Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice is an authentic New Orleans recipe made with red beans, andouille sausage and ham hock served over rice. Whether for a family dinner, a gathering with friends, or for Mardi Gras, this Instant Pot beans and rice recipe is a sure crowd-pleaser. A simple and easy recipe with phenomenal flavor!
Table of Contents
Introduction
Anyone who’s a fan of New Orleans cuisine would probably have Gumbo, Jambalaya, Etouffee and Red Beans and Rice at the top of their list. If you’re a fan of any of those recipes I think you’re going to love this Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice recipe.
Red beans and rice was originally introduced to New Orleans by Haitians who arrived in Louisiana in the late 1700s. In those days, not just in New Orleans, but all over America, Monday was set aside as laundry day because it took all day to do the laundry!
To feed a hungry household, a large pot of red beans would simmer on the stove all day while the washing was being attended to. The ham bone leftover from Sunday’s ham dinner would be added to the pot for extra flavor.
To this day in New Orleans, red beans and rice is a staple on home and restaurant menus any day of the week, but especially on Mondays.
So I’ve mentioned before on my Instant Pot Jambalaya post that I have this little Chez Helene House of Good Food cookbook in my possession which has authentic New Orleans recipes from a famous restaurant that has since closed down.
I cannot remember where, when, or how I got the recipe book! I’ve adapted this Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice recipe from that cookbook and I can honestly say it’s one of my all-time favorite recipes.
One of the things I changed from the original recipe is I omitted butter. The recipe calls for 1/2 stick of butter added after cooking – I think it’s really tasty without added butter. But if you want to add a small pat of butter over each serving, I promise not to tell!
This easy Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice recipe tastes as though you’ve cooked it for hours on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. The individual ingredients are nothing special or exotic, but put together they make such a simple yet flavorful and comforting one-pot dish.
It really does taste great the next day, so feel free to make ahead. I would even go so far as to recommend that you do. I’ve also included instructions for quick soaking dried beans in the Instant Pot if you don’t have the time to do pre-soaked beans.
Here are some other New Orleans, Cajun and Creole recipes you might like to try out!
– Instant Pot Gumbo
– Instant Pot Shrimp Etouffee
– Instant Pot Jambalaya
TIPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Quick-soaking Dried Beans
If you’re like me and you often forget to soak your beans overnight, have no fear! Use the Instant Pot Quick Soak method for dried beans and you’ll have the equivalent of soaked beans in about 30 minutes.
Ham Hock
Smoked ham hock or ham shank adds a delicious smoky flavor. It should be available in your grocery store meat case and is really worth seeking out. The original recipe from the cookbook also offers the option of using pickled pork, which I’ve never tried.
Sausage
Andouille (pronounced ‘ahn-doo-wee’) sausage is a spicy sausage. You can find it raw or smoked – you need to buy the smoked kind. If you can’t find smoked andouille sausage, substitute Spanish chorizo or Polish kielbasa.
Seasonings
You have a couple of choices for the spices: the recipe calls for cayenne pepper and salt. But you can substitute a Creole or Cajun seasoning for the cayenne and salt. I like to use Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. You could also omit the spice and serve hot sauce on the side.
Beans
The beans you use in this recipe are small red beans, preferably Camellia brand. These are different from red kidney beans. If you can’t find them in the dry beans aisle of your grocery store, try the Hispanic food section e.g. Goya small red beans. If you still can’t locate them, use red kidney beans. And no canned beans, please!
Towards the end, the instructions tell you to remove a small portion of the beans and mash them up. You also have the option of blending the beans in a blender. I have a set of mini blender bowls that I use. You can also use a mini food processor. The end result will be more creamy.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide, Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide, or Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice – Ingredients
- Red beans
- Broth
- Garlic
- Green onion
- Bay leaves
- Parsley
- Celery
- Ham hock
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Andouille sausage
- Cayenne pepper
- Black pepper
- Thyme
- Salt
- Oil
How to Make Red Beans and Rice in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Soak Beans
- Turn on Saute Mode
- Saute sausage
- Add vegetables
- Add spices
- Add beans and ham hock
- Pressure cook
- Natural pressure release
- Shred ham hock and mash beans
- Stir ham hock and beans back in
- Heat through
Soak the Beans
- Soak the red beans overnight or use the Instant Pot Quick Soak Beans Method.
Turn on ‘Saute’ Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute Sausage
- Once the inner pot has preheated, add oil to the inner pot and let it heat up.
