock? Seems like that might be too much liquid based on how mine turned out.
Haven’t made this yet but questioning why is salsa used in the recipe. Can you answer please Ms Laura, why salsa was added? Thank you
Salsa is added for flavor! Hope you enjoy.
This is an excellent Instant Pot recipe. I used pork sausage that I bought in Ville Platte, Louisiana and ham I smoked . I substituted tomato sauce for salsa. No other changes were made to the recipe.
This was excellent. I did not add ham due to keeping sodium down. Highly recommend trying this recipe!
Delicious and made as written, except for the ham! I made it for dinner and am having some right now for lunch. I might either use less water next time or let it simmer a bit to thicken more! Thank you!
Man was that good! Followed the recipe exact forgot the parsley though. Beans were so tender. I used my immersion blender to purée a little of it.
This is a GREAT recipe! The beans were just slightly undercooked at the recommended time so I pressurized it again for 5 more minutes and let it do another natural release and it was PERFECT. Great flavor and made my house smell amazing! Highly recommend this recipe.
10 outta 10. Literally no salt needed. This was devoured by my guys. I’m freezing some for a chilly evening supper. Awesome!
Made this for a Cajun seafood boil party I went to today. It turned out AMAZING. I did add a little bit more Cajun seasoning. I came home empty handed zero left overs. Was a great addition to the event and all my friends were happy with it.
This tasted great. I left out the ham and salsa for a more southern style, and I didn’t have celery. I added a dash of gumbo file, and didn’t measue my parsley, oregano, or thyme, so likely used twice the recipie’s measure. I didn’t want to thicken at the end, so it could have used 5 more min in the pressure cooker. Definitely making this again, and it’s a great recipie to adjust as you see fit.
My formative years were spent in southern Louisiana enjoying all the culinary delights the area had to offer – gumbo, jambalya, catfish, crawfish, etc. I moved away in my early adulthood and never had a cooking mentor, so I never learned how to cook the cuisine. I’ve now been living in the state of Maine for over 30 years and have been trying to duplicate the wonderful red beans and rice flavors of my youth. This recipe finally FINALLY nailed it for me. I’ve made this twice and have savored it twice. It brings me back home as soon as I take the first bite. Thank you, thank you, thank you for a terrific recipe! FYI – I omitted the ham in my 2nd batch (too much meat) and I substitute a can of good tomato sauce for the salsa. Good sausage is the key to this recipe – I love W.A. Beans kielbasa (made in Maine).
Made this tonight. Didnt have any bell pepper or celary or bay leaves or green onion or thyme. Still tasted great!
I doubled the recipe in an 8qt instapot. 2# of beans. Only used 3/4 cup of parsley. 3/4 tsp of ground thyme. 4 stalks of celery. 1 bundle of green onion. No ham. Like Kelly said above the liquid can probably be cut to 2/3. I didn’t puree any beans after it was cooked. I used a potato masher for a couple min and sauteed on low for about an hr after it was done. This thickened up nicely and may give consideration to keep the original recipe as is. The beans cooked down over the hr and reminded me of popeyes. Great list of ingredients, and can’t wait to let neighbors and friends try.
Also I did not use salsa.
Great base recipe for red beans in the Instant Pot! Made some adaptations since I’m from New Orleans and have been making the laborious version all my life.
Didn’t use the salsa or thyme. Only used about 2 cloves of garlic since I’ve noticed it has a tendency to overpower red beans. I soaked the beans all day and only used 4 cups of liquid. Still cooked for 55 min natural release and sautéed until thickened afterwards. Turned out perfect!
Thank you Kelly. I will use your authentic hints.
Love this recipe, I only make it once but it’s going to be the main course at a work weekend.
I’ve made this twice because it’s so good! I usually have all the ingredients but I did need to substitute old bay seasoning for the Cajun seasoning. This recipe is really forgiving if you want to leave out anything. I never thought I could make this dish but anyone can!
Beans were undercooked at 55 minutes (natural release) at my altitude (2874 feet). Cooked then for another 15 minutes with quick release and were fully cooked. Tasty!
How could this be adjusted if the beans have soaked? Shorten the cook time I presume but by how much? Or would it be better to just slow cook in crock pot? Thanks
Excellent and Easy! Its a keeper!
Love how easy this is. Made alterations based on supplies. Cooked chorizo and drained excess grease. Subbed 1tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp cayenne for Cajun seasoning. 8 oz of ketchup for salsa. Used 4cups chicken stock and 2 cups vegetable stock for the other 6 cups of fluids.
This is the second time in 2 weeks I have made it. Reheats well. Made both jasmine and basmati rice
Made it tonight and it was amazing! A little spicy, but just the right amount 🤩!
Made this for dinner and it was delicious! Will definitely be making this again soon.
I would suggest using 1-2 tsp tomato paste instead of salsa. I’m from the south and have never seen salsa as an ingredient in Creole food. I had to cook the beans for an additional 20 minutes under pressure to get the creamy texture I wanted, but this is a solid base recipe for using the IP to make red beans and rice.
I made it with the salsa and it made the beans have a bitter vs mellow NewOrleans red beans.
It is different. Not the worst but not what we wanted.
A good cajun seasoning with salt eliminates the need for the salt and spices and salsa.
The Camellia beans recipe is still my favorite.
Since it was not the flavor my family is used to I gave it one star.
Sorry but just overpowered with the spice mixture and salsa. Might depend in the brand of salsa and sausage.
Hi there!
This looks amazing!! I don’t have an instant pot so is there any tips for trying this in a crock pot?
Thanks so much!
I haven’t tested this recipe in a slow cooker yet, sorry!
Ian sure you can make this in a crock pot. Just soften your dried beans first.