Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers With White Beans

Share this recipe or send it to yourself!

This Instant Pot sausage and peppers with white beans recipe is a quick and easy pressure cooker meal. The white beans help to stretch ingredients and act as a substitute for an overload of meat. It’s fresh and tangy and perfect with fresh Italian bread or pasta. 

*This post contains compensated links. Find more info in my DISCLAIMER. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Why Cook Sausage And Peppers In A Pressure Cooker

Because it’s so easy and so quick! We’ve had sausage and peppers in our recipe arsenal for years. Sausage and peppers, or sausage, peppers, and potatoes was just something I grew up eating in NJ. It’s an Italian American thing.

Way back in the 1990s (yes, that long ago), we invited our friends over to our apartment in Virginia and made them this dish (without the Instant Pot). We introduced our friends from Alabama to sausage and peppers that night. My friend, Mollis, has been making it for her kids since then. It’s just so tasty. 

I prefer to cook this dish in the Instant Pot, though, because the peppers and the sauce just take on so much flavor. It’s one of the benefits of using an electric pressure cooker. All of the spices and seasonings just infuse the ingredients making it so tasty. 

Cooking In An Instant Pot

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 recipe for Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup With Cannellini Beans.

Why Add White Beans To Instant Pot Italian Sausage

Of course, we are big proponents of adding white beans to any Italian recipe where it makes sense. This is, surprisingly, one of those dishes.

First off, the white beans (or cannellini beans) add some extra protein to the recipe. This means you can use fewer sausages if you are trying to reduce meat intake. Or, make this recipe when you only have a few links of sausage left over. 

The other thing I like about adding the white beans is because it adds some color to the dish. The red, green, and white actually make me feel a little patriotism – it is reminiscent of the Italian flag! So, this dish turns into a full-blown Instant Pot sausage, peppers, and onions with white beans.

Check out our other Italian-inspired white bean recipes:

Escarole, White Beans, And Pancetta

One Pot Chicken, Spinach, And White Bean Saute

Creamy White Beans With Lemon And Dill

Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana

Two Ways To Cook Sausage In An Instant Pot

There are two ways to cook Italian sausage in a pressure cooker. You can sautee the sausage, or just add it raw. For pressure cooker sausage and peppers, I like the idea of using the saute function to brown the sausage ahead of time. 

Saute The Sausage

I prefer to sautee the sausage ahead of time so that it browns a bit. I like the texture of the sausage this way. And I like that the flavors of the sausage start to infuse the dish. This does add a few minutes of active cooking at the front.

But, the pressure cook time is shorter because the sausage is already half cooked from the sauteeing. This also gives the sausage a head start. The peppers will cook much quicker than the sausage anyway. 

Dump And Seal Option

The easiest way to make this recipe is to dump all of the ingredients (except the beans), stir well, and seal. In this case, the time should be set for 15 minutes. It will take a bit longer for the sausage to cook. 

Ingredients For Instant Pot Sausage, Peppers, And White Beans

This pressure cooker Italian sausage recipe includes a lot of typical recipes that we keep at home. First, the sausage is browned in olive oil. I like to use both red and green peppers to add color to the dish. They should be sliced and the pepper seeds removed. One small onion is sufficient, which should also be sliced. 

The liquid for the recipe includes a bit of chicken broth as well as tomato sauce. I prefer canned tomato sauce without any seasoning. 

Spices include garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt and pepper. I also like to add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper to add a little heat, but this is totally optional. 

The white beans (cannelini beans) are added at the end. Be sure to drain them in a colander and rinse with cool water before adding them to the dish. 

How To Make Instant Pot Italian Sausage And Peppers

Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot. Turn on the sautee function. Add the sausage to the pot. Cook the sausages for 3-5 minutes or until they start to brown.

They don’t need to be cooked all the way through as they will continue cooking. It is important to watching the sausages and to turn them so they don’t stick.

Once done, turn the Instant Pot off. Add the chicken broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits of pork from the bottom of the pot. This is so the food doesn’t stick to the pot, which can cause a food burn error notice.

Add the peppers, onions, and spices and stir the mixture well. Add the tomato sauce on top. Cover and seal the Instant Pot Turn the Instant Pot on the pressure cook function for 10 minutes.

Once the time is up, allow the electric pressure cooker to release pressure for 5 minutes. Then, using an oven mitt or a kitchen towel, release the pressure manually.

Open the lid carefully, away from your face. Add the white beans and stir well. Keep in on the warm function for 3-5 minutes or until ready to serve.

Modifications And Variations

This is a super easy recipe to scale up for families. It easily makes 2-3 servings. To make it stretch further, add another can of white beans or a few more links of sausage. Think about one sausage per person. To add more liquid use a full cup of chicken broth when adding more sausage, beans, or even peppers. 

What about Instant Pot Sausage And Peppers Pasta? You can also bulk up this recipe by adding left over pasta. Add it with the beans at the end to warm the pasta. I wouldn’t recommend adding dry pasta before using the pressure cooker function because the pasta will get too soggy. 

Also, feel free to make this a turkey sausage and peppers if you don’t eat pork. 

 

Share this recipe or send it to yourself!