It's never been quicker and easier to make red beans and rice thanks to the Instant Pot. Cooked from scratch, this sausage and bean stew is made with fresh veggies and is wonderfully seasoned for a tasty and fuss free family meal.
Brown the sausage. Add olive oil to the Instant Pot and when hot, add the sausage and brown, stirring frequently. When well-browned, transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
Sauté the vegetables. Add the onions to the grease in the Instant Pot, as well as salt, black pepper, thyme, oregano and Cajun seasoning. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the celery, bell pepper, and minced garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the beans and sausage. Add the beans and about 4 cups unsalted chicken stock or water to cover everything. Add dried basil and sage to the pot. Return the sausage to the Instant Pot and stir everything. Add bay leaves on top.
Pressure cook. Close the lid and seal the pressure cooker. Set on HIGH pressure for 35 minutes. In the meantime you can cook the rice.
Release the pressure. Allow the pressure cooker to release pressure naturally until all pressure is released, about 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid and test the beans for doneness. If the beans are underdone, return to high pressure for 3 minutes and repeat natural release as above.
Season the beans. Stir in the scallions, reserving some for garnish. Taste and season well with salt and hot sauce if needed.
Serve over rice. Serve hot with cooked white rice and the remaining green onions.
NOTES
I love this with red kidney beans, but pinto, cannellini, or black beans will all work well too.
Naturally release the pressure rather than a quick release. This will ensure that the beans are cooked through.
Taste before serving and add more salt to suit your tastes if needed. Hot sauce is also a great addition!
The best part of this Instant Pot beans and rice recipe is you don't have to soak the beans, cook the beans or use canned beans. Dry red beans cook quickly in the Instant Pot.
If you want to speed up the cooking time, you can use canned kidney beans though. Just adjust the cooking time to about 10 minutes. You will also need to reduce the chicken stock amount to only about 1.5 cups.
If you don't have smoked or Andouille sausage, you can use Kielbasa sausages.
NUTRITION
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
Amount Per Serving
Calories 501Calories from Fat 189
% Daily Value*
Fat 21g32%
Saturated Fat 6g30%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 10g
Cholesterol 48mg16%
Sodium 699mg29%
Potassium 1152mg33%
Carbohydrates 51g17%
Fiber 10g40%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 297IU6%
Vitamin C 18mg22%
Calcium 94mg9%
Iron 6mg33%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword easy rice and beans, Instant pot beans and rice, quick beans and rice recipe