Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice with Sausage is super flavorful, and very good for feeding a small group. This pressure cooker red beans and rice recipe is such a nice meal! Serve it for a casual gathering, or for a delicious family dinner.
Originally published 9/20/17
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
A little history: Back in the day, before washing machines, laundry day was Monday in New Orleans. The women would put on a pot of beans with Sunday's leftover ham and bone in it to cook all day while they did the laundry.
Red Beans and Rice on Monday remains a tradition to this day.
While in New Orleans, I had the pleasure of eating the real deal. It was spicy, and the beans were creamy and flavored perfectly. I knew I had to have this meal again when I got home. So I set out to make my own version.
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice with Sausage is my version of this classic NOLA meal. I wanted to make it easy to prepare, with ingredients you can find in the grocery store (or easily online).
You can order the Camellia brand red beans online, but the "small red beans" at the local grocery store give very good results. They are usually next to the red kidney beans, so make sure to get those ones!
Beans in the Pressure Cooker
One of the downsides of cooking beans, whether in a pressure cooker or a pot on the stove, is that you could get old beans and not even know it.
Why are old beans a problem?
Old beans usually need a much longer cook time. It's hard to know if you have old beans, and even buying
"new" beans in the grocery store doesn't ensure that they don't already have some age on them.
If you suspect that your beans might be old, you can either cook them longer, or try soaking them in a bowl of water for 3-5 hours before cooking.
For the sausage, you will have a spicy flavor explosion if you use Andouille, which is traditional. But I have used a good, smoky kielbasa and it tastes great, too. Just add more of the Cajun/Creole seasoning if you like it spicier. Or even some red pepper flakes.
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
Instant Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage
Instant Pot Ham Hock and Bean Soup
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Don't for get the Hot Sauce! I like to add a few squirts of my Instant Pot Hot Sauce for an added kick. You can make homemade hot sauce so easily in your Instant Pot!
Recipe updated on 7/28/21
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice With Sausage is a flavor packed, spicy New Orleans traditional meal. This pressure cooker Red Beans and Rice dish has lots of flavor, and you can make it from dry beans in about an hour and a half!
- ¼ lb Bacon (or 2 Tbsp bacon fat)
- 1 large Yellow Onion (2 cups diced)
- 3-4 ribs Celery, (2 cups diced)
- 7 cloves Garlic, pressed or minced
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
- ½ tsp Sage, dried
- ½ tsp Basil, dried
- 1 Tbsp Cajun / Creole Seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's, or my Cajun Spice Blend) or more to taste
- 5 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
- 1 lb **Small Red Beans (such as Camellia) sorted & rinsed
- 1 ½ lbs Andouille Sausage (or a good smoky Kielbasa) sliced in ¾" rounds
- ¼ cup Parsley, chopped
- Green Onions, for garnish (optional)
- Hot Sauce, as much as you like!
- 2 cups Cooked White Rice (or more for leftovers)
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Turn the pressure cooker on to the Sauté setting. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it renders the fat. Remove the bacon and set aside (You won't be adding it in, you just want the fat). If using bacon fat, let it heat up and then proceed.
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If you are using Andouille sausage, add it and brown on both sides (don't cook through). Then remove. If using kielbasa, don't brown it as long as it is softer than Andouille.
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Add the onions and celery. Cook for a couple of minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to get the brown bits up (deglaze). You may need to add just a splash of the broth to help loosen it.
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Add the garlic, bay leaves, green and red bell peppers, sage, and basil. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent.
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Add the Cajun/Creole seasoning, and stir.
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Add the broth, beans, and sausage. Stir and put the lid on the pot and lock it in place. Set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
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Cancel the Sauté function and press the Pressure Cook or Manual button, then press the + or - button or dial to choose 50 minutes (High Pressure).
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When the cooking cycle has finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 20 minutes (20 minute natural release). Then manually release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release knob to Venting.
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When the pin in the lid drops down, you can open the lid. Carefully stir the beans with a long handled spoon (be aware of any possible steam pockets as they "burp" and can cause burns).
