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.
Featured Comment
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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AMAZING!!! Made it as written—except I used avocado oil as I was out of EVOO! YUM!
Loved this! Easy and so flavorful. Thanks for sharing!
We really liked this quick and tasty recipe. Forgive me, instead of red beans I used leftover small white beans I’d cooked up the day before. To me, beans have different textures, but color doesn’t really matter. I also used some jalapeño and cheddar smoked sausage, but otherwise followed the recipe. Gosh it was good. Our rice servings were too generous, so next time I will use less rice per bowl. Definitely making this again!
As a guy from New Orleans, who never learned how to cook, (I know, but my ex did all the cooking), this has been a godsend for me. I’ve fixed it as written, and I’ve also cooked the dry beans myself. Frankly, there isn’t much difference, that I can tell.
I’ve used commercial chicken stock in the box, and I’ve now gone to using chicken boullion cubes, and, once again, I find no difference. I omit the salt from the recipe, allowing those to add their own (I add none). Louisiana Fish Fry cajun seasoning, and Crystal hot sauce, are my go-to’s from home…
As I’m living in Wisconsin currently, these Midwesterners absolutely LOVE this recipe…as do I…..
I’m bringing it to a dinner party in a couple of days, by request…again……
This is spot on. I used Creole seasoning instead of Cajun, it was spectacular still. Also, Zatarains has their own sausage out, I bougth that and it was perfect. Now I need to get into a food coma. Thank you for the recipe!
Found this recipe from Google and I LOVED it as does my wife. I also subbed smoked sausage for the meat didn’t have the celery, used Tony Chachere’s Carole seasoning and it turned out fantastic!
Delicious! I used the cajun style andoulli sausage and didn’t have parsley or basmati rice. I used brown rice. I’ll use this recipe from now on and will buy basmati rice because I like the texture.
Another rice that’s good is Jasmine if you cannot fine Basmati
I’ve been looking for a red bean recipe that would come close to how my mother made it and this is the closest I’ve found. It’s delicious. I used Spanich Chorizo instead of the andouille sausage and left out the hot sauce.
Made this tonight! Added a little rice to thicken it a bit! Will definitely make again!!
Outstanding. Added some anco chile while simmering. Will definitely make this again. Was even better the second day.
I made this tonight and it was SO GOOD! I found this recipe after a google search; I’ve been craving red beans and rice, and was not wanting to go for the boxed version. I made a few slight changes – I left out the celery because I’m not a fan of the taste. I also substituted smoked beef/pork sausage for the andouille, because my local store was out of andouille. When I browned the sausage, I generously sprinkled Ground cayenne and ground red pepper flakes on both sides of the sausage, which really added to the overall flavor, as it sort of infused the olive oil. Also, I did not need to add any salt or pepper- maybe it was the sausage that I used, but it would’ve been too salty if I had added it. I also served with brown rice. I will definitely be making this again, maybe even with added veggies for a bit more nutrition. Thank you for this!
So you made a completely different recipe. SMH
Look no further, folks. This is THE recipe to use. My husband couldn’t stop saying how damn delicious it is. I don’t know what inspired me to make red beans and rice on a hot, humid day, but they eat it in New Orleans all year, right? I followed the recipe as written, and this is easy and amazingly delicious. I expect tomorrow will be even better. Next time I will mash up a few more beans, and let it rest and cool down a bit before digging in, but it looked and smelled so good we couldn’t wait. Just forget all the alterations and follow the recipe, including the full teaspoon of hot sauce (I used Tobasco.) Spiciness was spot on. I was so hungry for some good New Orleans red beans and rice, and this did not disappoint.
Delicious and easy are the best 2 things you could hope for in a recipe. This red beans and rice accomplished both. I will definitely make it again.
This is easy to make, tastes delicious and is even better the next day! I’m making it again!
This was delicious, a big hit with my husband too! I used 1 lb of precooked dried beans and cooked chicken andouille sausage (all I could find). I made it as directed but added a chopped jalapeño in with the sautéed veges. This will be great to freeze in smaller containers for future meals too! I will be making this one again! Thank you for the great recipe!
Total winner. This will be added to the regular rotation! I used packaged smoked sausage, since I couldn’t find andoiulle. It came out great still. Thanks!! Love your recipes!
Delicious and easy to make. Actually, cooking the basmati was the hardest part! LOL.
I did edit slightly in that I used two largish jalapeno peppers instead of a green bell pepper, and I used 2 cans of kidney beans and about the same amount again of dried beans which I cooked in my pressure cooker…these sort of took the place of smashing the beans with the wooden spoon, because my pressure cooker beans always come out mushy! The different textures of the canned and fresh beans really works, though! Oh, and for hot sauce I used sirracha. And I used a polska kielbasa instead of chorizo, because that’s what I had. And homemade chicken stock. I am telling you, this is the easiest most delicious recipe I have made in a while. Thank you! With two teenage men in the house, it will be gone by tomorrow for sure.
When we first made this, we weren’t expecting to be as good as it was! I think we each had 3 servings the first time! One thing extra we do: fry bacon, saute veggies in bacon fat, and brown the tomato paste if enough liquid evaporated off during the saute. Next, I’m going to try it in the instant pot!
Has anybody made this without the sausage? Any suggestions?
This is amazing. We use a lb of dried red beans and cook it all for 90 minutes to 2 hours in about 9 cups of water. Other than using the dried beans instead of canned, we make it according to the recipe, and it’s amazing. I haven’t seen many recipes that include tomato paste, and to me that’s the great difference maker for this recipe.
Some people use ham or smoked chicken instead of sausage.
Yes, I made it with ham the first time. My son liked it but I didn’t think it was as good.
Easy to follow recipe. Smells good…easy to make!