Red Beans and Rice
by Chungah
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Louisiana red beans and rice! With smoky andouille sausage, the holy trinity, and the creamiest red beans, topped with white rice.
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Why you’ll love this red beans and rice recipe
- Comfort food goodness. Firstly, this dish is quintessential comfort food, consisting of thick, creamy, tender beans, smoky andouille sausage, and Cajun seasoning.
- Budget-friendly. Red beans and rice is not only budget-friendly, but also incredibly filling, making it an economical, high protein, and high fiber dinner for the entire family to enjoy.
- Versatile and flexible. This recipe can easily be customized with different proteins or made vegetarian-friendly!
- Makes for the best leftovers. The flavors meld even more overnight, making for the most perfect leftovers and meal prep.
What is red beans and rice?
Red beans and rice is a classic Louisiana dish made with red beans, sausage, and the “holy trinity” (onions, bell pepper, and celery), typically served over white rice alongside cornbread and hot sauce.
Monday tradition
This dish was served on Mondays known as the “wash day” tradition, a day devoted to laundry. Cooking a pot of red beans, a slow cooked, no-fuss meal, allowed more time for chores to be completed.
How to make red beans and rice
- Cook the rice. Cook the rice to package instructions. Long grain white rice (ex. jasmine) is generally the gold standard for red beans and rice.
- Brown the sausage. While the rice is cooking, brown the sausage in batches until lightly browned; set aside.
- Add the holy trinity. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery until tender.
- Cook the aromatics. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and Cajun seasoning until fragrant.
- Simmer. Add the red beans, chicken stock, hot sauce, bay leaf, and cooked sausage, simmering for 15 minutes covered, and then an additional 15 minutes uncovered.
- Mash the beans. Using a wooden spoon, mash the beans for a creamier consistency.
- Serve. Top with the cooked rice, garnished with parsley, and served alongside some cornbread.
what to serve with red beans and rice
Red Beans and Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! 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.
I recommend using small red beans or kidney beans.
Traditionally red beans and rice is prepared with spicy andouille sausage but kielbasa is also a solid option.
The spice level can be adjusted to mild by using mild andouille sausage and omitting the hot sauce.
Absolutely! Similar to lasagna, red beans and rice taste better the very next day, allowing the flavors to meld and intensify overnight.
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
Video
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
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.
Equipment
Notes
- Serve with long grain white rice. Use long grain, basmati or jasmine rice – all light and fluffy to absorb and soak up the creamy, saucy beans. Avoid short grain, sushi rice or instant rice.
- Tomato paste adds so much flavor. Tomato paste adds body and richness in small amounts without adding too much liquid. Opt for tomato paste in a tube, using up only what you need at a time without having to open up a whole can.
- 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 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.
- Pair with cornbread. Serve with a scoop of rice and a side of cornbread, a quintessential pairing.
Did you make this recipe?
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I forgot to leave my 5 star rating on my comment. I got too excited.
This recipe is Damn Delicious. Even with my tweaks and omissions. It was perfection. Thank you!
I made this recipe and I was really glad for the guidance. It was very pleasant and forgiving as I put together the different ingredients!
Made this with Conecuh sausage – so good!!! I even had a brain cramp because I was distracted and forgot to drain my beans. Excellent recipe! Can’t wait to make it again!
This recipe is AWESOME and my family always asks for it when they come over. I put the rice and beans in a bowl and load up with shredded cheese and put under the broiler for a few mins to melt the cheese on top to take it to the next level!
This was very good. Very flavorful. It was a little spicy for me but next time I will leave out the hot sauce and others can add it to their bowl if they want.
I’ve made this at least a dozen times now. Consider it a family recipe. My kids even invite their friends over when red beans is on the menu – and I literally triple the recipe.
The recipe is literally perfect; fool proof. No adjustments or changes needed. Simply perfect.
Best red beans and rice recipe ever! I used 2 cups of chicken broth along with the bean juice from Goya’s red beans (I no longer drain and rinse canned beans or chickpeas). Also used 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning. Thanks again, Chungah & team!
This is my go-to rice and beans recipe. It does make a lot of sauce, can cut back to 2 cups broth if you don’t want it so “wet.
I love all the wonderful comments. I am specifically looking for a pronounced tomato flavor along with all the other ingredients and spices. Does this recipe have that tomato flavor or should I add the whole little can of tomato paste.
I absolutely love Red Beans and Rice. It’s always been my Comfort Food. This recipe is excellent, I left out the Green Peppers, Added a Lil more spice, and used Bacon Grease instead of Vegetables Oil. On my Goodness, it turned out Absolutely Wonderful. I will MOST DEFINITELY will be using this Recipe, Again!!!
I made it. Yummy. I substituted sausage for venison. I used cous cous instead of rice.
I added 2 cups of sugar and some bok Choy.
Switched out hot sauce for oyster sauce and boiled everything in red wine.
Great recipe!
How are you going to change the entire recipe then give it 5 stars? Some of yall are stupid.
Haha. Exactly my thoughts! They didn’t even make this recipe.
Haha. My thoughts exactly. They didn’t even make this recipe.
Seriously?? 2 cups of sugar!! what??
I don’t know what you made, but it isn’t this.
I have made this recipe MANY times. My husband could eat it morning, noon and night. I spice it up a bit more with crushed red pepper flakes. He loves heat. Wonderful recipe!!!
Made this for perhaps the 15th time today. I’m having an open-house for a St Patrick parade tomorrow, and several of my guests have called and asked if I’m making red beans again (since 2019 I’ve made this recipe)!
I use a pound of dried beans, cooked in the Instant Pot, instead of canned beans. Double the onions. Otherwise, the recipe is as printed. I also doubled the recipe
I made this yesterday and it was delicious! I used canned Pinto Beans and my husband loved it!
I’ve made this so many times and EVERY time it’s a huge success!! 10 out of 10 highly recommend!!
Delicious! The recipe is very straightforward and tastes like it’s been simmering forever. Perfectly balanced flavors. Every Damn Delicious recipe I’ve made is fabulous. I recommend DD all the time as the go to for “fool-proof” and delicious recipes. Thank you!!
Made this dish and it came together effortlessly and with ease with authentic flavor. It made the whole house smell the way our house smelled from my mom’s cooking growing up. Reminded me of how much I miss her. Thanks for the easy recipe and the little taste of nostalgia. From one Chicagoan to the next, you really are the best.
** followed instructions as is no mods but crushed the beans halfway through after first 15 mins for extra saucy finish. Added a hint of chipotle Tabasco.
Cheers,
Vanessa
It’s 25° outside and so I spent a lazy day slow cooking this. Delicious – real comfort food.
Used Kielbasa and still delish.