- Saute andouille sausage until browned (about 5 to 8 minutes).
- If the sausage browns too quickly, deglaze as needed.
Add Vegetables
- Transfer sausage to a medium bowl using a slotted spoon, and set aside.
- Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic to the inner pot.
Add Spices
- Saute vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. The liquid released from the vegetables should be enough to deglaze the pan. If it’s not, add a few tablespoons of broth to deglaze.
- Add thyme, cayenne, salt, black pepper and stir to coat, about 30 seconds.
- Add 1/4 cup of broth to deglaze, scraping up all brown bits.
Add Beans and Ham Hock
- Add remaining broth, bay leaves, soaked small red beans and ham hock.
- Stir to combine.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 30 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘30′ (30 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 30 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 30 minutes (00:30).
- Press ‘Start’.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Naturally Release Pressure (NPR) on the DUO and ULTRA
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR). The float valve will be in the down position. This may take 15 to 30 minutes.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
Shred Ham Hock and Mash Beans
- Remove the ham hock and chop into bite-size pieces. Discard bone.
- Remove about 1 cup of beans to a small bowl and mash with a fork.
Stir Ham Hock and Beans Back in
- Return chopped ham hock, mashed small red beans and sausage to the inner pot.
Heat Through
- Stir everything and cook in ‘Saute’ mode.
- Allow the Instant Pot Red Beans to thicken to desired consistency, about 5 minutes.
- Serve over Instant Pot Rice and garnish with chopped green onions and parsley.
Authentic Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb Andouille sausage cut into slices
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 4 cups chicken broth or water
- 2 bay leaves (large) or 3 small
- 1 lb small red beans soaked overnight or quick-soaked, drained
- 1 smoked ham hock or ham shank
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- Cooked rice to serve (about 4 cups)
- hot sauce to serve on the side
Equipment
Instructions
- Select ‘Saute’ mode and allow the Instant Pot to heat up.
- Add oil to inner pot of Instant Pot.
- Add andouille sausage, and cook until browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add thyme, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper and stir to coat, about 30 seconds.
- Add a few tablespoons of broth to deglaze the inner pot, so there’s nothing stuck to the bottom.
- Stir in remaining broth, bay leaves, red beans, and ham hock.
- Close the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
- Allow for a natural pressure release (NPR) and open the Instant Pot.
- Remove the ham hock, chop into bite-size pieces and set aside.
- Remove 1 cup of beans, and mash with a fork.
- Return ham hock, mashed beans and reserved andouille sausage to the inner pot, and stir well.
- Select ‘Saute’ mode and allow the Instant Pot Red Beans to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Serve over Instant Pot Rice and garnish with green onions and parsley.
- Serve hot sauce on the side (optional).
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, sliced sausage, etc.
- Substitute cayenne pepper and salt with Creole or Cajun seasoning, to taste.
- Andouille is a spicy smoked Cajun sausage. If you don’t have access to it, substitute it with a Spanish chorizo or kielbasa.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips
Nutrition
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
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Valerie C
Love this recipe and have made it a few times! It’s as good as when I spend all day making the Paul prudhomme version. So easy and the husband and toddler love it too! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks Valerie – I really appreciate the comment. I’m glad you liked the recipe.
Zelyna
Good recipe but it needs a lot more seasonings. It turned out fairly bland. I added red pepper flakes, more salt, pepper, and garlic to pep it up a bit.
But we also like things very spicy in this house.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Zelyna, when it comes to spice you are right, it’s subjective. Some of my readers like it spicy and others don’t so it’s better to adjust to your own tastes, which it sounds like you did. Thanks for commenting.
Sonia WIlson
This recipe is AMAZING and 100% approval from my creole-cajun hubby!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Yay! I am so happy to hear that and thank you for commenting, Sonia.
MelanieLucas
I made this today. I forgot the ham hock, but I had some smoked ham in the fridge. I did cook my sausage and my veggies in my cast iron skillet. This recipe is so good!!!!! I have eaten this many places, including New Orleans. This ranks up there with some of the best. Thank you very much for sharing your recipe!!!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Melanie – thank you for your comment! I am always so happy when other like this recipe as much as I do 🙂
Denise G
Sometimes to have more ham, i buy a ham steak, chop into bite size pieces. This makes a tasty dinner. Serve cornbread along side.
Paint the Kitchen Red
That’s a great suggestion – thank you for sharing that.