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Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice

Contributor: Kathy Hester

It’s always the perfect time for perfectly cooked kidney beans in a creamy sauce that’s full of great flavors served over fluffy rice. It’s inexpensive, filling, good for you, and it even tastes good. Yes, this recipe wins dinner and everything cooks at the same time to make it easy on you.
Use a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot.

  • Author: Kathy Hester
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Soaking Time: 8 hours
  • Cook Time: 11 minutes
  • Total Time: 8 hours 26 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Entrée
  • Method: Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (1 lb.) bag dry red kidney beans or small red beans
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 and 1/2 cups minced onion
  • 1 cup minced green bell pepper
  • 1 cup minced celery
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
  • 2 cups long grain white rice
  • 2 and 1/4 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast, optional
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • Your favorite vinegar based hot sauce like Tabasco or Louisiana, for serving

Instructions

  1. Place the dry beans in a large bowl that’s at least twice the size of the dried beans, and fill about ¾ full with water. Let the beans soak for at least 8 hours. Or you can quick-soak the beans if you want to make this recipe now.
  2. Heat the olive oil on high sauté until warm, then add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the bell pepper and celery, then sauté 3 minutes more. Turn the Instant Pot off.
  3. Add the kidney beans, water, bay leaves, oregano, smoked paprika, thyme, basil, cayenne pepper, and allspice. Stir well.
  4. Place in your tall stainless steel rack on top of the bean layer. Check to make sure your stainless steel pan fits on top and that you can close the top with it on!
  5. Remove and add rice to your small pan. Then place a food safe silicone band around to make this easy to remove or take 2 aluminum foil pieces about 2 feet each, roll up lengthwise and make a cross. Then set the pan in the middle.
  6. Add the water and place on top of the rack using the silicone band or aluminum foil sling. Note: if using the sling, fold over the handles to make them easy to get to after cooking.
  7. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 11 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure manually.
  8. Remove the rice container by the foil handles or the band using a pot holder and place on a trivet or other heat proof surface.
  9. Serve beans over the rice with lots of hot sauce on the side.
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