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Taste a few of the beans to make sure they are tender. If not, close the lid and cook for 5 more minutes (with a 10 minute natural release).
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Remove and discard the bay leaves. Then mash some of the beans (a potato masher is good for this) and stir to make a more creamy consistency. Taste and add more seasoning if desired. Stir in the chopped parsley.
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Serve over cooked white rice and garnish with green onions and hot sauce.
**Please Note: Not all beans will cook in the designated time. Different varieties, and especially OLD beans may need additional cook time. See post for more info.
Resources To Make Instant Pot Red Beans Recipe and More
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Mandy
If you're lucky enough to be able to buy Conecuh sausage use that. It's my favorite of all time for red beans and rice and for chicken sausage gumbo. Not too hot but spicy enough I don't need to tinker around with Creole seasoning. Some day my husband and I plan a pilgrimage to Evergreen Alabama where it's made. It's readily available around here but I believe you can also order it online.
Shannon
I am planning on making this with conecuh! Did you brown it first or just throw it in the pot?
Sandy
For conecuh I would lightly brown it in a little oil first.
Shannon Hurlburt
I made this tonight for a work potluck happening in a few days (I always find that beans taste even better after a few days in the fridge). I don't have easy access to small red beans, so I ended up using something labelled as red chili beans. They look pretty similar to the descriptions for small red beans, smaller than kidney, round and red, so I figured they'd be fine. I always seem to prefer any recipe I've made with dry beans, to do a slight soaking of them first, but this is the first time I've used these beans, and I don't really think I needed to, as the skins are much thinner, and end up being so nice and soft, though mine were tending towards almost refried bean status due to the 1 hour soak I did while prepping other things.
Despite the softness of the beans (my own fault), the taste is pretty darn yummy. Though next time, I will go with a Keilbasa sausage instead of the Andouille, as I find them the ones I have access to, too soft for this kind of cooking. Can;t wait to try this after a day of the flavours melding, I'm probably going to sneak a bowl of it for supper tomorrow night. LOL.
Darlene
Could you use kidney beans instead of the red beans? If so, how much longer would you need to cook them?
Thanks
Christine Maurice
Hi Sandy. This recipe looks so YUM! I am making it tonight. I have a question & I apologize if it's already been answered, but I decided to soak the beans & I would like to know what the appropriate cooking time is now. Thank you 🙂
Sandy
If you are using the small red beans, try 18 minutes, with a 10 minute natural release. I have never soaked that particular type of bean, so this is a guess!
Tricia
I tried this recipe and really liked it..... The only problem is I accidentally added to much of the Cajun ( which my husband loved) but made it a bit to spicy for me. Otherwise its a great recipe! Thank you.?
Sandy
Hi Tricia! I accidentally did that once! HOT! I'm glad you liked the recipe, and thank you for your review!
CHRISTOPHER W DENZER
I’d like to use canned beans instead since I am very time-restrained. How would you recommend adjusting the recipe cook times?
Sandy
Hi Christopher! Reduce the liquid to about 2 1/2 cups. Reduce the cook time to 10 minutes. Also, the flavors will be a little more concentrated with less liquid, but it should be delicious!.
Holli M Barrett
Ive cooked blacked and pinto beans on default setting for 12-15 minutes. Why 40 minutes for this recipe?
Sandy
Hi Holli. I tested different times for for cooking the unsoaked small red beans. This is the time I needed to get the preferred creaminess. So far I haven't been able to get soft beans in the amount of time you stated (from unsoaked beans). Maybe my pot doesn't run as hot as yours? If you make this recipe, maybe start with a shorter time and see how it goes. You can always add time if needed.
Holli M Barrett
I soaked mine overnight. Would that make the difference?
Sandy
Yes. Soaking beans for 8 hours or more greatly reduces the cook time. Old beans will take longer, no matter what. It's hard to tell if they are old though. One of the things I love about the Instant Pot is that you can cook a meal from dry beans quicker than the stove top. There are some bean recipes that I prefer the beans soaked first, and I have noted that in those recipes. In my opinion, beans are not a consistent food to cook! But I still love them!