Red Beans and Rice
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
So thick, creamy, flavorful! 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.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Isn’t it against the law in the South to make Red Beans & Rice on any day but Monday? haha I’m gonna wait till Monday just to be on the safe side!
I made this last Sunday (I know, it’s traditionally a Monday dish, but it was rainy and cool so a good day for cooking) based on ingredients I could find in the Philippines: red kidney beans, Hungarian sausage instead of andouille, mild Spanish peppers instead of green bell, some Knorr liquid seasoning instead of celery (it has a strong celery flavor, and McCormick Grill Mates Cajun marinade mix powder. I added thyme, cayenne and Spanish paprika. You do what you gotta do. I made a big batch so I used double everything and then some. It came out pretty good flavor-wise but the texture of the kidney beans is too chewy. I managed to mash some of them up against the side of the pot for thickening, at least. I’ll be eating the last of the leftovers tonight.
Are red beans the same as kidney beans?
Jay, you should add your recipe to a blog. It looks to me like it is a different recipe.
I was born in South Louisiana so red beans & rice is a staple in our weekly menu. Good for you for browning the sausage first! Adds really good flavor and not a step to skip. I never thought of using canned red beans but that’s a good shortcut. My only question is the tomato paste – but I might try that as an extra layer of flavor. Now add some cornbread and put some Tabasco on the table when you serve it and you could be an Honorary Cajun!
Easy & delicious! I followed the recommendations of others and only used 2 cups of stock, came out perfect
Excellent recipe! We loved all the flavors. Like several other reviewers, I only used 2 cups chicken stock and it was perfect.
I used dried red beans, not kidney beans, and I cooked them a day ahead of time in my crockpot.
I wanted to make your Buttermilk Cornbread recipe to go with the red beans and rice, but I forgot to buy cornmeal; it would have been so good. Next time though.
Thanks for another excellent recipe.
I made this last night and it was terrific. I’ve never had red beans and rice before so I am only guessing on how it should taste. I like it a little bit spicier so add more hot sauce if you do too. This seems like a dish that will be even better the next day when the flavors can meld even more.
I made this today for the first time and it came out delicious! I followed the recipe with the exception of cups of chicken stock, I only used 2 as some others suggested and I’m glad I did, 3 works too but to reduce, you’d have to simmer a lot longer. Flavor, consistency were all there, I would definitely make this again.
I also only used 2 cups of chicken broth. The reason I did that was because my Dutch oven was too small and the next size up was too big so I went for 2 cups and I realized I wouldn’t have needed a 3rd! Other than that I kept the recipe just the same. Oh! Well, I did use regular Tony’s .. didn’t have salt free so I used low sodium chicken broth and that balanced out nicely.
This recipe is really great!
The only change I made was to brown 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I cut into bite-sized chunks rubbed in cajun seasoning and toss them in along with the sausage.
Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly and it was wonderful.
The chicken came out shockingly tender, too!
I’ve cooked red beans and rice for years. This the best recipe I’ve tried. Ever.
Good tucker, mate!
I made the red beans and rice dish last night (I added some shredded chicken) excellent recipe!
Thanks for posting haven’t tried this but it even sounds damn delicious I diffidently will be cooking this!!!
Damn Delicious is absolutely the best way to describe this dish!! instead of the sausage it says to use I substituted it with cracked black pepper beef smoked sausage by hillshire farm. This dish was
a HIT in my household!
This is WONDERFUL! My family wants me to make it all the time! I make my own Cajun seasoning, but other than that, I stick to the recipe.
Your recipe is delicious but everyone knows you really need to do the dry Camila Beans
Minnette,
I have those beans in my pantry. Did you use them, and if so, the entire 1 pound bag, and at what stage of cooking?
Thank you kindly,
Allison
True to its name, this dish is “Damn Delicious!” I thought for sure we would have leftovers for a couple of days, but it was all gone on day one. This will definitely make it into our regular meal rotation. Thanks for sharing this awesomeness!
This recipe was easy, and the flavors were wonderful. But I followed it exactly and found it too soupy for my taste – not creamy at all. Next time I’ll try reducing the broth by at least a cup, and pureeing a cup or so of the cooked beans in a food processor, rather than mashing them against the side of the pot, which didn’t thicken it at all. Otherwise, it’s very flavorful.
Absolutely delish!!
Being southern I did however saute some bacon in the Dutch oven to get my oil needed and added even more flavor.. thanks so much for sharing!!
I highly recommend two or three tablespoons of butter for the sautéing.
I’m going to use the recipe but I’m going to use dried red beans.
Thank you for your recipe
You have done it again!
SO amazing and easy yet delicious!
Thank you!