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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This is the best red beans and rice I have ever had, hands down. So flavorful and easy to make. I’ve been to New Orleans four times and have never had red beans and rice that compare. Side note, if you can get your hands on it, savannah sausage andouille is fantastic. The only other that I think compares is Registers in the panhandle of FL.
Don’t make this! It is TOO DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!! We used smoked turkey wing instead of sausage, cut the salt in half and used the cauliflower rice. Absolutely fabulous! Even my picky “I only want peanut butter and jelly!” sandwich eater ate some without complaint.
First time making red beans and rice without it being from zatirans ha. This was a good hearty supper. The family loved it! I made it this in my Dutch oven/crockpot that is removable. I added bacon In there to add some Smokey notes and followed the rest of the recipe. Will make again! Thanks!!
Wow. This was SO so good. I doubled it, to make extras for lunches this week.The only change I made was to use cilantro-lime rice to top the red beans with. We are happily eating leftovers!
Excellent recipe. My only change was to add a tsp of oregano, thyme, and ground sage.
Damn delicious!!
Made this tonight and it was perfect. Didn’t add hot sauce because the andouille sausage was spicy enough for my kids. We LOVED it and this is the PERFECT quick red and rice recipe! Took me 15 minutes to get everything into a pot. (A timesaver is to use half a package of frozen prechopped trinity veg mix or creole mix-a mix of celery, onion, and green bell peppers)
I made a triple batch of this last week – two to give away to friends and one to keep for ourselves. I mostly followed the recipe, but we used regular white rice instead of basmati, and for one friend used kielbasa instead of andouille. RAVE reviews all around. We just finished the last of the leftovers and my husband and I already want it again. Definitely going into the regular rotation!
Delicious. Will definitely make again.
This was delicious. Forgot the celery and didn’t add the tomato paste. Also used red pepper instead of green. So yummy!!! Can’t wait to make it again!
I really enjoy your blog and recipes. I grew up with a Cajun mom. Red beans and rice does not use tomato paste. Never have seen this addition. The rest of the recipe is correct. Best made with dried small red beans soaked overnight. Try a smoked turkey drumstick to replace andouille sausage which can be greasy. The smoked turkey breaks down and add a wonderful Smokey non pork flavor. Easy Cooked in crockpot
Made it almost as written, but used a red pepper, and full salt Cajun spice (it’s what I had). Omitted the kosher salt. OMG YUM!
Oh, I also used soaked dry beans and insta potted it! Creamy spicy comfort.
This is amazing ! Made just as recipe shows , except added a bit more homemade Cajun seasoning And tomato paste. Also I don’t eat sausage, but even without sausage it is amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Very easy to make; lots of flavor
I just made these today. I’ve been searching for a recipe. I found one where I spent so much money on ingredients and it took me all day to make. And they were NOT good! But THIS recipe is GOLD!! I was hesitant to try it but so glad I did. I changed nothing. It’s absolutely wonderful. Thank you! ♥️
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Great recipe! Made it last night because I too had a craving for those New Orleans flavors. I only used one can of kidney beans and made my own Cajun seasonings, all was well! The flavor hit the spot and my son had two big helpings.
I was a little hesitant to try and make this because I live with the worlds pickest eater and onions and bell peppers are a major no go. I’ve been craving it and tonight I finally thought I’d give it a try (I too love Louisiana and all it’s great cooking) Worst case scenario, I’d have left overs for a few days (oh darn, more for me ) I ended up pureeing the onion so I could keep the flavor and I chopped the bell peppers into bigger pieces so that I could still enjoy them but my other half could still pick them out. Other then that I kept the recipe exactly as is. My boyfriend ended up eating 3 helpings! He kept telling me how delicious and “addicting” it was. No sooner were the dishes cleared, then he was asking when I was going to make it again. Needless to say, this recipe will definitely be one added to the rotation list.
I made this recipe several times. Followed it to the letter. I think it’s important to get good sausage as I use 100% pork hot andouille sausage. Even with the hot sauce it is the perfect amount of heat keeping in mind not everyone likes spicy food. If you are looking for a red beans and rice recipe definitely make this. It taste so delicious especially when you mix it with jasmine rice. Creamy and delightful. I found this recipe two weeks ago and tonight will be my fourth time making it. Its that good.
Have you tried making this in an instant pot? Curious on the cook time
I used dry beans (soaked overnight). 25 minutes was perfect!
Absolutely delicious!