Instant Pot Copycat Popeye’s Red Beans and Rice

Instant Pot Copycat Popeye’s Red Beans and Rice–creamy red beans with smoky undertones and rice. Lots of satisfying flavor and just as good or better than the real thing!

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Instant Pot Copycat Popeye’s Red Beans and Rice

You’re going to love the flavor of this red beans and rice dish. There is a secret ingredient that gives the creamy dreamy beans their flavor. Can you guess? It’s bacon grease! Yes, don’t laugh and don’t click out. The bacon fat just brings the red beans to a whole new level. The beans are partially mashed so they have both a creamy and chunky texture. The beans come together quickly and you can use dried beans or canned beans.

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Bag of dried red beans–you can use kidney beans or “small red beans”, dark or light. Make sure to use a new bag. If you’re trying to cook old beans they often never get soft even after cooking for a very long time. If you’d like to use canned beans see the notes section of the recipe for instructions.
• Salt
• Water
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Hot sauce–I used Tabasco
• Liquid smoke–Find this in the aisle next to the BBQ sauces.
• Bacon fat–When I cook bacon I drain the grease into a small glass container with a lid. Then I store it in the fridge or freezer and use as needed for recipes like this one. It adds tons of flavor! These beans would not be the same without it.
• Hot cooked rice–see the recipe notes below for how to cook the rice at the same time as the beans

Steps to make red beans and rice in the Instant Pot

1. Soak beans: If you have time soak the beans overnight (8-24 hours) in plenty or water and a teaspoon of salt. If you don’t have time it’s okay just rinse the beans and add them into the Instant Pot.
2. Add water: Cover the beans with plenty of water, at least 2 inches over the top of the beans, and add in a teaspoon of salt (no need for salt if you soaked the beans).
3. Pressure cook: Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 20 minutes for soaked beans or 30 minutes for unsoaked beans. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid. If beans are not as cooked as you like no worries. Just put the lid back on and add a few more minutes of pressure cooking time.
4. Strain: Place a strainer in the sink and carefully pour the beans and water into the strainer. Rinse the beans well. Add the drained beans back into the Instant Pot. 
5. Flavor the beans: Add 1 cup of water in with the beans. Stir in onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tsp of kosher salt (or to taste), hot sauce, liquid smoke and bacon fat into the beans. Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. Let the beans come to a simmer. 
6. Mash: Use a potato masher to partially mash the beans. Don’t mash all of the beans. You’ll want about half creamy and half as whole beans.
7. Serve: Serve the beans topped with hot cooked rice and a drop or two of hot sauce. 

Notes/Tips

• Serve as the main dish or as a side dish to pulled pork, grilled steak or chicken.
• I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 8 quart pot. Halve the recipe in the 3 quart pot.
• How to cook rice at the same time as the beans: I used a separate Instant Pot to cook the rice. If you’d like you can make the rice pot-in-pot at the same time the beans are cooking. Place a tall trivet* into the Instant Pot over the beans. Then place your rice pan with water and rice on top of the trivet. For white rice use a 1 cup rice to 1.5 cup water ratio. For brown rice use a 1 cup rice to 1.25 cup water ratio.
• Using canned beans instead of dried: Alternatively, you can make this recipe with canned beans. Use 58 ounces of canned beans (3-4 cans). No pressure cooking necessary. Add the beans with their juice straight into the pot and turn to sauté. Heat the beans up and then start with step 5 (only add in a quarter cup of water). 
• Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Other recipes you can make with bacon fat are Karen’s Campfire Potatoes and Country Club Chicken.
• You might also like to try Instant Pot Popeye’s Cajun Rice.
• Recipe adapted from Food Hussy.

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3 More Instant Pot Beans and Rice Recipes to Try…

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