Made in just 45 minutes, this Red Beans and Rice recipe has all the creamy, smoky depth of the authentic Louisiana dish using a streamlined weeknight-easy method.
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On a trip to New Orleans, we ate at Liuzza’s by the Track and ordered more than we could eat. We were curious, and everything on the menu was reasonably priced. We loved the gumbo, the étouffée and the shrimp remoulade. But what surprised me most was the red beans and rice. It was so good that I came home determined to make it myself.
I tested it a few different ways, and three things made the difference: use canned beans and keep their liquid, mash some of the beans as they simmer, and season at the end. The result is a pot of Red Beans and Rice that’s ready in 45 minutes and tastes like it’s been on the stove all afternoon.
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
- Hands-on time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Method: Stovetop
- Skill level: Easy
Ingredients for Red Beans and Rice
- Long-Grain White Rice: I use long-grain white rice because the grains stay fluffy and separate in the saucy beans.
- Andouille Sausage: This variety of sausage is your shortcut to authentic flavor, with fat, smoke, spices and a little heat. If you want something milder, kielbasa works really well too.
- Bacon: Just two strips of bacon give you that cured pork depth that you’d get from a ham hock in the traditional, long-simmered versions.
- The Holy Trinity: Onion, celery, and green bell pepper form the base of just about every Creole and Cajun dish, and this one’s not exception.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic. Even on a busy weeknight it’s worth a couple of extra minutes.
- Creole or Cajun Seasoning: I alternate between these seasoning blends and always use a salt-free version so I can season to taste with salt at the end. If your blend has salt, be sure to taste at the end before you add any more.
- Bay Leaves: These don’t add a strong bay flavor, just a subtle warmth, but I’ve tried it without them and it’s not quite the same.
- Canned Red Kidney Beans: Don’t drain them. The liquid works so well as a natural thickener. Dried red beans need a sustained boil to be safe to eat (more on that below), but canned beans are already cooked, so you can use them in quick recipes like this.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth: Adds liquid and body to the dish, but gives you control over the final seasoning.
Why Not Make Red Beans and Rice in a Slow Cooker?
I first planned this as a slow cooker recipe. Then I learned that dried red kidney beans have a toxin, phytohemagglutinin, that only a hard boil gets rid of. A slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough, and cooking the beans at low heat can make the problem worse.
Canned beans are already fully cooked, so they’re safe in a quick recipe like this one. If you prefer dried beans, the FDA says to soak them first for at least 5 hours, then boil them in fresh water for at least 30 minutes. After that, simmer until tender before you build the dish.
How to Make Red Beans and Rice
Build the flavor base: Brown the sausage in a large pot, then remove. In the same pot, render the bacon until crisp, then stir in the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until fully softened and fragrant. Add the garlic and seasoning and cook just until aromatic.
Simmer and thicken: Add the beans with their liquid, broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then turn it down to a steady simmer. As it cooks, mash about a third of the beans against the side of the pot with your spoon. You want it thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Finish and adjust: Remove the bay leaves and taste for salt and seasoning. Add either or both at the end if needed. Spoon over hot rice and sprinkle on green onions and hot sauce if you like.
Pro Tips
- Stir along the bottom near the end: Once the beans start to thicken, be sure to stir and scrape the bottom of the pot often so they don’t stick and scorch.
- Don’t skip the rest: I always let the pot sit off the heat for a few minutes before serving to let the dish settle and get slightly thicker.
- Add acid if it tastes flat: If the flavor is off or a little dull at the end, a few dashes of hot sauce works wonders. The vinegar in hot sauce cuts through the pork fat and wakes up the spices.
- Start your rice first: Always time your rice before you start the beans. You don’t want your perfect beans sitting there while you wait for rice.
- If it’s too salty: Stir in a little water and simmer briefly.
Recipe Variations
- Lighter Option: Use smoked turkey sausage and sauté the vegetables in olive oil with a pinch of smoked paprika.
- Creamier Texture: Instead of large kidney beans, use small red beans. They have thinner skins and break down into a smoother sauce.
- More Heat: Cajun seasoning has more kick than Creole. For even more heat, add ¼ teaspoon cayenne with either one.
Storage and Reheating
Red Beans and Rice are even better the next day. I store the beans and rice separately in the refrigerator for up to 4 days so the rice stays fluffy. (Note that 4 days is the absolute max for rice because it spoils quickly.) The beans freeze well for up to 3 months, but I make fresh rice when I’m ready to serve them. Reheat the beans gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water if you need it to loosen the sauce.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice (about 6 cups cooked; recipe note #1)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces andouille sausage or other smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
- 2 strips bacon thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 ribs celery finely diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning, salt-free (recipe note #2)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans or small red beans, do not drain (recipe note #3)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or more as needed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- hot sauce for serving
- thinly sliced green onions for garnish, optional
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cook the rice. Start the rice first; cook according to package directions so it’s hot when the beans finish.
- Brown the sausage. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add sausage; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Render bacon and sauté the trinity. Add bacon to the same pot; cook and stir until the fat renders and edges crisp, 3-4 minutes. Stir in onion, celery, and bell pepper; cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and Creole/Cajun seasoning; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Simmer. Return sausage (and any juices) to the pot. Add beans with their liquid, bay leaves, and broth. Scrape up any browned bits and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.
- Mash and thicken. Uncover and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Mash some beans against the side of the pot to make it creamy. If too thick, splash in more broth; if thin, simmer a few minutes longer. Remove bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper last (you may not need much).
- Serve. Spoon beans over hot rice. Garnish with green onions and parsley, and pass hot sauce at the table.
Notes
- Rice amount: 2 cups uncooked rice makes about 6 cups cooked—roughly ¾ cup per serving. Cooking for big appetites? Make a little extra.
- Creole vs. Cajun seasoning: Cajun blends are usually spicier; Creole is more herb-forward. I start with 2 teaspoons and adjust to taste.
- About the bean liquid: Using the can liquid makes the pot creamy fast, but it’s salty. For lower sodium, drain and rinse the beans and start with 1 1/2 cups low-sodium broth instead. Add more as needed.
- Heat options: For extra kick, add ¼ teaspoon cayenne with the seasoning or keep the hot sauce handy.
- Pork-free option: Use smoked turkey sausage. Skip the bacon and cook the veggies in 1 tablespoon olive oil with ½ teaspoon smoked paprika for a hint of smoke.
- Make-ahead & storage: Beans keep 4 days in the refrigerator and freeze well (beans only) up to 3 months. Store rice separately so it stays fluffy. Rewarm beans gently with a splash of broth or water.
- Prevent scorching: As the beans thicken, scrape the bottom when you stir. It keeps the starch from catching.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
