The smokiness of the seared andouille sausage and paprika flavor the red beans as they get steamy in the Instant Pot.
When it comes to food, I am not a “seasonal” eater. I will eat red beans and rice in the summer, and I will eat ice cream cake in the winter. Good food is good food, no matter what the weather is doing outside.
The smokiness in this dish comes from the smoked andouille sausage and smoked paprika, and it makes it so delicious.
HOW TO MAKE RED BEANS AND RICE
Before you start cooking, sort and rinse dry red beans. Soak them overnight in the refrigerator. Drain and set aside until ready to use. Cook rice according to package directions.
- In the Instant Pot, sear sausage on all sides. This releases the sausage’s flavor and some tasty fat to cook the vegetables in. Please don’t drain this tasty fat. Remove sausage and set aside.
- Add in the onion with a pinch of salt, the bell pepper and celery and cook until onion is translucent. Add in garlic and stir for an additional minute.
3. Add the drained beans back into the pot.
4. Pour in the stock and add seasoning. Seal lid and set valve to “sealing.” Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes and natural release for 20 minutes. Serve with rice and enjoy!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DO I THICKEN RED BEANS AND RICE
If the texture is too thin for your liking, you can either:
1. Make a slurry by whisking together two tablespoons of cornstarch with two tablespoons water or other preferred liquid. Next, add the slurry back into the red beans and let the chili simmer for at least ten minutes. Alternatively, you can also cook the slurry separately in a small saucepan, whisking constantly until a thick paste is formed. Then whisk the cooked mixture into the red beans.
2. Puree some of the beans. This is best done with a handheld immersion blender. If you do not have one, use a fork to mash the beans against the side of the pot until desired consistency is reached.
HOW DO I STORE RED BEANS AND RICE?
Store leftover red beans and rice in an airtight container for up to three days. I recommend storing the red beans and rice in separate containers, so that the overall texture remains the same as the day you made it. This meal is best reheated on the stovetop. Only reheat the portion you plan on immediately consuming, as it is not recommended to consume leftovers that have been reheated and then stored again.
HOW CAN I ADD SPICE TO RED BEANS AND RICE?
Start by adding 1/2 teaspoon of either tabasco sauce, hot sauce, cayenne or red pepper flakes. Taste and see if it is spicy enough. If it isn’t, increase spicy seasoning of choice by half teaspoons until it is.
DO I HAVE TO SOAK THE BEANS OVERNIGHT?
No, you definitely do not have to soak your beans. However, one of the primary benefits of soaking beans and dumping the water after is you are getting rid of the sugars in the beans that cause gas. That’s right. The farting kind of gas. This step will decrease your likelihood of farting at your dinner party. That makes it worth it for me.
If you still want to soak the beans but don’t have time to do it for 8-12 hours, do a “quick soak” by pouring water over the beans until there’s about 2 inches of water above the beans. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Let the beans stand for about an hour.
If you do not soak the beans at all, make sure to still sort and rinse them. Then follow the recipe as is. Keep in mind that this may affect cooking time, as the beans may not cook as quickly.
WHAT IF MY BEANS DID NOT COOK ALL THE WAY THROUGH?
If you find that the beans are not tender, just place the lid back on and make sure the valve is set to “sealing.” Then pressure cook the beans on high for another 20 minutes.
Print
SMOKY RED BEANS AND RICE
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Creole
Description
Seared sausage and smoked paprika lend flavor to the beans as they cook together in the instant pot!
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 lb dry small red beans
- 2 TLB olive oil
- 15 oz smoked andouille sausage, sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Creole seasoning
- 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 4 cups chicken stock
Instructions
1. Rinse and sort beans. Soak in 10 cups of water overnight in the refrigerator. Drain and set aside until ready to use.
2. In a large saucepan or rice cooker, prepare rice according to package directions. If using jasmine rice, use 1 1/2 cups water.
3. In the Instant Pot, select the “Saute” setting and add the sausage. Sear on all sides, stirring frequently. Remove sausage and set aside in separate bowl until ready to use.
4. Add olive oil to Instant Pot. Add in the onion (with a small pinch of salt), bell pepper, and celery. Stir frequently until the onion is translucent.
5. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, Creole seasoning, parsley, black pepper and salt and stir.
6. Pour in the chicken stock and add the seared sausage and beans. Make sure beans are fully submerged in liquid.
7. Seal the lid and set the lid valve to “sealing.” Pressure Cook on HIGH for 30 minutes and natural release for 20 minutes. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.
8. Serve with rice and enjoy!
Notes
- STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS: If cooking red beans and rice using the stovetop, follow steps 1-6 except use a large stockpot set to medium-high heat to sear the sausage and cook down the onion, bell pepper and celery. When all ingredients are in the pot, bring everything to a rolling boil for 20 minutes. Then simmer without lid for 1-2 hours until beans are tender. This will produce a thicker, richer sauce for the beans.
- CROCKPOT INSTRUCTIONS: If you would like to use a crockpot for this recipe, ***use 4 (15.5 ounce) cans of red kidney beans in place of the dry red beans.*** No need to soak, either! Layer the onion, bell pepper, celery, and seared sausage in the crockpot. Then add the seasoning, the beans, and 2 cups of chicken stock instead of 4 cups. Cook on high for 4 hours or low 6-8 hours and you are done!
***I do not recommend ever cooking dry beans in a crockpot. The beans will not be guaranteed to reach or maintain the required temperature to kill toxins that may cause food-borne illness. ***
Keywords: dairy free
