Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice

Name: Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound dried red kidney beans, rinsed; 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced; 1 medium onion, diced; 1 green bell pepper, diced; 2 stalks celery, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 6 cups chicken broth; 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; Cooked white rice and hot sauce, for serving

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

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Red beans and rice is built on ingredients that reward time: dried kidney beans, andouille sausage, onion, green bell pepper, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and enough simmering for everything to start tasting like one pot instead of a committee meeting. The Instant Pot shortens that process without skipping the foundation. Andouille gets browned first, then the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic cook in the rendered flavor before the beans and broth go in.

The beans pressure cook for 30 minutes and get a full 20-minute natural release. Once the lid opens, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot. That simple move thickens the cooking liquid with bean starch instead of flour or cream and gives the pot the creamy body red beans are supposed to have while leaving plenty of whole beans intact.

Spoon them over steamed white rice and add hot sauce at the table. The sausage brings smoke and spice, the vegetables disappear into the broth, and the cayenne can be adjusted without turning dinner into a competitive event. It is humble food with a lot of structure underneath—which is usually how the best humble food works.

Prep20 minutes

Cook25 minutes

Total45 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

1 pound dried red kidney beans, rinsed
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Cooked white rice and hot sauce, for serving

Instructions

1Set Instant Pot to sauté. Cook andouille slices 3 to 4 minutes until browned. Remove.
2Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic (the Cajun holy trinity plus garlic). Cook 4 minutes.
3Add beans, broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt, cayenne, and browned sausage.
4Lock lid, high pressure for 30 minutes. Natural release 20 minutes.
5Remove bay leaves. Mash some beans against the side of the pot to thicken the sauce.
6Serve over steamed white rice with hot sauce.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

540Calories

33 gProtein

36 gCarbohydrates

31 gTotal Fat

10 gSaturated Fat

9 gFiber

5 gTotal Sugars

3140 mgSodium

80 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

The holy trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper) is the foundation of all Cajun cooking. Don't skip any of the three.
Mash about a quarter of the beans for that classic creamy texture while keeping whole beans for body.
Andouille sausage is the authentic choice. It adds smoky, spicy flavor that regular sausage can't match.

Substitutions

andouille sausage → smoked kielbasa for less heat Less spicy but still smoky.

dried red beans → canned red beans (3 cans, reduce cook time to 8 minutes) Canned works in a pinch but dried has better texture.

cayenne pepper → Cajun seasoning blend Pre-mixed seasoning adds multiple spices at once.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Beans thicken as they sit — add broth when reheating. Beans thicken as they sit — add broth when reheating.