Dry red beans and brown rice are cooked together with flavorful seasonings in the Instant Pot in this classic vegetarian staple!
As I seem to say with most recipes, this one is a long time coming. This recipe started out as vegan jambalaya and slowly (seriously, over a few months) transformed into just red beans and rice.
Because a recipe for red beans and rice is a must-have in every vegetarian kitchen! And, of course, I have to employ my handy-dandy Instant Pot for a speedier recipe.
Much history surrounds red beans and rice, most notably the connection to New Orleans and Creole cooking. While traditionally not a vegetarian recipe, this staple is easy to adapt for the modern day vegetarian kitchen.
It takes just over an hour to make red beans and brown rice in the electric pressure cooker. That's because the dry beans and rice are cooked at the same time.
That means just one pot and a few minutes of prep for a flavorful pot of vegetarian goodness!
Step by step instructions
- Start by sauteing the "holy trinity" of bell pepper, onions, and celery in a bit of olive oil until softened.
- Add the garlic and seasonings and saute for 30 seconds more. Sauting--"bloom"-- spices with the aromatic ingredients (onion and garlic) is a quick way to deepen flavor.
- Add the remaining ingredients: red beans, brown rice, vegetable broth, hot sauce, bay leaves. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients.
- Lock the electric pressure cooker lid in place and set the vent to sealing. Choose "high pressure" and set the timer to 30 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release. All in all this should take just about an hour.
- When the pressure has released naturally, remove the lid. Test a bean to make sure it's fully cooked. If not, cook on high pressure for 5 more minutes, then release the pressure manually. Squeeze in lemon juice and top with green onions.
What kind of red beans should I use?
Do not use kidney beans in this recipe. While they are red, and they are sometimes used in red beans and rice, they have a different cook time than small red beans.
Use a bag labeled with "small red beans" for this recipe.
Can I use soaked beans?
Readers have had success soaking beans for 4-8 hours and reducing cook time to 23 minutes. Keep the liquid amounts the same.
What kind of Cajun seasoning should I use?
Cajun seasoning contains paprika, oregano, garlic, thyme, and other super flavorful spices. You can use a storebought cajun seasoning (this is my favorite brand) or make your own.
Can you freeze rice and beans?
This recipe freezes well. Freeze in single portion containers (this is the brand I use) for easy last-minute lunches, or freeze all at once in a large container.
Rice and beans thaw best in the fridge, but in a pinch it can be thawed in the microwave or on the stove. Just be warned that the texture may degrade if thawed this way.
Note: Let cool before freezing. Don't fill to the top of your freezer-safe container, as the food will expand when it freezes.
Serving ideas
- Mix in cooked okra, vegetarian andouille sausage, and fresh tomatoes to make an impromptu veggie jambalaya
- Add to corn tortillas with peppers and spinach for filling tacos
- Enjoy as a side dish with vegan cornbread muffins or jalapeno cornbread and a kale salad
If you're looking for a standard beans and rice recipe without additional seasonings, check out this instant pot black beans and brown rice or stove top rice and beans recipe.
Check out my vegan jambalaya for another Cajun-inspired dish.
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 Red Beans and Rice
This flavorful staple recipe is made with dry small red beans, brown rice, and an electric pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cups dry small red beans
- 1 and ½ cups dry brown rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup diced celery, ~3 stalks of celery
- 1 medium red or green bell pepper, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 and ½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, add more for heat
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 and ½ cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from one lemon
- green onions, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the dry beans and sort out any debris. Rinse the brown rice. Set aside.
- Set your electric pressure cooker to "saute" on normal heat. Heat the olive oil in the pot, then add the onions, celery, and bell pepper. Saute for 5-6 minutes or until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and seasonings: cajun seasoning, thyme, parsley, salt. Saute for 30 more seconds, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add the remaining ingredients: hot sauce, vegetable broth, water, red beans, brown rice, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Lock the lid in place and set the pressure valve to sealing. Set to "high pressure" and put the timer to 30 minutes.
- Once the cook time is done, allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the lid and taste for seasonings. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Remove the bay leaves and enjoy!
Notes
- Like it extra spicy? Use 1 tablespoon of hot sauce and add a diced jalapeno in with the garlic.
- 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.
- This meal can be portioned into large or individual containers and frozen for up to 3 months. These are the containers I use. It will need to thaw in the fridge for up to 24 hours before enjoying.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6 servingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 380Sodium: 850mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 9gSugar: 3gProtein: 14g
MT
Followed directions exactly. The beans would not cook. In looking at another comment with the same problem, you suggested soaking the beans beforehand. Wondering if you should just include this as an option to ensure complete cooking of the red beans in the recipe itself. The beans I used were not old. I ended up trying to cook it for an extra 5 minutes, like suggested and then another 10 minutes and so on. Those suckers never fully cooked. A very disappointing meal for my family.
Cassidy Reeser
Hi! I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out. I wish I could say why, as usually if you add time it will eventually cook through. I do have a similar recipe for black beans and rice that I recently updated to recommend layering the ingredients (vegetable broth, then tomatoes with juices, seasonings, black beans, then brown rice). I'll be testing that method with this recipe, hopefully it will produce more consistent results!
Danielle Roberts
I was really excited to try this recipe tonight, and I did, but doubled it. The flavors are amazing and on point! HOWEVER... I will not make the mistake of cooking the rice with the beans again. The beans simply were way undercooked and took 2 more full cycles to cook completely in my instant pot. By the time the beans were done, the rice was gummy mush. I like mushy foods to an extent, and I'll probably eat more of this tomorrow. Then I'll probably throw the rest out and try again. Thank goodness the ingredients are cheap. The outcome may have been different if I had not doubled the recipe or if I had pre-soaked the beans, but I think I'll just be safe and cook the rice separately next time. Thank you for the amazing flavors though! It really is good in that regard, especially with jalapenos and sriracha added.
Cassidy Reeser
Thank you for your review! I'm glad you like the flavors. I plan to remake this recipe soon to see why some are running into mushy rice/uncooked beans and others aren't. It sounds like soaking the beans first is a good way to stop that from happening, though.