You can make amazing Red Beans and Rice in your Instant Pot or Crock Pot. This is a great recipe to use if you have a leftover ham bone (especially after Easter or Christmas)!
Ham, smoked sausage, and red beans cook in a nice thick Cajun gravy. Serve it with cooked white rice for a crazy good dinner!
If you don’t have a ham bone or ham hock but think this sounds good, you can also check out this recipe for Skillet Dirty Rice & Beans or Instant Pot Cajun Chicken & Rice! They both have a similar flavor profile as this Red Beans and Rice recipe.
Why Make This Recipe
- Don’t let that delicious ham bone go to waste!! If you are not ready to make this right now at least pop your ham bone in the freezer (for up to 3 months) so it is ready when you are!
- You are making an amazing dinner out of something (ham bone) that you may have thrown away otherwise.
- This is an all-in-one dinner… you have your protein, starch, and veggies all in one dish.
- It is a versatile dish with 2 ways to prepare- Instant Pot or Crock Pot.
- No pre-soaking the beans, toss those dry beans right on in!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients that you need to make this Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice recipe.
I have also included some tips on a few ingredients.
Ham Bone – This is the perfect time to use the bone from your spiral cut ham (great after Easter or Christmas). If you do not have a ham bone you can use 2 ham hocks.
Ham – If you have leftover ham or ham left on the bone definitely use that! It will be nice and smoky and flavorful.
If you do not have leftover ham you can purchase a ham steak and chop it up, or buy a package of cubed ham.
Sausage – I like to use smoked beef sausage in this recipe. However if you want you can use andouille sausage, kielbasa, or even turkey sausage.
Cajun Seasoning – If you don’t have a Cajun Seasoning that you really like, you can absolutely make your own. Check out this recipe for Homemade Cajun Blend, it is great on Salmon too!
No Salt?
This recipe does not call for salt and don’t add it thinking I forgot it in the recipe.
The ham, sausage, ham bone are all pretty salty. Also Cajun Seasoning usually contains salt.
Wait until you thicken the gravy, give it a taste and see if you want to add salt at the end.
Step by Step Pictures for Instant Pot Method
Sauté the onions, celery and garlic in the olive oil, for about 5 minutes.
Turn off sauté mode. Mix in the chili powder, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, beef bouillon and a couple dashes of Tabasco.
Add the beans to the pot, then pour in the beef broth and water.
Place the ham bone in the pot and pour in the chopped ham and sausage.
Cook on high for 45 minutes, do a 5 minute natural release, then finish with a quick release.
Remove the ham bone and discard.
Turn sauté mode back on. Mix together the cornstarch and cool water, then pour it into the red bean mixture.
Simmer for about 5 minutes, you will notice it starting to thicken.
Turn off the sauté mode and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Give it a taste at this point to see if you want additional salt.
Serve with white rice!
Crock Pot
Crock pot method is literally set it and forget it…
Mix all the ingredients (excpet for the cornstarch, cool water, and rice) in the crock pot.
Set it to cook on high for 5 hours.
Remove the ham bone and discard.
Mix the cornstarch and cool water, stir it into the red bean mixture. Cook for another 30 minutes.
Give it a taste and see if you want to add salt at this point.
Serve with white rice!
Serving
Pile some white rice in a bowl and then spoon the thick Cajun Gravy over the rice, making sure to get plenty of ham, sausage and beans in each bowl.
Alternately you can pour the red beans and sausage in a bowl and top with white rice.
Garnish with parsley if you are feeling fancy.
How Much Rice to Make
This recipe makes quite a bit so you will want to make sure you have enough rice.
I usually make 1.5- 2 cups dry rice, which will cook up into about 4-6 cups.
Make Ahead
This is a great dinner recipe to make ahead for easy dinners during the week! It just gets better in the fridge, like chili!
Prepare and then cool. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Recipe Tips
- Cut as much ham from the ham bone as you can. Use in the Red Beans and Rice… it has so much flavor!
- Lightly crush the beef bouillon before adding it to the pot, this helps it to dissolve faster.
- Before thickening make sure the beans are cooked through. If they are not, add more time (10 minutes Instant Pot, 20 minutes Crock Pot).
- Chop up any large pieces of ham that come off the bone during cooking and add back to the stew. (make sure there are no bone pieces mixed in).
Related Recipes
If you are down with some Cajun or Creole food, then you are in the right place! It is one of our favorite flavor profiles.
