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Instant Pot Red Beans (Batch Base for Soups + Bowls)

A simple Instant Pot red bean batch you can dump into soups, chili, and bowls all week. Cheap, filling, freezer-friendly, and the kind of “make once, use everywhere” base that keeps dinner moving.
~6–8 cups cooked beans
Prep Time:
5 minutes
Level:
Beginner

This is a batch base recipe—meaning it’s not trying to be fancy, it’s trying to be useful. One pound of dry red beans turns into a fridge-and-freezer workhorse you can dump into taco soup, chili, rice bowls, burritos, or a quick “beans + sausage” dinner without starting from scratch. If you’re building a real-life pantry and batch cooking system, this is one of those boring-looking steps that quietly makes your whole week easier.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dry red beans (sorted + rinsed)

  • 7–8 cups water or broth (use broth for more flavor)

  • 1 tsp salt (start light; finish after cooking)

  • 1 tsp garlic powder (or 3 cloves garlic, minced)

  • 1 tsp onion powder (or ½ onion, diced)

Optional flavor boosters (pick one)

  • 1 bay leaf

  • A slice or two of smoked sausage

  • Ham hock or a chunk of ham

Instructions

  1. Add beans + liquid + seasonings to the Instant Pot. (If using bay leaf/sausage/ham, add it now.)

  2. Cook on High Pressure for 35 minutes. (If your beans are older, go 40 minutes.)

  3. Let naturally release 15–20 minutes, then quick release the rest.

  4. Stir, taste, and salt to finish. (Beans almost always need the real seasoning at the end.)

  5. If you want thicker “creamy” beans, mash a small scoop against the side and stir it back in.

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