How To Cook Red Beans And Rice In Instant Pot

Why Soak Red Beans Overnight

The main reason is that soaking prevents digestive discomfort. Neither you nor anyone else wants to pass wind after dinner! The soaking breaks down the sugars that some people have difficulty digesting.

Another reason for soaking is that more of the beans remain whole and in-tact and have a better texture if they are soaked first. Beans that are not soaked overnight may be more likely to split, have a less desirable appearance and a slightly different texture.

However, it is not necessary to soak the beans overnight. If you dont want to soak the beans, you will just pressure cook them a little longer.

What Type Of Sausage Should You Use

Traditional recipes use leftover ham or a ham bone. You may also see some recipes that call for andouille sausage. Andouille is a spicy Creole smoked sausage made using pork, garlic, pepper, onions, wine, and seasonings. Here in the South, its pretty easy to find Andouille in the refrigerated section next to other types of sausage. If you live in an area where Andouille is not easy to come by, substitute with regular smoked sausage instead.

What Ingredients Do I Need For Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice

This Red Beans and Rice recipe requires very few simple ingredients. I bet you have most of them, if not all of them, in your pantry right now. Below you will find the full list of everything you need.

Long-grain white rice: Youll need 2 cups of white rice. I use Jasmine rice but any long-grain white rice will do. You will need to rinse the rice.

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Canned Beans: In this recipe, I used dark red kidney beans. Youll need 2 cans of beans with the bean broth. Do not drain them. The broth will give the rice and beans a nice color and great flavor.

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Green Chiles: You will need two 4 oz. cans of diced green chiles. I usually buy the mild ones. You can also use diced jalapeños if youre feeling adventurous!

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Unsalted Chicken Broth: I almost always use unsalted chicken broth so I can control the amount of salt in my foods. I use this chicken broth most but will use others when its not available.

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Spices: Since this is a dump and start recipe, youll need some dried minced onion for it. The other spices youll need for these red beans and rice are salt, garlic powder, and cumin.

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Thats all youll need! All pretty basic ingredients that you likely have on hand already.

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How To Reheat Leftovers

This Red Beans and Rice Recipe cooks roughly 6 8 servings. So, you might end up with some leftovers depending on how hungry you are. hehe~

You can reheat the leftovers using the Pot-in-Pot Method: rice at the bottom, layer a steamer rack on top of the rice, then the red beans in an oven-safe container on top of the steamer rack pressure cook both the red beans and rice in the same Instant Pot!

Is Red Rice Healthier Than Brown Rice

They are both healthy and good for you. Brown rice is usually less expensive than red rice, so that can be a plus.

Red rice has almost 10 times more antioxidants than brown rice. But brown rice is also a good source of iron and zinc.

Id say they are both great to incorporate in your meals as much as possible.

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How To Make Rice And Beans In An Instant Pot

Making authentic-tasting Mexican rice and beans in the Instant Pot is so easy! Dont let all the buttons intimidate you. This recipe is a great beginner Instant Pot recipe. And if you find yourself unsure of anything check out our post called Is the Instant Pot Worth It, which is a complete beginners guide to the Instant Pot.

To make this easy Instant Pot beans and rice recipe, press the “saute” button and add the oil to the liner of the pot. Once the pot is hot add the chopped garlic cloves and onions. The garlic and onions will give the beans and rice a nice flavor base. Then, season them with salt and cumin and add the chipotle salsa. The chipotle salsa is key for the most authentic flavor. The chipotle adds smokiness and heat to the dish I really like. If you prefer things more on the mild side, feel free to substitute mild salsa instead.

Once you have added the salsa and the seasonings to your onions and garlic, give everything a stir. Then you can add your brown rice water. Last but not least add the diced tomato. Make sure you dont stir after you add the tomatoes. You want the tomatoes on top so they dont burn on the bottom. Then secure the lid and make sure the valve is sealed. Pressure cook for 20 mins.

If you prefer, you could use homemade black beans. We have a fabulous recipe that tells you everything you need to know about Instant Pot Dried Beans here.

Recipe Notes And Tips

• I love this with red kidney beans, but pinto, cannellini or black beans will all work well too.
• Naturally release the pressure rather than 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 dont 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 dont have smoked or Andouille sausage, you can use Kielbasa sausages.

