Instant Pot Red Beans and Ham is an instant delight! This meal is hearty, delicious, and the perfect way to use any leftover ham. We turn to the Instant Pot once again, because it’s such a breeze and gets dinner on the table in a fraction of the time it usually takes.

A serving of red beans and ham on a slice of sourdough bread.

Table of Contents

let’s make Instant This Recipe!
Are red beans good for you?
SOME OTHER RECIPES WE ARE SURE YOU WILL LOVE

Red beans and ham is a nutritious, budget-friendly meal the whole family will enjoy!

let’s make Instant This Recipe!

It doesn’t take much to make this warm and comforting pot of red beans and ham! The salty ham melds with the onion and garlic and makes this dish incredibly flavorful. It’s a classic recipe that requires less than 10 ingredients and only takes about half an hour of cook time.

We adapted this recipe from our original recipe for stove-top red beans and ham.

what you’ll need to make red beans and ham

vegetable oil
yellow onion
garlic cloves
vegetable or chicken broth
dry red beans (or red kidney beans)
whole dried bay leaves
salt
1-1/2 pound ham (either bone-in or boneless)

Do you soak beans before cooking in the Instant Pot?

We use dried red beans (you can also use red kidney beans) for this Instant Pot recipe and NO, there’s no soaking required! So, how do you cook beans in an Instant Pot? All you have to do is rinse the dried beans and they’re ready to use. It couldn’t be any easier!

If you choose to soak the beans then that works too. You can read about the benefits to soaking beans in our post for Instant Pot black beans.

Once the beans are ready to go, here’s how to make the red beans and ham in the Instant Pot:

Set the Instant Pot to “saute” and heat the oil. Sauté the onion and garlic, then add the broth and deglaze the pot.
Add the red beans and the rest of the ingredients, then seal the lid.
Cook on high pressure for 33 minutes (40 if using red kidney beans).
Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally (this will take about 20 minutes).
Remove the bay leaves, adjust the seasoning to taste, and then slice or shred the ham before serving.

Are red beans good for you?

Red beans are a low-fat, cholesterol-free source of plant protein. As stated on the American Heart Association, they’re also an excellent source of dietary fiber and support heart health.

Two servings of red beans and ham in shallow bowls.

Red beans are also very affordable, which means this meal is a great, budget-friendly way to feed a crowd! It’s also gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free, the ultimate crowd-pleaser of a dinner!

SOME OTHER RECIPES WE ARE SURE YOU WILL LOVE:

Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs – Our Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, easy peasy, and ready to enjoy in record time!
Orange Bourbon Glazed Ham – This baked ham is as amazing as it sounds! It’s savory and sweet and the glaze turns into a crisp, crunchy crust that’s baked to perfection.
One Pot Chicken Orzo – This one-pot meal is an incredibly flavorful, 30-minute pasta dish with a tasty combination of sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, and fresh kale.

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Instant Pot Red Beans and Ham

Red beans and ham is a delicious, budget-friendly meal that is full of fiber and low in fat. This nutritious recipe is even easier and faster to make in the Instant Pot. It is a great way to use leftover ham.

5 from 11 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 33

Additional Time: 20

Total Time: 1 3

Servings: servings

Calories: 241kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 yellow onion diced
4 to 5 cloves of garlic finely minced
3-¾ cups broth vegetable or chicken broth
1 pound dry red beans or red kidney beans
2 whole bay leaves
½ teaspoon salt
1-½ pound ham bone-in or boneless works fine

Instructions

Rinse the dried beans and pick out any pebbles if you find them.
Set the Instant Pot to ‘saute’ and add the vegetable oil.
When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute until soft. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the broth and deglaze the pot (scrape off the brown bits of onion on the bottom of the pot).
Add the red beans, bay leaves, salt and ham then seal the lid.
Cook on high pressure for 33 minutes (40 minutes if you’re using red kidney beans).
Let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally, about 20 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves, taste the beans and add more seasoning if needed.
Slice or shred the ham before serving.

Notes

When you add the broth, make sure to scrape off any cooked-on bits from the bottom of the pot or you will get a ‘burn’ message.
For extra smokey flavor, you can use a smoked ham hock.
If you choose to soak the beans overnight then reduce the cooking time to 18 minutes.