This classic Creole dish gets a convenient, modern upgrade with this Instant Pot red beans and rice recipe! Flavorful andouille sausage and tender red beans cook to perfection in a smoky, spicy sauce that's served over fluffy rice for one hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal.

A bowl of Instant Pot red beans and rice on a wooden tray with a bunch of parsley in the background and a spoon to the side.

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Why You Need to Make This Recipe
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Thicken
How to Serve
Can You Make Ahead of Time?
Can You Freeze?
Do I Need to Soak the Beans?
Expert Tips and FAQs
Perfect Pairing
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📖 Recipe

Why You Need to Make This Recipe

Growing up in Houston, I've had my fair share of red beans and rice. You'll find a lot of Cajun and Creole influence in Houston cuisine, and I've made plenty of trips to New Orleans over the years. I know good Creole food, and this Instant Pot red beans and rice recipe is an absolute winner.

For a deep, smoky flavor, we cook this New Orleans favorite with andouille sausage and ham hocks along with plenty of Cajun seasoning for the perfect spice kick. The sauce is rich, thick and creamy, which makes for some serious comfort food.

Plus, it's great for serving a crowd on game day or for a simple casual gathering. This cozy Creole meal isn't fussy or hard to make. Everyone always loves this super easy Instant Pot red beans and rice, and it perfectly sets the mood for a friendly gathering over some good, down-home Southern cooking.

Bonus: If you love this recipe, I bet you'll also love a big bowl of gumbo, and I have quite the selection for you. Try my duck gumbo, chicken and sausage gumbo, and shrimp and crab gumbo too!

Ingredients

Before we start cooking, let’s make sure we’re prepared. Here are the main ingredients for our Instant Pot red beans and rice recipe.

Small red beans: Red kidney beans and small red beans are not the same. Some red beans and rice recipes call for red kidney beans, but small red beans are traditional in this dish.
Andouille sausage: You will love the depth of flavor the sausage adds.
The Holy Trinity: This is the classic Cajun-Creole aromatic base of green bell peppers, celery and onion.
Garlic: Because what savory dish doesn’t benefit from flavorful garlic?
Chicken stock: This is the base of our sauce.
Cajun or Creole seasoning: I always use my homemade Cajun seasoning. It’s quick to whip up, and I love that you won’t find any unnatural ingredients. Plus, it has a wonderful smoky, spicy flavor. Store-bought seasoning also works.
Ham hocks: This adds a smoky complexity that makes this red beans and rice over-the-top delicious.
Bay leaves and thyme: To help build that savory, woodsy flavor.
Cayenne pepper: Just to give it an extra kick of spice.
Apple cider vinegar: With all these rich flavors and spices, we need a touch of acidity to brighten the dish. I'll admit that this isn't the most traditional ingredient, but I'm a big believer in adding a little acid to any dish.
Cornstarch slurry: This mixture of cornstarch and cold water will help mimic the thick texture we get from cooking slowly on the stove.
White rice: Traditionally, red beans and rice is served with white rice. That said, you're more than welcome to substitute brown rice if you prefer.

The Instant Pot red beans and rice ingredients with black and white labels on a wooden board.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let’s start cooking! We turn the Instant Pot to the Sauté function and melt some bacon grease or canola oil. Once that’s nice and hot, we add our andouille sausage slices until browned on one side, flip and repeat. For proper browning, we don’t want to crowd the pan, so let’s do this in two batches.

Browning the andouille sausage in the Instant Pot with bacon grease.

Now we add our Cajun Holy Trinity, cook until softened and then throw in some garlic.

Showing the process of cooking the Holy Trinity in the Instant Pot until the three soften.

From here, we pour in the chicken stock and add the browned Andouille sausage, ham hocks, red beans, Cajun seasoning, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. We stir to combine, put on the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual for 50 minutes.

Showing the process of adding the chicken stock, spices and herbs and red beans to the Instant Pot.

