Instant Pot Copycat Popeye's Red Beans and Rice

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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. If needed, thin out the beans with more water.

Serve the beans topped with hot cooked rice and a drop or two of hot sauce.