This healthy instant pot recipe is made with brown rice and dry black beans in under an hour. Perfect for a week of meal prep or a last minute dinner!
Rice and beans is hands-down one of the most common meals in my house. It’s great for a last-minute dinner recipe and make for versatile leftovers.
This recipe is must-have in any kitchen. It takes under an hour to make, the majority of which is hands-free.
Pre-Instant Pot (Pre-IP?) I would begrudgingly make a pot of brown rice on the stove and throw in canned black beans and taco seasonings. Thankfully the days of mushy canned beans and stove cooked brown rice are gone!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases; read my disclaimer policy for more information.
Dry black beans taste so much better than canned and they’re free from added salt. They’re also an inexpensive plant protein. You can usually buy 1 pound of dry beans for under $2.
And that’s a lot of food!
Step by step instructions
Step one: Start by sauteing onions until translucent, then add in your garlic for a minute more.
Step two: Add taco seasonings or spices of choice; feel free to customize the spices and add-ins to your preferences. The spices in this recipe are Mexican-inspired, but you can certainly adapt the base recipe to different cuisines.
Step three: Add your liquids; I use a combination of water and vegetable broth to amp up the flavor. By cutting the vegetable broth with water you can lower the sodium content of your meal significantly without sacrificing flavor.
Step four: Add rinsed rice and beans and stir everything together. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, then allow pressure to release for 10 minutes before removing the lid.
Recipes tips
It can take anywhere from 25-35 minutes at high pressure to fully cook dry black beans. Note that the cooking time may vary a bit based on the age of your beans.
Test the beans for doneness. If the beans aren’t done you can reseal and add 5 more minutes on high pressure.
You need to cook on high pressure for at least 22 minutes to fully cook the brown rice.
Serving ideas
Add to a corn tortilla for an easy taco filling, or wrap in a tortilla with your favorite burrito fillings. Make a taco salad with lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and sliced avocado for a taco salad.
You can also use as a tortilla chip dip for a party appetizer!
My favorite way is to enjoy on its own topped with salsa, Greek yogurt, and crunched tortilla chips.
Looking for more vegetarian recipes?
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Instant Pot Vegan Refried Black Beans
- Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas
- Vegan Quinoa Taco Salad
- Chipotle Black Bean Soup (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
- Red Lentil Curry with Sweet Potatoes
Enjoy this recipe? You might also like my stove-top rice and beans recipe.
All of my Instant Pot recipes are made in a 6 qt DUO60 Instant Pot. Check out more of my Instant Pot recipes.
Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice
This healthy instant pot recipe is made with brown rice, dry black beans and taco seasonings in under an hour.
Ingredients
Base Recipe for Rice and Beans
- 1 and 1/2 cups brown rice, rinsed
- 1 and 1/2 cups dry black beans
- 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups water
Optional Add-Ins
- 1 teaspoon oil of choice, more as needed
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
Instructions
- Rinse the black beans and remove any debris. Set aside.
- Add the oil to your electric pressure cooker and press the "saute" button. Saute the onions until translucent. Add garlic and saute a minute more.
- Add the seasonings, tomatoes with juice, black beans, and rice. Pour in the vegetable broth and water. Stir to combine.
- Lock the pressure cooker lid in place and set the pressure release valve to "sealing". Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
- Once the cook time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Carefully move the pressure valve from sealing to venting and manually release the remaining steam. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make this recipe without the canned tomatoes substitute 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth.
- Older beans may take longer to cook. If you find that your beans aren't cooked all the way through, lock the lid back in place and set to high pressure for another 5 minutes. Release pressure manually.
- You can freeze rice and beans for up to three months. Place in the fridge to thaw at least 24 hours before you plan to use. These are my favorite freezer-safe glass containers.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6 servings (1.5 cups each)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 371Sodium: 623mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 10gSugar: 4gProtein: 14g
Laura
Can you add lentils to this recipe? How much and how would you change the recipe?
Cassidy Reeser
You can usually cook 1 cup green lentils with 1 and 3/4 cups liquid, so I would start by adding those amounts. However, they usually cook in 8-10 minutes so they will probably get mushy cooking for so long.
diana
Hi,
I tried a similar recipe and it didn’t work out well. The beans were undercooked and I kept getting a “burn” message, possibly due to the canned diced tomatoes. It’s possible that I didn’t cook it long enough and perhaps didn’t use enough water. I tried to finish cooking on the stove top, but the beans never got soft enough and stayed a bit “crunchy”. Is it better to leave out the tomato and when the beans are cooked, to add the tomatoes in at the end and cook it for a few minutes? I’ve heard that you should add the tomatoes on the top and not stir it in with the rest of the ingredients to avoid getting the “burn” message.
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Hi Diana, I’ve made this recipe a bunch of times and never had trouble with a burn message and I mix the canned tomatoes in. It definitely wouldn’t hurt if you choose to just add the tomatoes to the top instead of stirring them in. It’s more likely the burn notice happened because there wasn’t enough liquid in the similar recipe. Let me know if you try this one out!
Martha
That was excellent! Thank You! My husband prefers red beans and rice until now…loved it!!!
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Thanks for making the recipe! Glad you both liked it.