Once the timer goes off, we do a natural release for 20 minutes. If you're new to Instant Pot cooking, this means letting the machine sit for 20 minutes before releasing the valve. Whenever cooking beans, we want to do a natural release to ensure they’re plenty soft. Once the 20 minutes are up, we then release the valve and remove the lid for our final step.

How to Thicken

Since we’re making this red beans and rice with sausage in a pressure cooker, the liquid will be thin after cooking. When we make red beans and rice on the stove, we can cook it uncovered, which allows the sauce to thicken as it reduces. Obviously, that’s not an option with pressure cooking.

To get that classic thick sauce, we turn the Instant Pot back to Sauté, make a cornstarch slurry and stir it into the hot liquid. We let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, stir in the apple cider vinegar and just like that, we have a perfectly thick red beans and rice.

How to Serve

When we’re ready to serve, we scoop some rice into a bowl and top with the red beans and rice. On the side, I love serving a good cast-iron skillet cornbread. It sops up that delicious sauce beautifully.

For dessert, I highly recommend my bananas foster cheesecake. Bananas foster is a classic New Orleans dessert, and I have no doubt you will love it in cheesecake form. It’s a creamy, dreamy delight.

Looking down at a bowl of Instant Pot red beans and rice on a wooden tray with thyme and parsley around it.

Can You Make Ahead of Time?

Absolutely. In fact, I even recommend it. With spice-filled dishes, like gumbo and chili, the flavor improves and intensifies as the spices have time to meld.

You can make this Creole favorite up to four days ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Right before serving, cook some fresh white rice, and you have yourself one unforgettable meal.

Can You Freeze?

You bet! I actually have some leftover red beans and rice in my freezer right now. I love having this on hand, so I'm ready to go for any last-minute gatherings.

To store in the freezer, we spoon the portions into freezer-safe, airtight plastic containers and keep for up to six months for best quality. Simply thaw, cook some rice, and you’re ready with a crowd-pleasing meal.

Do I Need to Soak the Beans?

Nope! With the Instant Pot, we get plenty of cooking power, so it's a step we can skip. Soaking beans obviously isn't hard, but it does take some planning. Sometimes we might have it all together -- our recipes planned, ingredients purchased -- so soaking beans isn't a big deal. But for those times when you need to make this recipe on a whim, you certainly can.

A close-up shot of the pressure cooker red beans and rice on a wooden tray.

Expert Tips and FAQs

While it's made in the Instant Pot, red beans and rice still takes time to come to pressure, and then you have to factor in the 20-minute natural release. If you're entertaining, just keep this in mind for timing purposes. And, of course, that's when making this ahead comes in handy.
Browning the sausage gives the dish a deeper flavor and a nice crust to add some texture, so I don't recommend skipping this step.
Some people like to remove the meat from the ham hock and stir it into the broth after cooking. Ham hocks can be a bit salty, so it won’t suit everyone’s taste, but the option is there.
This makes a flavorful red beans and rice, but the heat level is more on the mild side. I like to serve it with Original Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce, which adds the perfect kick of heat with a slight tang. That way, your guests can add more heat to suit their tastes.
Alternatively, if you know you have a spice-loving crowd, feel free add extra cayenne pepper if you want to take it up a notch.

Perfect Pairing

A brown ale is a classic beer pairing with red beans and rice. With a brown ale, we get some nice sweet bready malts that counter the heat, and it has enough body to stand up to that rich, thick sauce. Brown ales are also a favorite with that andouille sausage.

I love a pilsner with just about any kind of spiced food as well. It's so crisp and keeps the palate refreshed.

Looking for a wine? A gewürztraminer is a nice option. This wine comes with a residual sweetness that's lovely with our spice as well as the perfect acidic zip to cut through the sauce.

For a taste of New Orleans in your own kitchen, I hope you try this Instant Pot red beans and rice. Everyone is sure to love this comforting dish.

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Cheers!

Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice