You are going to love this Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice! It is the EASIEST way to prepare red beans and rice! Made with brown rice, dried beans, and a perfect combination of seasonings this pressure cooker Mexican Rice and Beans is a perfect vegetarian entree, filling for a burrito, or side dish.
Not only does this recipe for rice and beans make a delicious hearty meatless meal, but it is also a great side dish for Beef Tacos or Chicken Tacos. It also makes a great filling for burritos or base for burrito bowls.
Rice and Beans make the perfect side dish to any Mexican or Tex Mex meal. In fact, I often find myself making a meal out of my rice and beans.
And thanks to the Instant Pot, rice and beans just got a whole lot easier to make!
Plus, you can use DRIED BEANS for this recipe--which makes this meal INCREDIBLY economical and a perfect recipe for pantry staples!
The trick to cooking dried beans with rice is to season the dish AFTER it pressure cooks. Salt can inhibit dried beans ability to soften, so by seasoning after cook time, the beans will soften perfectly in the time it takes for the rice to cook.
Key Ingredients
- Rice: If you are cooking the rice with dried beans, you MUST use short grain brown rice. If you have white rice, you will need to either separately prepare the dried beans in the instant pot or use canned beans. Follow the modifications for this recipe listed in the recipe card, as the cook time and amounts of liquid will change.
- Beans: If using dried beans, pinto or small red beans work best. If you are using canned beans, any variety you like will work.
- Peppers and Onions: Adding peppers and onions is completely optional. If you have picky eaters, simply omit them. If you only have frozen peppers and onions on hand, use those (just defrost first).
- Liquid: Use water chicken or vegetable broth to cook the rice and beans.
- Seasoning: I often use Taco Seasoning for a Tex-Mex rice and beans recipe, but you can use Cajun Seasoning for a twist.
- Salsa: Salsa adds so much flavor to this simple dish and because we are adding it AFTER the bean and rice have cooked, it is a much better choice than diced tomatoes, which need to be cooked for the best flavor.
How to Make Instant Pot Rice and Beans
Step One: Saute Onions and Peppers
- Turn instant pot to saute and allow to heat.
- Add in 1-2 teaspoons of oil and heat.
- Add in onions, and peppers saute for 2-3 minutes or until onions begin to soften.
- Turn Instant Pot OFF.
Pro Tip: If you have picky eaters, just omit this step and make rice and beans without peppers and onions!
Step Two: Add in Liquid
- Pour in water or stock into Instant Pot and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot.
Step Three: Cook Rice and Beans
- Add in dried beans to inner pot.
- Next add in rinsed rice. RINSING your rice before adding the pressure cooker helps the rice to not stick to bottom or pressure cooker and fluff up correctly.
- Gently push down rice until just submerged in the liquid.
- Close instant pot and be sure vent knob is sealed.
- Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 24 minutes. Do NOT use the Rice function, as it typically defaults to low pressure.
- Let pressure release naturally--CRITICAL for the rice and beans to be done and to absorb all the liquid.
Step Four: Add in seasonings
- Add salsa and taco seasoning to the rice and beans and fluff with a fork to combine.
- Put lid back on the pressure cooker and let the mixture warm through.
- Serve as desired.
How to Serve Red Beans and Rice
Mexican Rice and Beans makes an obvious side dish for main entrees like Pork Carnitas, Steak Fajitas, Honey Lime Fajitas or Shrimp Tacos, but it also great served in the following ways:
- As a Meatless/Vegetarian Main Course
- Rolled Up in a Burrito
- As the base of a Burrito Bowl
- Served with fried eggs for a Mexican Style Breakfast
- Tossed with chopped romaine, fresh tomatoes, and avocado slices for a quick Taco Salad.
More Instant Pot Staple Recipes
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken
- Instant Pot Yogurt
Whether you are looking for a simple meal to make from pantry staples, or a hearty meatless meal--this Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice is a great recipe to try. I hope you enjoy!
Instant Pot Rice and Beans
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil or olive/canola oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 yellow, green, or red pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups short grain brown rice rinsed well and drained
- 1 cup dried red beans or pinto beans
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- cheese, sour cream, cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute mode on high and allow to heat up.
- Once heated, add in oil, onions, and peppers and saute for 2-3 minutes until just beginning to soften up. Add in garlic and saute for 30 seconds longer. Turn Instant Pot to OFF.
- Add in stock and be sure to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot.
- Add in water and then beans. Then add rice and gently push down with a spoon to just submerge rice. DO NOT STIR! Put the lid on Instant Pot.
- Cook on High Pressure for 24 minutes. Hit manual or pressure cook and use the +/- buttons to adjust until the screen read 24.
- Once cook time has elapsed, let pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid and use a fork to fluff the rice. Stir in taco seasoning and salsa. Place lid back on pressure cooker to let ingredients warm through. Serve with desired toppings.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Be sure to use short grain brown rice (not instant rice or white rice) for this recipe if using dried beans.
