Instant Pot Rice And Beans Recipe

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This Instant Pot rice and beans recipe takes the classic red beans and rice and turns it into a quick, one-pot dish. Made with canned kidney beans, it makes a great Cajun-style main course or a perfect side dish for BBQ or roasted meats. 

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Cooking Cajun At Home

I’ve loved any Cajun-style cuisine for years. It’s also something we crave living overseas. It’s just something we can’t get. When we see a “New Orleans” restaurant anywhere in Europe or Asia, we stay clear. Just don’t trust it. 

That leaves me making Cajun-style cuisine at home. It’s also why our last road trip through the US hit New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. I was on a search for all things Cajun and Creole. Yes, that meant red beans and rice. 

Love all things Cajun? Check out these other Cajun recipes:

Cajun 15 Bean Soup In An Instant Pot

Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta With Black Beans.

What Are Red Beans And Rice 

Red beans and rice is traditionally made with red kidney beans, which are cooked forever on a stovetop. It’s seasoned and often cooked with andouille sausage.

There are two varieties. Some places serve more liquidy red beans spooned over white rice. Other times the beans and rice are served together and are a little more dry. 

Check out our recipe for Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans And Rice

This version is super simple to make at home. It’s seasoned with Louisiana Fish Fry Company Cajun seasoning. And, no, they are not paying us to say this.

But, on a trip to Baton Rouge a few years ago, we did tour their factory and learned all about their passion for all things Cajun. We became converts and brought some back from the US during our last trip.

Why Cook Rice And Beans In A Pressure Cooker 

Our version is a little more dry because we made the rice and beans together in the Instant Pot. Rather than starting with dry beans, soaking overnight, and slow cooking all day on the stovetop, we went instant. 

This is a great one-pot dish, all made beginning to end in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. It uses the saute function and the pressure cook function and is ready in a jiffy. 

We have the Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1. It has a six-quart capacity, which is more than enough to cook for two people or for a small group. There is also an 8-quart option for families. For this recipe, use the saute function and the pressure cook function.

Check out our other Instant Pot bean recipes:

Instant Pot Chili With Dried Beans And Beef

Instant Pot Black Beans And Rice

Tips For Cooking Beans In An Instant Pot

There are two main types of Instant Pot bean recipes. One starts with dry beans and one starts with canned beans. The recipes and instructions are different, so be sure to find the type of recipe that you need based on the beans you have, or want to buy. 

When using an Instant Pot to cook red beans that have been canned, the beans are already cooked. Really, the goal is just to heat the beans before serving. If they spend too long in the pressure cooker they can get soggy. 

When cooking dry pressure cooker beans, it takes longer. In this case, you don’t need to soak the beans. The dry beans do need to cook in the pressure cooker for 30-40 minutes. 

Check out some of our other Instant Pot recipes:

Instant Pot Lentil Curry With Creamy Coconut

Instant Pot Taco Pasta With Black Beans

Instant Pot Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers With Black Beans

Tips For Cooking An Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice Recipe

This is a pretty easy red beans and rice recipe, but that’s only if you follow the recipe with canned beans and white rice. When making one-pot rice and beans in an Instant Pot or an electric pressure cooker, it’s important to adust the time based on the type of rice. 

White rice requires less time to cook than brown rice in a pressure cooker. Brown rice also takes a lot more time to cook than canned beans. That’s why this recipe is perfect for canned kidney beans and white rice. See the modifications below on how to adjust the recipe for brown rice. 

Ingredients For Instant Pot Beans And Rice 

The seasoning for this red bean and rice recipe comes from the base of a small diced onion, and garlic. I like to use a garlic press too so that there aren’t big chunks of garlic in the beans. Try the Zulay stainless steel garlic press, which is easy to use. There’s no need to even peel the garlic ahead of time.

Add a diced green pepper and if you want a bit of spicy pepper. We have these great spicy red peppers in Spain that I added to this version just for a little bit of heat. Both should be diced into small pieces. 

The canned kidney beans should be rinsed in a colander with cool water. Drain the beans well.

The white rice should also be rinsed to eliminate some of the starchiness of the rice. Don’t use a colander, or the rice will fall right through. Use a sieve if you have it. If not, place the rice in a bowl and fill with water.

Mix the rice around with a spoon or even your hand. Then, carefully drain the water. If there is a bit of water still left in the bowl, no worries. It can be added to the recipe. 

The liquid for this Instant Pot recipe comes from chicken broth and canned diced tomatoes. For vegetarians, just use vegetable broth instead. We use low-salt or low-sodium chicken broth. 

The seasoning is easy! Use Louisiana Fish Fry Company Cajun seasoning or any other Cajun seasoning you have at home. Add three bay leaves to add some depth of flavor the beans. Just remember how many you add so that you can find them all and remove them later. 

How To Make Instant Pot Rice And Beans Recipe

Start by prepping all of your ingredients ahead of time. Instant Pot recipes move pretty quick and I like to line up all of my ingredients next to the pressure cooker so that they are ready to go. 

Saute The Ingredients

Set the Instant Pot to the saute function. Once warm add the olive oil, onions, garlic, green peppers, and hot pepper if you are using one. Saute the vegetables for 2-3 minutes or until the onions start to sweat and soften. Turn the Instant Pot off. 

Deglazing The Instant Pot

Add one cup of the chicken stock and deglaze the bottom of the pot if needed with a wooden spoon. This is an important step when you use the saute function to make sure there are no food bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. If there are, some Instant Pots will show a burn error when cooking. Just use the wooden spoon to scrape any bits of vegetable from the bottom of the pot. 

Pressure Cooking

Add the canned red beans, the rinsed white rice, and the diced tomatoes. Add any additional chicken stock that might be necessary to ensure the beans and rice are covered. Add 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning and stir. Add the bay leaves. 

Close the Instant Pot. Ensure the pressure cooker is locked and sealed. Set the Instant Pot to the Pressure Cook function for 10 minutes. It will take about 10-15 minutes for the pot to heat up and pressurize.

Once the pot is pressurized, the pressure valve on the top will lift. Then the 10 minutes will start to count down. When the 10 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. This ensures both the beans and rice have absorbed the liquid and the rice is cooked through.

When finished, carefully open the lid away from your face. Mix the rice and beans with a spoon or fork. Taste the rice and beans. Add more Cajun seasoning, salt, or pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh coriander and Tabasco.

Modifications And Variations

I know a lot of people prefer brown rice over white rice. Brown rice takes a lot longer to cook than white rice. In this case, after sauteing the ingredients, turn the Instant Pot off. Add the chicken stock and deglaze. Add the brown rice. 

Cook the brown rice on the pressure cook setting for 13 minutes. Manually release the pressure. Then, add the beans and tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes on the pressure cook setting. 

If you want to add andouille sausage or any other type of sausage you can saute it in olive oil at the beginning. Or, cook it on the stovetop and fold it in at the end with the canned tomatoes just to warm. 

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