30-Minute Red Beans And Rice Recipe

If you page through a few cookbooks and look for recipes for red beans and rice, you're going to notice that most of the recipes have more similarities than they do differences. All of the recipes use red or kidney beans, all will feature andouille sausage, all have onions and spices and such, and of course they all call for serving with rice. You will also notice another common thread: almost all red beans and rice recipes take a pretty long time to make — often more than an hour!

And now, here you are, looking at this red beans and rice recipe from chef and recipe developer Courtney Moeslein of The Southern Spoonful. You're likely wondering if a great red beans and rice recipe could truly take only 30 minutes to prepare. Well, believe it! Provided you plan ahead and soak the beans overnight (or for at least four hours), then this recipe really will only take a half hour from start to finish. "This can either be a whole meal in itself or a main entrée," Moeslein says of this dish. "We always serve our red beans over hot steamed rice, and I love to pair it with cornbread and a green salad." Pairing ideas are up to you, but for a rapid main course, let's get cooking.

It takes a fair number if ingredients to make this excellent dish, so let's get right to them. As the star of the show, you'll need a pound of Camellia red beans, and be sure to let the beans soak in water overnight, or for at least four hours. Next, you'll need some vegetable stock, a red onion peeled and finely chopped, a chopped green bell pepper, and a pound of andouille sausage, thinly sliced or cubed. Additionally, you'll need a bunch of green onions, sliced thin and with the bottom few inches discarded, two stalks of finely chopped celery, chopped garlic, avocado oil for sautéing, a can of tomato sauce, chopped cilantro, and some cooked rice. And finally, if you'd like, you can toss in some Cajun seasoning to add some spice to the dish.

Place the red beans in a large enough bowl that you can completely cover them with water and soak for four hours at a minimum, but better yet overnight. After the soaking time has elapsed, drain the beans and set them aside. Then, add enough cooking oil to the Instant Pot to lightly cover the bottom. Now turn the sauté function on low, and once the oil has warmed, add the sliced onion. Sauté the onion until it's both fragrant and translucent.

Now, it's time to start building the dish. Add the beans, bell pepper, andouille sausage, celery, tomato sauce, and garlic into the Instant Pot and give everything a stir. Then pour in the broth, making sure that the liquid covers all the ingredients by at least an inch. If not, add more broth or water until all of the ingredietns are adequately submerged. Set the Instant Pot to the "bean" function and press start. Once the time has elapsed, carefully release the steam from the Instant Pot. Make sure the pressure button has flattened out before opening the lid to ensure that the ingredients had enough time to cook.

Return the Instant Pot to the sauté function at a medium heat setting, making sure the beans are at a low boil, and then add the chopped cilantro and green onion. Stir everything well and cook the dish for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

And just like that, 30 minutes later, you're all done! Serve the red beans over hot rice, and don't forget all the great pairing ideas from before. If you have some left over? "We believe in the three day rule," Moeslein explains. "I would not leave this in the refrigerator any longer than three days, counting the first day as the day the beans were prepared." She notes that you can also freeze the beans after they've completely cooled. If you love red beans and rice, be sure to give this simplified recipe a try!