- It is CRUCIAL to rinse your rice--this helps remove excess starch that can cause a burn warning.
- Red beans and pinto beans work best in this rice and beans. Other beans may have various cook times.
- Rice and beans will keep in your fridge 4-5 days. To reheat, add a splash of water or stock and heat in microwave for 1-2 minutes per serving or use pot in pot method and reheat on high pressure for 2 minutes.
- Using White Rice: Place 2 cups of white rice in the pressure cooker with 2 cups of water/stock and ½ tablespoon taco seasoning. Set cook time to 3 minutes on high pressure. Once cook time has elapsed and pressure has been released naturally, open instant pot and stir in 2-4 cups of cooked beans and 1 cup of salsa.
- Using Canned Beans: If you want to make this recipe using canned beans, cook the rice using a 1:1 ratio (2 cups rice, 2 cups liquid). Once rice has been cooked and pressure has been released, open instant pot and stir in ½ tablespoon taco seasoning, 1 cup of salsa and 2-4 cups of canned beans that have been rinsed.
- If you like your beans REALLY soft, soak the dried beans for 12 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse. Cook time will remain the same, but you will only need 4 cups of total liquid instead of 6 cups.
- White Rice and Dried Beans: You must cook your beans and rice seperately. Cook dried beans in the Instant Pot and then prepare your rice using the directions for white rice.
- Be sure to check out my cooking modifications for higher elevation if needed.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2018, but has since been updated with a new video and tips.
Tara Lyn
What kind of salsa do you recommend? I am going for eating all natural ingredients and I would have to buy salsa in a jar. Thank you.
Kristen Chidsey
Jarred salsa is actually best for this recipe so any jar you like works great. If you meant you don't care for jarred salsa (I look for an organic brand that has no additives), use fresh salsa chunky salsa from the refrigerated section or even homemade will work.
Mark
I followed the recipe with a mix of vegetable and chicken stock and added slices of about 12 oz. chicken Cajun-style sausage and 6 oz. Italian turkey sausage on top. It was a big hit. (The turkey sausage was frozen, but it all cooked up fine.)
Andrea Honan
I have made this recipe two times. Both times, the liquid wasn't absorbed enough even after letting pressure release naturally for about twenty five minutes. I just put it back on high pressure for six minutes and then it's perfect. The flavor is great and it's a great side dish or stuffed into a burrito. I will surely make this again with the added cook time. Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for the feedback Andrea! I would worry the rice would be overcooked, but I am so happy to hear it is perfect for you.
Jennifer
Can you make this with long brown rice? Or what kind of adjustments would you do? Thanks 😊
Kristen Chidsey
Yes, for this particular recipe cook for 25 minutes.
Beth
The rice is delicious. The beans were under cooked, and hard. I followed the recipe, in a 6-qt pot. Help?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Beth! I am sorry the beans did not soften for you. It may have been that they were older or that your stock had a lot of sodium in it, which can interfere with the beans softening. Also, be sure to not add the taco seasoning or salsa until AFTER cook time has elapsed.
Sandi
Tastes amazing, I used brown basmati rice and dried red beans. Rice cooked perfectly, red beans are slightly al dente, which we prefer. Only thing is I drained the water/chicken broth because there was so much liquid left, probably 2-3 cups of liquid that didn't absorb. Cooked on manual high for 24 minutes and 10 minute release. Can't imagine that basmati vs long grain would make that much difference? Will do again, but try with 2 cups less liquid.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Sandi! I am so glad you enjoyed the flavor and results. I have not had issues with liquid left. Let us know how it goes with less liquid.
Cyrena
Hi!! Just finished making and it smells wonderful!! Followed recipe exactly, but my rice is mushy!! And ideas why!! Thanks!! Would love to make again!!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Cyrena! I hope you are still able to enjoy the flavors. Were your beans dry or soaked or canned? The extra water accounts for using dried beans. If you used dried beans and your rice was still mushy, try decreasing the water by 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup the next time you make it.
Tara
Tasty!!! I will definitely make it again but I’ll use canned beans or soaked dry. For some reason the red beans I used didn’t cook fully. Also, I am just wondering how long it takes your IP to naturally release when you cook this. I waited 27 minutes before it was ready. Which actually was great for me bc the husband was late coming home so dinner was hot when he got here!!! 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Tara! It may have been the brand of red beans or the age of beans, but using soaked/canned in the future will prevent that issue. As for time to release, it can take that long, but after 15 minutes, you are safe to do a quick release if you want to eat 🙂
Jo
I just made this but only had 2 cups of chicken stock so I used 4 cups of water. It turned out okay but there is so much rice! Can I freeze this? I think it’s a little bland but probably because I used 4 cups of water.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jo! This freezes beautifully for up to 2-3 months. I would add some salsa or extra taco seasoning when serving to account for the lack of flavor from the water.