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What happens in New Orleans shouldn’t stay in New Orleans if it’s as delicious as Red Beans and Rice. Learn how to make weeknight Red Beans and Rice in just 40 minutes (that tastes like it’s been simmering all day).
While Red Beans and Rice is a Monday tradition in many homes and restaurants in New Orleans, the origin story actually begins during Sunday supper. On Sunday, man cooks would roast ham, and come Monday, the leftover ham bone would be put to use alongside red beans to simmer low and slow all day until dinner.
The classic preparation calls for red beans, ham and perhaps other pork products, vegetables, herbs, and spices which bubble down into a creamy, savory stew to serve over rice.
The combination of rice and beans is not unique to Louisiana, of course. For centuries, cultures across the globe have turned to beans and rice as affordable, filling, and nutritious fuel.
My rendition of Red Beans and Rice packs a hint of Cajun flair to give a nod to those New Orleans roots. And in true melting pot fashion, I added some of my Midwestern flair with smoked sausage (although andouille will do, too). Now it’s your turn to put your signature on this classic comfort food dinner.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Andouille sausages or smoked sausage: If you can’t find these link-style sausages, Italian sausage can work in a pinch. Or channel a New Orleans native and cook the beans along with a ham bone or smoked ham hock.
- Canned kidney beans: If desired, substitute dry kidney beans for canned. In Step 2, add 1 ½ cups dried kidney beans and add 7 cups chicken broth and 7 cups water. Increase simmering time to 2 to 2 ½ hrs. WARNING: If you substitute dried kidney beans, you MUST pre-soak them and boil them for at least 10 minutes. (See “Recipe FAQs” for more background about why this is essential.)
Step-by-step instructions
To cook the beans:
- In a large skillet over low heat, cook the sausage until just brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain if necessary.
- Add red kidney beans, tomatoes, oregano, and ½ tsp pepper. Simmer uncovered until flavors meld, about 10 to 15 minutes.
To cook the rice:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and cook until rice is lightly toasted, about 1 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add water and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat, leave covered and on burner, and allow rice to continue to cook, about 15 minutes. Fluff rice with fork.
- Season beans to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (I like 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper). Serve over a scoop of rice, passing hot sauce for serving separately.
Why I love my rice cooker
I find that rice cookers help make the fluffiest rice and when we rounded up the best rice cookers, our top pick was my personal favorite: The Aroma Housewares Rice Cooker. It’s compact, super simple, and does exactly what it’s supposed to do without fail. My sisters, Erin and Meredith, each have the same one, and we all love it. Not to mention, it has over 6,100 positive reviews. That’s a whole lot of rice!
You can buy my favorite rice cooker for $42 at Target, or you can get the smaller 4-cup version for about $30 on Amazon.
You can cook the rice for Red Beans and Rice in the the rice cooker. Plus, rice cookers can cook polenta beautifully without stirring it for a million hours. It’s not just a one-job appliance.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes eight (1-cup) servings of Red Beans and Rice. Add a side of Collard Greens and a basket of Cornbread to pass around the table to complete your dinner menu.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Upgrade your garnish game: In addition to hot sauce, consider topping your Red Beans and Rice with sliced green onions, chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, or cajun seasoning.
- Mardi Gras: Gearing up for Fat Tuesday? I’ve pulled together 30+ Mardi Gras Recipes to help you celebrate. Start with Crab Cakes with Remoulade, Fried Okra, or Hush Puppies served with Cajun Chicken, Dirty Rice, a bowl of Hoppin’ John, or Shrimp Étouffée. Finish your meal with a sweet treat such as Bananas Foster, a slice of King Cake, or some Pecan Pralines. Classic cocktail options include a Sazerac or a Hurricane cocktail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soaking beans before cooking is not required. However, you can cut about 30 minutes off the cooking time if you pre-soak the beans.
Yes, I recommend pouring the soaking water down the drain. Some people say it’s a waste of water to throw away the soaking water. Others say if you keep the soaking water, it adds a sour taste. I agree with the latter and recommend tossing the soaking water, but it’s up to you.
Yes, salt the beans before cooking them. You may have heard somewhere that the universe will implode if you add salt to beans before they are completely cooked. However, if you read Kenji López-Alt’s information in his book, The Food Lab, he did some side-by-side testing and determined that salting beans before they are cooked is fine. In fact, doing so helps prevent the beans from exploding (see page 256 in his book).
Kidney beans contain phytohemagglutinin, a type of lectin that is very toxic at high levels. You MUST pre-soak dried kidney beans and hold them at boiling point (212 degrees Fahrenheit) for at LEAST 10 minutes. This means you should never cook kidney beans in a slow cooker. You won’t know for sure if the slow cooker reached boiling temps and held it for 10 minutes. Better to be safe than sorry!
More Mardi Gras favorites
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Shrimp Creole
Cocktail Recipes
Hurricane Cocktail
Mardi Gras Recipes
Wisconsin-Style Jambalaya
Soup and Stew Recipes
Chicken Gumbo
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Red Beans and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
For the beans:
- 1 pound Andouille sausages or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices (see note 1)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans drained (see note 2)
- 1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes undrained, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the rice:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cups long-grain white rice
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
For serving:
- hot sauce for serving
Instructions
To make the red beans:
- In a large skillet over low heat, cook the sausage until just brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain if necessary. Add beans, tomatoes, oregano, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered until flavors meld, about 10 to 15 minutes.
To make the rice:
- Meanwhile heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and cook until rice is lightly toasted, about 1 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add water and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat, leave covered and on burner, and allow rice to continue to cook, about 15 minutes. Fluff rice with fork.
To serve:
- Season beans to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Serve over rice, passing hot sauce for serving separately.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Andouille sausages or smoked sausage: If you can’t find these link-style sausages, Italian sausage can work in a pinch. Or channel a New Orleans native and cook the beans along with a ham bone or ham hock.
- Canned kidney beans: If desired, substitute dry kidney beans for canned. In Step 2, add 1 ½ cups dried kidney beans and add 7 cups chicken broth and 7 cups water. Increase simmering time to 2 to 2 ½ hours. WARNING: If you substitute dried kidney beans, you MUST pre-soak them and boil them for at least 10 minutes. (See “Recipe FAQs” for more background about why this is essential.)
- Yield: This recipe makes eight (1-cup) servings of Red Beans and Rice. Add a side of Collard Greens and a basket of Cornbread to pass around the table to complete your dinner menu.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Delicious!
So glad you loved it, Brooks! Take care! – Meggan
I only have a few changes to this excellent recipe.
Add celery so we have the classic Cajun/Creole “holy trinity”, and do not use the tomatoes. Use a smoked ham hock in addition to the andouille rather than instead of the andouille. That’s it. 🙂