Description
Creamy and smokey, this classic Louisiana style red beans and rice will warm you up from the inside out. Flavorful red beans cooked in the Instant Pot with an Andouille sausage and a ham hock and seasoned with the trinity and Cajun seasoning are served with freshly cooked rice.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried red beans
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 package (about 12 ounces) Andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
- 1 white onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 celery rib, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1–1/2 tablespoons cajan seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ham hock
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Cooked white long-grain rice, for serving
- Hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- Rinse beans and remove any bits of dirt or broken or withered beans. Set aside.
- With the Instant Pot heated to saute setting, sauce the Andouille sausage in 1 tablespoon of oil until browned on both sides. Remove and set aside.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot, and add the onions, celery and bell pepper and saute for 3-5 minutes or until onions become transparent.
- Add the red beans, Cajan seasoning, black pepper, salt, bay leaves and minced garlic. Nestle the ham hock into the beans and return the browned Andouille sausage to the pot.
- Add the chicken broth and water.
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual and HIGH Pressure for 60 minutes. Natural release for 15 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and discard. Pull the meat from the ham hock and return it to the pot.
- Remove 1 cup of the mixture into a separate bowl and mash with a potato masher to break up the beans to a smoke consistency (or use a food processor). Then stir the smooth beans back into the pot to thicken the sauce.
- Change the setting on the Instant Pot to saute and cook for 5-10 minutes or until desired thickness.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in fresh parsley and serve with cooked white rice.
- Garnish with hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
If the beans are not tender after 60 minutes, replace the lid and bring bakc to high presuure and continue to cook for 10 minutes more. Release pressure naturally for 15 minutes and check the beans again.
You can add a cup more water or broth if beans seem too thick.
This dish can be made ahead and reheated. It will be good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
It can also be frozen by allowing the beans to cool completely and then transfer to a container approximate for the freezer for up to 3 months. To use: thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Serve with hot cooked rice.