Red Beans and Rice
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So thick, so creamy and so flavorful! The beans are cooked just right – perfectly tender, served with rice and smoky andouille sausage.
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I kind of have a thing for Louisiana. I don’t know if it’s all the beignets and the powdered sugar I leave on my pants or if it’s the classic red beans and rice, but I keep returning to this state again and again.
We just got back last week and I’m ready for another trip back. But until then, I’ll be making the creamiest (and quickest) red beans and rice every. single. day.
tips and tricks for success
- Use small red beans or kidney beans. Soaking dry beans is not required here. Canned red beans (or kidney beans) allows this recipe to come together so so fast, making it a true weeknight hero.
- Mash the beans. Add the finishing touches by mashing up about 1 cup of the softened beans off to the side of the pot – this is what makes the red beans and rice so thick and velvety creamy.
- Make it vegetarian. For our vegetarian friends, substitute plant-based sausage for the andouille sausage, and vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
- Serve with cornbread. Serve with a scoop of rice and a side of cornbread, a quintessential pairing.
what to serve with red beans and rice
Red Beans and Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! There is no need for an overnight or quick soak here. This is a super quick recipe using canned red beans – perfect for when you just don’t have the time to soak dry beans.
We recommend using small red beans or kidney beans.
Traditionally red beans and rice is prepared with spicy andouille sausage but you can substitute any sausage (such as kielbasa) to your liking.
The spice level can be adjusted to mild by using mild andouille sausage and omitting the hot sauce.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the rice (or else they will get mushy) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked rice when serving.
Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning, salt-free
- 3 (15-ounce) cans small red beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, add sausage, and cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes; set aside.
- Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic and Cajun seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in red beans, chicken stock, hot sauce, bay leaf and sausage; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover; continue to simmer until reduced, an additional 15 minutes.
- Using a wooden spoon, mash beans until slightly thickened, if desired; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, topped with rice and garnished with parsley, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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This was so good, my husband thought I had used my usual recipe that takes hours! I prepared exactly as written, except it used 2 cans of beans because that’s all I had. ( I did let it simmer longer, only because I was waiting on him to get home.)
Easy and delicious. Used regular pre-cooked smoked sausage and white rice.
I made this last night with rave reviews. We pretty much followed the recipe to a T. Instead of andouille sausage we used conecuh sausage, a local brand of smoked sausage. It was really good! I doubled the recipe and fed 8 people with a good amount of leftovers remaining. One bowl is extremely filling with rice and cornbread soaked in. I would highly recommend this recipe.
Conecuh is so much better than andouille!!
I had to cook this on the fly tonight. I always just use a box mix for my red beans and rice. Imagine my dismay tonight when I went to the pantry and I had no box of RB&R!
Oh, by the way, my sausage was already cooking!
I found this recipe and my husband has declared that I should stop the box!
I did not have a bay leaf, so I threw in some Oregano. I also just threw in some Minute Rice at the end because I am lazy! I do think next time I will use beef broth instead of chicken, but it was still delish.
I highly recommend!
Absolutely delicious. Do not alter it. The andouille beans in my area are from Dibrova and is fantastic for this recipe. A family favorite and now Expanding into the neighborhood for Cajun / New Orleans block dinner
So easy! So delicious! I will make this again and again!
Made this for dinner one night and WOW! So good! Excellent flavor and the tip of mashing up 1 cup of beans was great!
I’ve made this recipe on four separate occasions over the course of several months, and it has drawn rave reviews every time. I like to add a little more kick than the recipe calls for by adding a teaspoon of cayenne, smoky paprika and a squirt of lemon juice. So easy to make and so yummy. This coming from a guy who loves cajun and creole food!
Over the course of the summer, I made this on four separate occasions. It drew rave reviews every time. I like to add a little more kick then the recipe calls for by adding a teaspoon of cayenne, smoky paprika and a squirt of lemon juice. So easy to make and so yummy. This coming from a guy who loves cajun and creole food!
I am not one to normally leave reviews…good or bad, but I just had to tell you how much we enjoyed this recipe! I made this for my family tonight, and I made it according to the recipe exactly, and it left us full and looking forward to leftovers for tomorrow before our bellies have even had the chance to digest! It is soooo good! Hands down the best Red Beans and Rice recipe i have tried yet! Thank you for sharing…we will absolutely be making this again, probably real soon, lol!
Oh love this recipe. I had to modify just a little because there were a couple of spices I didn’t have ( onion salt or jasmine rice). I skipped the onion salt and used brown long grain rice. My daughter and I were working on genealogy. My grandmother and mother in law are both from the southern states. In honor of them!
Just a thought. My friend is a chef in an upscale restaurant in Minneapolis. He has mad this recipe and his tip is to use a potato masher or other kitchen “tool” to mash about 13 of the beans, after they have cooked long enough to soften. Doing this thickens the dish to a more stew-like consistency and gives it a velvety texture.
This is a great red beans and rice recipe. I use kielbasa instead of andouille because my wife can’t do hot but it’s still really good
Shared it with a Louisana native and she loveddddd it as well as my young college child. It’s a winner!
This was amazing. So easy to make and tasted delicious!!
I don’t usually write reviews but because we ALL thought this recipe was AH-mazing, I had to leave a comment and say that this has been our favorite pandemic new recipe. I used Ragin’ Cajun andouille sausage and Tony Cachere’s seasoning. Wouldn’t change a thing. Delicious!
Amazingly easy recipe!! Turned it perfect. I wanted something fresh and home made, not Zataranz out of a box. It hit the spot!!
A mini can of spicy V-8 substituted for part of the chicken stock gives this outstanding dish just the right amount of heat
Amazing!!! Can’t stop eating. This recipe is quick and delicious. Thanks for making a new family dinner favorite!
I do declare, this was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten! I made this last night and my husband and I couldn’t stop saying how delicious it was. I made the recipe as written (but used dried small red beans) and the Cajun seasoning I used was a recipe from “Oh She Glow”s (her 10-spice recipe). Thank you for sharing this brilliant recipe, I will definitely make it again!