Growing up in Louisiana, I had the privilege of being around two grandmothers who loved hard and were awesome cooks. One of the most memorable dishes my grandmothers made was their white (navy) beans. I wanted to share my version of a recipe that brought me so many memories — Cajun White Beans made using my Instant Pot.
Most bean recipes take quite a bit of time to prepare. First, you have to soak your beans for hours as this shortens the cooking time. Soaking doesn’t add to the flavor or texture so it’s great that the Instant Pot helps speed up the process exponentially. It’s a pretty simple recipe to pull together because the Instant Pot removes most of the effort.
Making my Cajun White Beans using an Instant Pot:
- Start with cooking your onions until they are translucent in the Instant Pot (in Saute mode).
- Once the onions cook down you can slowly begin to add the remaining ingredients.
- Be sure to add your Cajun seasoning bag last before closing the lid. This makes it easier to remove the bag after the beans are done. To minimize/eliminate any spillage, slowly remove the bag using a large spoon. In case the bag opens while cooking, using a spoon also makes it easier to remove any excess.
- When your beans are done cooking, release the pressure slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, then allow it to quickly vent any remaining pressure by switching the valve to “venting”.
The flavors you get from the combination of the coconut milk and the Cajun seasonings will have you feeling just like you’re at a mom and pop restaurant in southern Louisiana. When you want a recipe that will leave the entire family satisfied give this Instant Pot Cajun White Bean recipe a try and you will not regret it.
Looking for other bean recipes? Try my Southern Red Beans & Rice!
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Instant Pot Cajun White Beans
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 7 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
Cajun White Beans combining coconut milk and Cajun seasonings resulting in an Instant Pot recipe full of flavor. Makes for the perfect meal or side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Navy Beans
- 3 cup Chicken Stock
- 15 oz. Coconut Milk
- 1/2 cup Onion
- 1/2 cup Green Onions
- 1 Zatarain’s Crab Boil Bag (3 oz.)
- 13 oz. Beef Sausage
- 3 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1/8 tsp Red Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground All Spice
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot on Saute mode (Normal) and wait until it displays “Hot”.
- Chop your onions, then add butter, chopped onions, green onions and minced garlic into Instant Pot. Cook until translucent.
- Slice your beef sausage into small cubes and add to the Instant Pot. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Change your mode setting on the Instant Pot to Slow Cook for 45 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot placing the Cajun Seasoning bag on the top before closing the lip.
- Once the beans are done cooking, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally (slowly) for 25-30 minutes and then switch the Pressure Release/Quick Release valve to “venting” to quickly release any remaining pressure.
- Using a large spoon, carefully remove the Cajun seasoning bag. Serve immediately with rice.
Notes
If the Cajun seasoning bag breaks during cooking, using a large spoon, make sure you have removed any excess that could have spilled out.
I use the Instant Pot DUO Plus 60, 6 Qt 9-in-1 for this recipe.
- Category: Beans
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Calories: 434
- Sugar: 3.5g
- Sodium: 722mg
- Fat: 19.2g
- Carbohydrates: 42.5g
- Fiber: 16.2g
- Protein: 23.4g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: Cajun White Beans, Instant Pot beans, white beans, beans, navy beans
Your first instructions say manual release then in the cooking directions it says slow then manual. Which one do you do?
Hello Michele. For this recipe, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally (slowly) for 25-30 minutes and then switch the Pressure Release/Quick Release valve to “venting” to quickly release any remaining pressure. Hope this helps!
★★★★★
In step 4 of the directions you say to use the “slow cooker” function….Shouldn’t that be the “pressure cook” function?
Hello Sue. I have the Instant Pot DUO Plus 60, 6 Qt 9-in-1. My Instant Pot has a “Slow Cook” function/mode and one for “Pressure Cook” as well. I use Slow Cook for this recipe.
Eric, That doesn’t make any sense. “Slow Cook” isn’t a pressure function. In step 6 you give directions for releasing the pressure, but there wouldn’t be any pressure on “slow cook”. Also, on “Slow Cook” I doubt the dry beans would get cooked in 45 minutes.
Sue, because I am using the standard Instant Pot lid and closing the valve to lock in the moisture and steam, it is theoretically “pressure cooking”. You are right. However, I did use the “Slow Cook” function with the valve closed and released the steam at the end. This process has consistently produced great tasting beans. I admit this method may sound counterintuitive, but it’s the way I prepare them. Others would use a glad lid (or leave the valve all the way open), which would negate the need to release the pressure and truly be “slow cooking”; which would also require a longer cooking time. I hope I am not confusing you here, but let me know if this is not clear. 🙂