Red beans and rice is a staple dish in Lousiana cuisine. Typically served on Monday’s, this dish would slowly cook away on the stove. Ham was traditionally served on Sunday and the ham bone was used to provide a wonderful flavor in the dish. Monday was laundry day and a pot of red beans and rice was perfect, as it was left unattended while the the clothes were washed and hung to dry. This laundry day tradition is part of the culture in Louisiana and today many homes still prepare this classic dish, although people make it any day of the week. It is also available at many restaurants in New Orleans, throughout the state of Louisiana and beyond.
Red beans and rice is slow cooked so that the flavor of the meat penetrates the kidney beans. Also, the bean get nice and soft through this prolonged cooking time. Some of the beans are broken and mashed to help thicken the broth into a nice creamy gravy. There are different options for meat in the dish, although it is typically pork, ranging from ham or tasso, to smoked sausage like andouille.Served on rice, this dish is economical but tastes incredible!
I received a pressure cooker a month ago and I was interested to see how this dish would fare in a machine that speeds up the cooking time. Since red beans and rice takes so long to cook, many people do not have the time to make it. If the pressure cooker can make this dish well, in a fraction of the time, it can become a far more manageable dish to prepare.
The pressure cooker that I use can brown food, so I fried up the onion, pepper and celery (aka the trinity in Louisiana). Then I added some cubed ham and garlic.
Add the rest of the ingredients (dry red kidney beans, water, and spices) to the pressure cooker. Close the lid and make sure the vent is also closed. Set the pressure cooker to high pressure and select 60 minutes. Then, walk away and let the pressure cooker take care of the rest. The 60 minutes should be enough to cook the beans until they are tender, but it is possible they may need a bit more time. Try using a wooden spoon spoon to press a kidney bean against the side of the pot. It should mush up easily and if it seems a little hard, then set the pressure cooker to cook for another 30 minutes. That should be plenty of time to soften those beans up.
Mash up about 1/3 of the beans and stir to thicken the sauce. My pressure cooker has a simmer function, so I let the red beans and rice simmer for a bit until the rice was cooked and we were ready to eat.
Even though these red beans and rice were cooked in under 2 hours total time, they had a full and rich flavor. If you did not know, you would assume that a pot had been simmering on the stove all afternoon! Serve with white rice and a side ofcollard greens for the full Louisiana experience!
Get the recipe for collard greens here! –Collard Greens with Ham Hock
Red Beans and Rice Pressure Cooker Recipe
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Make this classic Lousiana dish in a fraction of the time by using a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot. Kidney beans, ham, sausage, onions, pepper and celery make this great dish served on rice.
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours hours
Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion , diced
- 1 pepper , diced
- 2-3 celery stalks , chopped
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 1/2 pounds ham , smoked sausage, tasso, cut into cubes
- 1 pound dry red kidney beans
- 5 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you want it spicier)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
Heat oil on medium high and add onion, pepper and celery. Cook until they start to get tender, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and chopped meat and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
Rinse the kidney beans and drain.
Add all the ingredients (except the rice) to the pressure cooker. Close the lid and the vent.
Set the pressure cooker to high and select 60 minutes cooking time.
After the 50 minutes, let the pressure cooker release the pressure naturally. It should take 10-15 minutes.
Remove the lid and use a wooden spoon or potato masher to mash about 1/3-1/2 of the beans.
Stir thoroughly and the mashed beans should thicken the broth into a nice creamy gravy.
Serve with rice.
Notes
If after the 60 minutes the kidney beans are still not soft, you may need to cook them a bit longer. If needed, set the pressure cooker to high and select 30 minutes cooking time. After this, the bean should definitely be tender.
Course: Main
Cuisine: southern
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FAQs
Rinse the beans well. Place beans in electric pressure cooke and cover with about 6 cups of fresh water. Make sure there is at least 2 inches of water above the beans and the pressure cooker is not more than ½ full. Add 1 to 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil and up to 1 tablespoon of salt to 1 pound of beans.
How long does it take for beans to soften on pressure cooker? ›
Cook for 22 to 30 minutes, depending on the variety. Beans should be tender but not mushy. Allow pressure to release. Drain immediately.
