Name: Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
Prep time: 8 h
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 8 h 17 min
Ingredients: 1 pound red beans; 1 packaged link of andouille sausage; 2 teaspoons Zatarains creole blend; 4 cups of broth or water; prepared rice

Some of the best recipes are some of the simplest. This Instant Pot red beans and rice is made all in the instant pot, with no additional dishes needed! Plus it comes together fast and is super filling. Let me show you how to make this easy Instant Pot dinner recipe!

Do you ever make a recipe and wonder what took you so long to try it? That’s how I was with this red beans and rice recipe. For some reason the idea of having to soak beans made me real nervous and I avoided recipes that used them.

One day I just said “I’m soaking beans tonight!” and went for it. And you know what? IT WAS SO EASY! There is very little prep work involved and it’s definitely not hard to soak beans.

What is red beans and rice?

Red beans and rice is a combination of red kidney beans, sausage, and spices over rice. It’s really that simple! Some people have a gravy that goes along with their red beans and rice and it turns into more of an etouffee type dish. You can add a gravy or go gravyless like I do!

Red beans and rice ingredient list

To make this easy Instant pot dinner you will need:

red beans
sausage
spices
broth
rice

Red beans – You are going to need a pound of red beans – not canned! You can find the bags of beans in the same aisle as the rice – which is perfect because you need a bag of that for this recipe as well!

Are red beans the same as kidney beans?

Nope, red beans and kidney beans are not the same. Although they look similar AND can be used interchangeable, they are not the same bean. If you have a bag of kidney beans or pick one up by mistake, no worries! Use it!

Sausage – You need one pound of sausage for this recipe. You can use any type that you prefer! Most Cajun recipes call for andouille sausage which is a pork sausage that is smoked and filled with garlic, pepper, onion and spices. It’s pretty flavorful on it’s own so I go mild with the spices.

Spices – This is a Cajun dish so the spices reflect that. I like to make it easy and use Zatarains creole spice blend. It is a blend of chili powder, paprika, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes. It has a bit of a kick so if you don’t like spicy food, feel free to modify the spices.

Broth – You can use chicken or beef broth here. Or even water. Nothing fancy is required!

Rice – Make up a batch of Instant Pot rice and you will be good to go!

How do you make red beans and rice from scratch?

This recipe is super easy and requires minimally effort to make.

Step 1 – Soak your red beans. I do this the night before. Place your red beans in your Instant Pot and cover them with water. Place your lid on and let them soak overnight.

Do I need to soak beans before instant pot?

You don’t have to soak them but it cuts down on the time it takes to cook tremendously. I set mine to soak the night before but you can also do it the morning.

Step 2 – Slice your link sausage and add it to the Instant Pot. Add your spices and broth or water as well.

What is the ratio of beans to water?

You need 2-3 times the amount of water to beans. So for 1 pound of beans you will need 4 cups of liquid. Either broth or water.

Step 3 – Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 7 minutes. If you did not soak your beans you can set the time to 20-25 minutes.

Step 4 – Do a quick release and remove the lid, carefully. Stir everything together and serve over rice.

Like I mentioned, I do not make a gravy to go over my red beans but you can! Add an additional cup or two of water before you pressure cook. Then remove the beans, add cornstarch and saute until thicken.

What do you serve with red beans and rice?

This is normally a meal in itself but you can also serve:

How to store leftovers

When you are done enjoying your red beans and rice, place the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge. It should keep for up to a week in there.

This is a recipe that I do not recommend trying to freeze and the beans will turn to mush when re-heated. You can freeze everything BEFORE cooking it in a ziplock baggy for an easy dump and go meal!