Here are a couple more recipes to check out after you make this Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice Recipe.
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Did you make this recipe?
I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice (crock pot too!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil - (not needed in crock pot method)
- 1 yellow or white onion - chopped
- 3 celery stalks (ribs) - chopped
- 3 garlic cloves - chopped
- 1 ham bone - (can use 1-2 ham hocks if you do not have a leftover ham bone)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning - (you can make your own with this Cajun Seasoning Blend recipe if you would like!!)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- dash or two cayenne pepper
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 5-6 dashes Tabasco
- 8 oz dry light red kidney beans - (about 1 heaping cup)
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 12 oz. smoked beef sausage - sliced ½ inch pieces
- 2 cups chopped ham - (can use leftover ham from your ham bone!!)
Thickener
- 3 tablespoon (generous tablespoons) cornstarch
- 2 ½ tablespoon cool water
Serving
- cooked white rice - I usually cook between 1.5-2 cups dry rice, which will cook up to 4-6 cups.
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Turn the Instant Pot on sauté mode and add the olive oil. Once the pot reads "hot" add the celery, onions, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 yellow or white onion, 3 celery stalks (ribs), 3 garlic cloves
- Turn off the sauté mode and add in the chili powder, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, beef bouillon and a couple dashes of Tabasco. Pro Tip: Crush the bouillon a little before adding to the pot, it will dissolve faster/better.1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, dash or two cayenne pepper, 1 beef bouillon cube, 5-6 dashes Tabasco
- Add the dry red beans.8 oz dry light red kidney beans
- Pour the beef broth and water over the mixture. Give it all a good stir making sure all the beans are submerged.3 cups beef broth, 1 cup water
- Nestle the ham bone (or ham hocks) in the pot.1 ham bone
- Add the ham and sausage to the pot.12 oz. smoked beef sausage, 2 cups chopped ham
- Pop the lid on and turn the pressure valve to "seal". Set to cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
- Do a 5 minute natural release and then finish with a quick release. Check and make sure your beans are cooked through, if not close the pot back up and pressure cook for another 5-10 minutes.
- Immediately remove the ham bone and discard.
- Turn the sauté mode on. Mix the cornstarch and cool water. Pour the cornstarch slurry in and stir the mixture, simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Turn off sauté mode.3 tablespoon (generous tablespoons) cornstarch, 2 ½ tablespoon cool water
- Let the Red Beans and Sausage set about 5 minutes to thicken and cool. Give it a taste and see if you want any salt added.
- Serve the red beans poured over white rice. OR Serve the red beans with white rice heaped on top.
Crock Pot Method
- Put all the ingredients in the crock pot.
- Cook on high for 5 hours, until the beans are cooked though.
- Once the beans are cooked, remove the hambone and discard.(if the beans are not cooked, add another 20 minutes)
- Mix the cornstarch and cool water together and stir into the pot.
- Cook for an additional 30 minutes to thicken.Give it a taste and see if you want any salt added.
- Serve poured over white rice.
Recipe Tips and Notes:
- Cut as much ham from the ham bone as you can. Use in the Red Beans and Rice… it has so much flavor!
- Lightly crush the beef bouillon before adding it to the pot, it helps it to dissolve faster.
- Before thickening make sure the beans are cooked through. If they are not, add more time (10 minutes Instant Pot, 20 minutes Crock Pot).
- Chop up any large pieces of ham that come off the bone during cooking and add back to the stew. (make sure there are no bone pieces mixed in).
- There is no salt added in this recipe because the ham, sausage, ham bone and Cajun seasoning are all pretty salty. Wait until the end to see if you want any salt added.
Jeanie says
I made a this last night and it was very flavorful. I did add a bell pepper a dash of Worcestershireand 2 ham hocks. Mashed the beans instead of cornstarch slurry. It was the best time beans and rice yet! Thank you for the recipe
Shelia says
I used my instant pot, and the sausage was frozen, when I added it. I cooked it for 50 minutes. It is delicious! Love this flavorful dish. I served it with cornbread and/or rice. It’s a hit with my whole crew! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Susie Weinrich says
So glad you loved it!!! Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe!
Linger A Little, Kristy Murray says
Hi Susie! All the flavorful ingredients and spices in these Red Beans and Rice are fantastic. You’ve got my mouth watering for this delicious-looking recipe. You absolutely cannot go wrong with anything that simmers for a long period of time in the slow cooker. Thanks so much for sharing.