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How To Make Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice

Once your beans are presoaked, you dont need to drain them. Just start adding the rest of your ingredients to the pot. Add one pound of sliced Andouille or smoked sausage, five cloves of minced garlic, three stalks of diced celery, one medium diced onion, one diced green bell pepper, two teaspoons of Cajun seasoning , one teaspoon hot sauce, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, 2 bay leaves, and one cup of chicken stock. Give everything a good stir.

Pressure Cooker Beans And Rice

OK, this healthy Instant Pot rice and beans recipe is a weeknight dinner saver! Its like Instant Pot black beans meet Instant Pot brown rice and cook together in one pot in 22 minutes. There is barely any chopping required and I will slap your hands if you soak the beans just like with Instant Pot baked beans, I repeat, you do not need to soak!

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Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice Recipe Ingredients

Basically, were going to use the same ingredients as the original Red Beans and Rice Recipe but with a shorter cooker time because of the instant pot. Yaay!

Although the list is quite long, you dont have to worry because everything is easily accessible, and you probably already have them in stock.

Cooking Times For Different Beans

If youre wondering how long does it take to cook beans in Instant Pot, refer to this easy cheat-sheet for cook times. For each type of bean, they were soaked overnight, cooked on High Pressure, then the Instant Pot was naturally released.

Keep in mind that while you will set your cook time to the amount noted, actual cooking will take longer since the pressure cooker takes about 10 minutesto reach pressure.

Cooking Note: Beans take longer to cook when cooked with acidic ingredients, like tomatoes, vinegar or lemon juice. For example, Chickpeas cooked in seasoned water are done in 15 minutes, but in a recipe like Chana masala, which contains tomato and other acidic ingredients, they take 45 minutes.

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More Instant Pot Recipes

Looking for more Instant Pot recipes, we have you covered, with easy recipes youll love!

• Instant Pot Pulled Pork This recipe is made with a Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce and is sweet and tangy and makes awesome pulled pork sandwiches or tacos for game day or a barbecue.
• Instant Pot Chili This thick, hearty Pressure Cooker Chili is super flavorful with its homemade chili seasoning!
• Instant Pot Chicken And Dumplings The most popular Instant Pot recipe on the blog, this Chicken and Dumplings is an easy one-pot comfort food meal that can be ready in 30 minutes!
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese A quick and easy, creamy and cheesy macaroni and cheese that can be on the table in about 15 minutes!

Serving And Storing Suggestions

I highly recommend storing your leftover red beans and rice separately because the cooked rice has a shorter storage life. To be safer, it is best to consume the rice within the day because it can spoil easily.

• Store Let the red beans and rice cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.
• Refrigerate You can store the leftover beans and rice in the fridge for up to a week.
• Freeze Or store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

TIP: You can make a big batch and just freeze them individually in small portions using freezer-safe resealable bags. Do this for easier thawing and reheating.

Reheating Leftover

• Stovetop On medium heat, reheat the leftover beans in a saucepan until heated through. Just add a splash of water or stock if it gets too dry.
• Microwave Just add a little amount of water or stock to the leftover beans and cover lightly. Set the microwave on medium power and reheat for a minute or more, or until warmed through. Dont forget to stir at 30 seconds intervals.

Tip: You can also reheat frozen beans directly, without thawing, so the beans wont get mushy.

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Can I Use Brown Rice

Technically you can use brown rice but the problem is brown rice takes a lot longer to cook than long-grain white rice. Im afraid if you use brown rice, the canned beans will fall apart because of the long cooking time. One option would be to cook the rice along with the remaining ingredients, leaving the beans out of the pot. Once the rice has completed its cook time, you can then open the pot and mix the beans in at that time. Allow the beans to warm for 5 minutes or so before serving.

Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice Recipe

For a few years I attended a weekly running group called RAW here in Austin. We would run 4-6 miles then meet up at a local spot and hang out for hours afterwards.

And every Tuesday night we did this one of the sweetest ladies at the spot made us a big batch of red beans and rice completely free of charge to the 50+ runners!

Since then our group has switched locations to something a little more central. And the thing I miss the most about that spot? That flavor-packed Cajun-style red beans and rice.

On one cold and dreary night here recently I found myself craving a big bowl of those beans.

And the craving needed to be cured somewhat immediately, so I knew the traditional soaking beans waiting forever method simply would not do.

