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Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice is classic comfort food, cooked up Louisiana style for a hearty and delicious meal. Kidney beans are slow simmered with garlic, onions, bell peppers, celery and Cajun spices served over rice to create a family favorite meal.

Plate of cornbread with bowl of red beans and rice

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Red Beans and Rice

Nothing is more satisfying than sitting down to a big bowl of comfort food at the end of the work day. Red Beans and Rice and Crawfish Pie  are two of our favorites and the kind of recipes that you will want to make again and again.

Just take me to the recipe! Scroll all the way to the bottom for the full printable recipe card. Otherwise read on for step by step photos to making Red Beans and Rice!

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How to Make Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients collage for red beans and rice, peppers, onions, celery, smoked sausage and beans

  • Rinse and sort kidney beans. Soak in water for 10 minutes. Drain and cover with 6 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook 30 minutes. Cooked vegetables in a skillet for red beans and riced
  • Add olive oil to a skillet and place over medium heat. Add diced onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic. Cook stirring often until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. diced smoked sausage in a skillet
  • Add diced smoked sausage (our homemade andouille sausage works great )to skillet and cook over medium heat, about 5 minutes or until sausage just starts to brown. Pan of red beans and rice with peppers and onions
  • Add vegetables and smoked sausage to beans. Lower beans to a high simmer. Add 2 more cups of chicken broth, a bay leaf and Blackened Seasoning. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally. Add additional chicken broth if needed. Cook until beans are tender, about 3- 4 hours.
  • Remove bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over cooked rice.

Red Beans with smoked sausage

In Louisiana, red beans and rice would traditionally be cooked up on Mondays with the leftover pork from Sunday’s dinner. By simmering the smoked sausage with the beans as they cook, you will get some of the smoky goodness from the sausage to flavor the beans.

We used the homemade venison smoked sausage for this recipe. You can use andouille or regular smoked sausage to make red beans and rice.

Red beans and rice with cornbread slice

Can you use canned beans to make red beans and rice?

If you aren’t into cooking dry beans, you can use canned beans. Rinse the beans and adjust the cooking time to about 45 minutes and reduce chicken broth to 4 cups. Substitute 4 16 oz cans of canned beans for 1 pound of dried beans.

Pot of red beans and rice and bowl with cornbread

More Comfort Food Dishes to Try:

  • Homemade Chicken and Dumplings right from my mom’s recipe box with light and fluffy dumplings and a rich and creamy broth.
  • Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup has all of the classic flavors of stuffed bell peppers in a delicious soup that is served over rice. A quick and easy dinner that the whole family will love.
  • BBQ Meatloaf is is stuffed with sautéd peppers, onions and garlic and basted with homemade barbecue sauce. Easy to make on the grill or in the oven.
  • Spanish Rice with Ground Beef is a quick and easy comfort food meal to make with a pound of ground beef.
  • Purple Hull Peas with Boudin is a hearty comfort food meal for any night of the week. Amazing served up with a pan of cornbread.

Red Beans and Rice and cornbread

More Cajun Recipes to Try:

  • Blackened Shrimp Po Boys are a quick and easy dinner that will get the family running to the table. Cajun spiced shrimp and creamy coleslaw on a toasted hoagie bun. So good!
  • Blackened Chicken Tacos will take your taco night to a whole new level. Cajun spiced chicken with classic taco toppings are flavorful and delicious.
  • Cajun Smoked Turkey is loaded with flavor. Perfect for holiday dinners or to create the ultimate turkey sandwiches!
  • Blackened Pork Chops are crazy delicious. Great for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
  • Boudin is a classic Cajun sausage recipe that starts with ground pork, rice and the holy trinity. Made into sausage links or boudin balls.

If you are craving comfort food, give this easy Red Beans and Rice recipe a try for supper this week!

beans and rice with cornbread

If you love this Recipe as much as I do, please leave a comment and a five star review, and be sure to help me share on Pinterest!

Yield: 8 servings

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice is classic comfort food, cooked up Louisiana style for a hearty and delicious meal. Kidney beans are slow simmered with garlic, onions, bell peppers, celery and Cajun spices served over rice to create a family favorite meal.

Red Beans and Rice is classic comfort food, cooked up Louisiana style for a hearty and delicious meal. Kidney beans are slow simmered with garlic, onions, bell peppers, celery and Cajun spices served over rice to create a family favorite meal. 

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Rinse and sort kidney beans and place in a large bowl. Cover with water and soak for 10 minutes.
  2. Strain beans and place in a dutch oven or stock pot. Add 6 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook 30 minutes. 
  3. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add diced onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic. Cook stirring often about 10 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. 
  4. To the same skillet, add smoked sausage and cook over medium heat, about 5 minutes or until sausage just starts to brown. 
  5. Lower beans to a high simmer and stir in smoked sausage and vegetables.
  6. Add remaining 2 cups of chicken broth, a bay leaf and Blackened Seasonings. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until beans are tender, about 3-4 hours. Adding more chicken broth or water if needed. You don't want the beans to cook dry.
  7. Remove bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over cooked rice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 551Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 1448mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 10gSugar: 7gProtein: 25g

Nutritional calculations are estimated and may not be accurate.

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One Comment

  1. Those beans with all those ingredients look so good! Can’t wait to cook them. Know my family will enjoy your recipe. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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