Red Beans in the Instant Pot

Red beans are incredibly flavorful, packed full of nutrients, and so versatile! In this recipe I’ll share my favorite spices to cook red beans with and depending on what type of dish you’re using them for you can use all, some, or none of the spices! Choose your own red bean adventure!

Tips for success

Use fresh beans! If your beans come out crunchy on the inside and overcooked on the outside, the problem is very likely old beans. 2-3 years is the absolute maximum shelf life for dried beans, and the fresher the better! Toss expired beans and start anew.
Hard water can also make a difference with cooking beans and will usually require longer cooking times. If your beans aren’t old but they don’t come out perfect, it could be because of the water. Seal the Instant Pot and cook another 5-10 minutes using your best judgement on how much more time you think they need and make a note of it for next time so you know (because it’s easy to forget!)
Did you know that ground spices lose their potency after 3-6 months? Spices won’t mold or make you sick, but they won’t be as flavorful as fresh spices! The best way to always use fresh spices is to buy whole and ground them yourself, but if you don’t have time for that then just make sure you buy small amounts at a time and go through it quickly so it doesn’t sit on the spice rack too long!

Beans, beans, the musical fruit. . .

Beans are known as the musical fruit but they have so many health benefits that I think of them as magical! Beans are very high in protein (15 grams per 1 cup cooked beans!), folate, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, as well as zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, vitamin B1 and B12, vitamin E, and vitamin K.

Low in fat and calories, beans have contributed to weight loss and since they are high in fiber they keep you feeling full longer.

Beans and other legumes lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising your HDL (good) cholesterol, resulting in lower blood pressure and inflammation, while reducing your risk to heart disease.¹

There is strong evidence that eating beans and plant based foods can protect you against not only diabetes and obesity, but also cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research published a detailed analysis of the ties between diet and cancer. Nine research teams from around the world created a landmark scientific consensus report that was reviewed by 21 of the top cancer researchers. One of the recommendations for cancer prevention is to eat whole grains and/or legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc) with every meal. ²³

. . .the more you eat. . .

Why do beans cause gas? Beans, as well as other legumes, grains, and cruciferous vegetables all contain a complex sugars called RFOs, or raffinose family oligosaccharides. Humans lack an enzyme in the stomach and small intestine called alpha-galactosidase which is required for breaking down these complex sugars into simple sugars that our cells can use for energy. It’s not that we don’t have it, Alpha-galactosidase is created by our good gut bacteria and is present in the large intestine—it’s just not the upper GI tract!

These complex sugars end up in the large intestine mostly undigested, but that’s when the alpha-galactosidase get to work breaking them down, a process that causes the sugars to ferment — and that’s where the gas comes from.⁴

RFOs aren’t a bad thing, they are incredibly healthy for the gut! RFOs are considered prebiotics and help feed and promote growth of beneficial gut bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.⁵ The more beans you eat, the more your body will adapt and eventually beans won’t be a “musical fruit” anymore.

Put the brakes on the gas

Having a little gas after eating beans, grains, cruciferous veggies is all totally normal! What we want to do is avoid the uncomfortable belly-bloat and hours of embarrassing toots. If you have trouble with gas after eating beans, try soaking your beans in baking soda! It will be a game-changer.

Why does this help? The sodium ions in baking soda weakens the pectin and creates an alkaline environment. This causes the pectin molecules to break down into smaller molecules—which causes the beans to soften quicker.⁶ It’s absolutely incredible and I swear by the baking soda bean soak. Remember you want to soak the beans in baking soda, don’t cook them with baking soda. Rinse the beans in a colander after soaking and use fresh water for cooking. You’re welcome!

Print Recipe

Red Beans in the Instant Pot

A quick and easy recipe for flavorful Red Beans cooked in the Instant Pot!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Instant Pot, sides

Cuisine: American, Costa Rican, Mexican

Keyword: Instant Pot, sides

Servings: 6 servings

Author: The Wandering Veggie

Ingredients

For Soaking

2 cups dried red beans
½ tsp baking soda only for soaking

For Sauté and Cooking

2 cups fresh water
½ of a large red onion chopped
5 cloves garlic minced
½ of a jalapeño minced (optional)

Optional Spices

1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Salt to taste

Instructions

Soak beans in water overnight or for a quick soak pour boiling water over beans and soak 4-8 hours. Either way, add ½ tsp baking soda to the soaking water.
When you’re ready to cook, use strainer to drain water and rinse beans.
In the Instant Pot, sauté onions in a splash of water or oil until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Turn Instant Pot “off” and add 2 cups fresh water, red beans, and any of the optional spices (do not add baking soda!).
Set Instant Pot to cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes. Allow a full natural release.
When pressure is released, taste and add any other seasonings it may need. If beans aren’t soft enough, seal Instant Pot and cook another 5-10 minutes.

Notes

Don’t forget to refrigerate beans promptly after cooking! Beans (and rice) are especially prone to bacteria that causes food borne illness if left out at room temperature for more than two hours.

Beans keep in a well-sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days.

What did you use these red beans in? I’d love to hear! leave me a comment below! 🙂