Nope, I plopped it all into my Instant Pot and watched as the magic happened. In less than an hour I was sitting down a steaming bowl of cozy and comforting red beans and rice.

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Authentic Mexican Rice And Beans In The Instant Pot

Thinking you cant recreate the authentic slow-cooked taste of Mexican rice and beans in your pressure cooking? Well, my friends, think again. With this Instant Pot rice and beans recipe, you get that slow-cooked, simmered all day on the stove taste in a fraction of the time thanks to the Instant Pot Ultra. Using the Instant Pot and the right combination of ingredients you absolutely can get that authentic Mexican rice and beans flavor combination that youd enjoy at your local taqueria.

Which Pressure Cooker To Use

Youll need a 6- to 8-quart pressure cooker to make a batch of beans. I use a 6-quart Instant Pot, but you can follow this basic method for other electric pressure cookers and stovetop pressure cookers as well.

• Cannellini beans
• Chickpeas
• Red kidney beans, though I recommend boiling the beans for about 10 minutes first to break down the lectins.

Cooking time will vary based on the bean variety and the age of your beans. Check out the cooking time table in the recipe for specific times!

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Cooking Rice Using The Pip Method

Red beans and rice is traditionally served over white rice. Guess what were gonna cook the rice in the Instant Pot with the red beans and sausage, using something called the pot-in-pot, or PIP method. Were placing another bowl inside the Instant Pot to allow the rice to cook simultaneously, but separately.

This is where the 3-inch trivet comes in. Its high enough to keep the second bowl out of the food cooking below. But first, well need to create something that will allow us to easily and safely lift the trivet out of the pot once its done cooking. I do this by folding a length of aluminum foil into a 4.5-inch strip. Fold the aluminum foil strip under the trivet, leaving the sides sticking up. Place the trivet into the pot, over the red beans mixture. Set the oven safe bowl on top of the trivet.

Add your rice to the oven-safe bowl. Instant Pot recommends a water/rice ratio of 1:1. However, I find that when cooking rice using PIP, you actually need a little less. I use ¾ cup of water per one cup of rice. Season the rice with some salt to your taste.

Another benefit of PIP method is that the food cooking on top can withstand a longer cooking time because its not in direct contact with the heat. Dont worry even though were cooking the rice longer than the recommended time, it will still come out nice and fluffy.

What Beans Should I Buy

My recipe is for red beans so you can purchase any small red beans you prefer. If you want to make authentic Honduran red beans then I recommend getting Salvadorean or Central American Red Beans like these. You can find these beans in the international section of most supermarkets.

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Salvadorean Red Beans are slightly smaller and darker than the regular red beans. They are inexpensive as well and will allow you to make true Honduran dishes! I hope youll find them and give them a try.

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How To Make Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice 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 toSauté 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.

Add Cilantro And Stir

• Stir gently. Dont attack Instant Pot black beans and rice recipe with a wooden spoon at 100 miles per hour. Husbands are known for that. Stir gently.
• I see some liquid. My beans are dry. Dont panic, just stir. Stirring should take care of extra liquid. If beans or rice is a teeny weeny crunchy, close the lid and let sit for 10 minutes. It will get there.
• Dont forget to add a small bunch of finely chopped cilantro. It changes everything!

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Traditional Versus Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice

I wondered if the flavor of this Instant Pot red beans and rice would still be as good doing it that was in my original recipe. And you know what? It totally was!

It made me want to do cartwheels in my kitchen! And then I remembered that I am forty-one years old, and cartwheels might throw my back outLOL!

Ill settle for some virtual high fives from you, internet friends! I hope yall enjoy this Instant Pot red beans and rice.

How To Make Instant Pot Beans

• Rinse and sort your dried beansjust look over your dried beans to be sure there are no rocks that have snuck in!
• Place 1 pound dried beans with 8 cups water in your Instant Pot.
• Cook on high pressure for the directed time.
• Once cook time has released, let the pressure release naturally for at least 20 minutes before trying to do a quick release of pressure.
• Once beans have finished cooking, add in a splash of apple cider vinegar and salt. The salt flavors the beans, the vinegar helps make the beans easier to digest.
• I do like to store cooked beans in a bit of the cooking liquid to keep them moist and tender while they sit in the fridge, this is not necessary, but suggested.

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