Can you overcook beans in a pressure cooker? ›
Some beans will be overcooked and completely decimated, while others are still gritty or firm in the center. Soaking the beans not only helps them to cook more evenly, but it also helps make them more digestible.
Is it better to soak beans before cooking in pressure cooker? ›
Yes: When you soak beans, you dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to pressure cook them. For instance, unsoaked chickpeas take 35-40 minutes to cook, but soaked chickpeas take just 10 minutes to cook.
How much water for 2 cups of beans in pressure cooker? ›
When cooking beans in the Instant Pot, you'll use 2 1/2 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry beans. I've tried using less than that, but since beans expand as they cook, the ones that aren't fully submerged in liquid will cook unevenly.
What happens if you put too much water in a pressure cooker? ›
Overfilling: Adding too much water to a pressure cooker can cause it to become overfilled, exceeding its maximum capacity. This can prevent the cooker from building up enough pressure to cook food properly and may result in leaks or spills.
Why are my beans still hard after pressure cooking? ›
This is because without enough liquid your Instant Pot will not come back up to pressure and that causes a whole new set of issues. To solve it, add some liquid and try again. If the beans are extremely hard or barely cooked, I might set it for 8 or 9 minutes.
Can you soften dried beans in a pressure cooker? ›
Pour beans into the Instant Pot inner pot. Add water to the beans. Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes. Drain the liquid and use the beans in any recipe that calls for soaked beans.
When beans won't soften? ›
Baking soda can help significantly since it increases the pH of the water, disintegrating that pectin and allowing beans to soften quicker. Baking soda also removes minerals from hard water, which can prevent beans from hydrating as quickly.
How long does it take to cook beans in a regular pressure cooker? ›
Cooking Times for Beans in an Electric Pressure Cooker
- Black beans: 5 minutes.
- Black-eyed peas: 5 minutes.
- Chickpeas: 15 minutes.
- Cannellini: 8 minutes.
- Kidney beans: 8 minutes.
- Pinto: 8 minutes.
But most people can enjoy more beans with less gas with the help of these tips: Soak beans overnight in water, then drain, rinse and cook in fresh water. This decreases the oligosaccharide content. Cooking the beans in a pressure cooker may reduce the oligosaccharides even further.
Is it healthy to cook beans in a pressure cooker? ›
Pressure Cooking Beans From Soaked
Reduces indigestible sugars by over 75%. Removes a majority of the anti-nutrients, allowing the digestive process to absorb more iron, for example. The beans cook evenly. They're nice to look at and also eat, because they're evenly cooked so no more crunchy beans.
Do Mexicans soak beans before cooking? ›
Mexican cooks don't pre-soak beans. They just add beans to water and get on with the cooking. No soaking or draining for them.
Why do Mexicans soak beans? ›
Many Mexican cooks have succinctly preached against pre-soaking for decades, but some people argue that pre-soaking dry beans and draining before starting the cooking time with fresh water will: 1) shorten the cooking period; 2) remove some of the toxic phytic acid present in different degrees in all beans, and 3) ...
How much water do I need to put in a pressure cooker? ›
Add Liquid
“Jiggle top” cookers need a minimum of one cup of water, while valve cookers need at least half a cup. Put food in the cooker first, then add water. When learning how to use a pressure cooker, make sure the unit is never more than two-thirds full of liquid, so the steam has enough space to accumulate.
How much water do I need for 2 cups of beans? ›
Place beans in a large pot. Add three cups of water per 1 cup of beans and choose a short or long soak: Short soak: Bring beans to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover and let the beans soak in the water for about an hour.
How much liquid do you need for pressure cooking? ›
A pressure cooker shouldn't be more than 2/3rds full. With liquids, avoid filling more than half full. Overfilling leads to food being ejected from the pressure release valve – a messy business. If this does happen, you'll need to take apart and clean the parts thoroughly.
How much water do I need to cook a pound of beans in a pressure cooker? ›
How To Make Instant Pot Beans
- Rinse and sort your dried beans--just look over your dried beans to be sure there are no rocks that have snuck in!
- Place 1 pound of dried beans with 8 cups water in your Instant Pot.
- Cook on high pressure for the directed time.
