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5.0 from 102 votes

Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice

Learn how to cook Flavor-Bursting Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice (Pressure Cooker Red Beans and Rice)! You'll love the amazing red beans gravy bursting with complex flavors & mouthfeel. So comforting & heart-warming to eat that you won't want to stop!

Additional Time
8 hrs
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 6 - 8
Calories: 605 kcal
Course: Main Course , Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine: American , Cajun , Creole

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (454g) dried red kidney beans , soaked overnight for at least 8 hours (913g after soaking for 13hrs)
  • 1 pound (454g) smoked pork hock
  • 1 pound (454g) Andouille sausages or Kielbasa sausages
  • 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil or olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) Regular soy sauce
  • 6 cloves (20g) garlic , minced
  • 1 (206g) green bell pepper , diced
  • 2 ribs (138g) celery , diced
  • 1 (289g) medium onion , diced
  • 3 (1g) bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon (0.4g) dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon (0.5g) dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon (3g) smoked paprika
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon (1.2g) cayenne pepper
  • rice

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Soak Dried Red Kidney Beans: *Note: If you're using canned red kidney beans, skip this step. Just drain and rinse the beans before cooking.a. Overnight Soaking Method (Recommended): Place 1lb (454g) dried red kidney beans and 1½ tbsp (25g) fine table salt in a large container. Pour 6 cups (1.5L) cold water in the container and give it a few stirs. Soak beans overnight for at least 8 – 16 hours. *Pro Tip: If your house is very warm, place the beans in the fridge to avoid fermentation.b. Quick Soaking Method: *Note: If you’re short on time, use this quick soaking method, but the result won’t be as good as the overnight soaking method. Place 1lb (454g) dried red kidney beans, 1½ tbsp (25g) fine table salt, and 6 cups (1.5L) cold water in Instant Pot. Close lid and Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 0 minute + 30 minutes Natural Release. *Pro Tip: No matter which method you use, rinse red beans under cold running water and drain well before cooking.
  2. Saute Sausages: Press “Saute” button to “Sauté More” function to heat up Instant Pot. Wait until the indicator says “HOT” (~8 mins). Add 2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil or vegetable oil and 1lb (454g) sliced sausages in Instant Pot, then saute for 4 minutes.
  3. Saute Onions & Spices: Add diced onions, green bell peppers, and celery in Instant Pot, then saute for 3 minutes. Add in minced garlic, 3 bay leaves, ½ tsp (0.4g) dried thymes, ½ tsp (0.5g) dried oregano, 1 tsp (3g) smoked paprika, and ½ - 1 tsp (1.2g - 2.4g) cayenne pepper, then saute for another minute. *Spicy Level Tip: This dish's spicy level will depend on your sausage, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Adjust how much cayenne pepper to use according to how spicy you want your red beans and rice to be. We used ½ tsp (1.2g) cayenne pepper and it was close to medium spicy.
  4. Deglaze Instant Pot & Add Soy Sauce: Pour ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Add in 2 tbsp (30ml) regular soy sauce, then give it a quick mix.
  5. Pressure Cook Red Beans and Rice: Push all ingredients to one side, then add in the soaked & well-drained red kidney beans. Give everything a quick mix so all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Pour in 3½ cup (875ml) unsalted chicken stock. Make sure all the red beans are fully submerged in the stock. Add in 1lb (454g) smoked pork hock, and make sure it's mostly submerged in the liquid. *Pro Tip: If you're using more than 1lb of smoked pork hock, cut the pork hock into two halves. With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes + 20 minutes Natural Release. Open the lid carefully. *Note: When the Instant Pot is natural releasing, it's a good time to start cooking the rice.
  6. Thicken & Shred Pork Hock: It'll look a bit too watery at first, that's normal! Use the "Saute" or "Saute More" function to bring the red beans to a simmer. Find and discard the 3 bay leaves. Place pork hock in a large mixing bowl, then shred the meat with 2 forks. While you are shredding the pork, thicken the gravy by simmering the red beans until desired consistency (~5 to 10 minutes). Stir occasionally. Place shredded pork hock back in the Instant Pot. Taste & adjust the seasoning accordingly (for reference, we added roughly 1 - 2 pinches of salt to open up the flavors & season the dish properly).
  7. Serve: Add rice in a serving bowl, then pour the deliciously saucy red beans beside or on top of the rice. Garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro, then serve. Enjoy~

Notes

  • Red Beans: We're using Red Kidney Beans in this recipe. Don't confuse them with Small Red Beans or Adzuki Beans.
  • Smoked Pork Hock & Andouille Sausage: Try to use High Quality Smoked Pork Hock & Andouille sausage because their quality & tastes will affect the flavors they impart to the dish.
  • Regular Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is definitely not a traditional ingredient in a classic Red Beans and Rice, but wait! We love using it for that extra oompf of umami-savory complexity.
  • How to Reheat Leftovers? Use the Pot-in-Pot Method - rice at the bottom, layer a steamer rack on top of the rice, then the red beans in an oven-safe container on top of the steamer rack - pressure cook both the red beans and rice in the same Instant Pot!
  • *Rate Recipe: If you've tried the recipe, don't forget to Rate the Recipe in the Comments Section. Thank you!

Nutrition Information

Calories 605kcal (30%) Carbohydrates 42g (14%) Protein 40g (80%) Fat 31g (48%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Cholesterol 95mg (32%) Sodium 927mg (39%) Potassium 1369mg (39%) Fiber 10g (40%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 483IU (10%) Vitamin C 28mg (31%) Calcium 90mg (9%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6- 8

Amount Per Serving

Calories 605

% Daily Value*

Calories 605kcal 30%
Carbohydrates 42g 14%
Protein 40g 80%
Fat 31g 48%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 95mg 32%
Sodium 927mg 39%
Potassium 1369mg 29%
Fiber 10g 40%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 483IU 10%
Vitamin C 28mg 31%
Calcium 90mg 9%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.