Ahhh, red beans and rice. This classic dish has been filling hungry bellies on a dime for centuries. It’s rich, flavorful, has a TON of fiber and protein, makes a ton of freezer-friendly leftovers, and is basically a budget cook’s dream. But these classic Louisiana Red Beans and Rice do take a little time to cook, so plan this one for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon when you’ll be chillin’ at home. Your house will smell amazing and you’ll have food for the whole week!
Are Red Beans and Kidney Beans the Same Thing?
Nope! They’re both red, but they are two different beans, but you can use either one in this recipe. Scroll down to my step by step photos after the recipe to see a photo of red beans and kidney beans side by side.
Do I Have to Soak the Red Beans Overnight?
No, there are other options. There are two other “quick soak” methods, but both still take an hour or more. To read more about other methods of soaking your beans, read How to Soak Your Beans from Camellia Beans.
If you’re looking for a recipe for Red Beans and Rice using canned beans, check out my “Quickie” Red Beans and Rice.
What Kind of Sausage Should I Use?
Traditionally, red beans and rice is made with Andouille sausage, which is a smoked pork sausage originating from France, but also popular in Louisiana. If you can’t find Andouille sausage, you can use any type of smoked pork or beef sausage that is available to you.
Is Red Beans and Rice Spicy?
It can be. The heat level in this recipe will depend on the type of sausage you use and how much cayenne pepper you add. The Andouille sausage I used had a “medium” spice level, and I used 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, so my red beans were moderately spicy. Use a mild sausage and no cayenne pepper to make your red beans mild.
Is Red Beans and Rice Healthy?
“Healthy” is a very subjective term, but I will say that this classic dish is packed with fiber, protein, and vegetables, which to me makes a quality meal. It is a little high on sodium, but the amount of salt you add at the end of the recipe is totally within your control. If you want to reduce the saturated fat, simply drain the fat from the andouille sausage before adding the vegetables to the pot. And lastly, you can always swap out the white rice for brown rice for even more fiber and nutrients!
Can I Make it Vegetarian?
I have successfully made a very delicious pot of red beans and rice without the smoked sausage. To see how it’s done, make sure to visit my recipe for Vegan Red Beans and Rice. (It’s automatically vegan because the only animal product in the recipe is the sausage.)
How to Freeze Red Beans and Rice
As with any food, you want to chill your cooked red beans and rice as quickly as possible after cooking to avoid food safety issues. I recommend dividing the red beans and rice into single portions before refrigerating. This will make it cool down faster, and you’ll already have single portions that can be reheated quickly in the microwave straight from the refrigerator, or freezer. Once the red beans and rice are completely chilled, you can transfer them to the freezer for long term storage (about 3 months).
Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice with Sausage
Servings 6 1.5 cups red beans eachIngredients
- 1 lb. dry red beans ($1.49)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 14 oz. Andouille sausage ($3.79)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 1 green bell pepper ($0.69)
- 3 ribs celery ($0.46)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.20)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 2 bay leaves ($0.60)
- 6 cups water ($0.00)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley ($0.20)
- 1 Tbsp salt, or to taste ($0.10)
- 1.5 cups long grain white rice (uncooked) ($0.93)
- 3 green onions ($0.22)
Instructions
- The night before, add the dry beans to a large bowl with double their volume in water. Allow the beans to soak in the refrigerator overnight.
- When you're ready to start cooking, slice the sausage into rounds. Add the cooking oil and sliced sausage to a large pot and cook over medium until the sausage pieces are browned. Remove the cooked sausage with a slotted spoon to a clean bowl. Place the cooked sausage in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- While the sausage is cooking, dice the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Mince the garlic.
- After removing the cooked sausage, add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the pot. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat until the onions are soft, allowing the moisture from the vegetables to help dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the pot as you stir.
- Add the smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and bay leaves to the pot. Stir and cook for one minute more.
- Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Add them to the pot along with 6 cups water and give the pot a brief stir to combine the ingredients.
- Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the pot boil for one hour, stirring occasionally. Replace the lid every time you stir.
- After boiling for one hour, the beans should be tender. Begin to smash the beans with the back of a spoon against the side of the pot. Continue smashing the beans and letting the pot simmer without a lid for 30 minutes to thicken the pot.
- While the beans are simmering for their final 30 minutes, cook the rice. Add the rice and 3 cups water to a sauce pot. Place a lid on top, turn the heat on to high, and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let the rice rest for 5 minutes without removing the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
- Once the red beans have thickened, add the cooked sausage back to the pot along with 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine. Taste the red beans and add salt to your liking. Start with 1 tsp and add more as needed. I used 1 Tbsp total (3 tsp).
- Serve the red beans in a bowl topped with a scoop of rice and a sprinkle of sliced green onions.
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Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Red Beans and Rice – Step By Step Photos
Depending on where you live, you may find one type of red bean or the other. You can use small red beans or kidney beans (dark or light) for this recipe. You’ll need one pound of dry beans for this recipe.
Soak the beans in water (make sure to use twice as much water as beans) overnight. If you forgot to soak your beans, use one of the other methods described in this article. (this photo is after the beans have been soaking overnight)
This is the Andouille sausage that I used. This happens to be a 14oz. package, but if yours comes in any size between 12 and 16oz. that will also work. If you can not source Andouille sausage, you can use any other smoked pork or beef sausage.
Slice the sausage into rounds and add them to a large pot with 2 Tbsp cooking oil. Cook over medium heat until the sausage is well browned. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a clean bowl and place it in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the recipe. If you want to reduce the fat in your red beans, you can drain off most of the fat left behind by the sausage. I left the fat in, though, because it’s super flavorful!
While the sausage is cooking, dice one onion, one green bell pepper, and about three ribs of celery. This trio of flavors (onion, bell pepper, celery) is called “holy trinity.” But I also like to add four cloves of garlic, so mince those up as well.
Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot after removing the sausage. Sauté the vegetables over medium until the onions are soft. Use the moisture from the vegetables to dissolve the browned bits of meat off the bottom of the pot as you stir.
Once the vegetables have softened, add the Cajun seasoning (2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and about 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper) and two bay leaves. Cook and stir for about a minute more.
Drain and rinse the soaked red beans, then add them to the pot with 6 cups of fresh water.
Give the pot a brief stir to distribute the spices and other ingredients. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring it up to a full boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the beans simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
After boiling the beans for one hour, the beans should be tender but the pot as a whole will still look pretty watery. To thicken the pot, begin smashing the red beans against the side of the pot with your spoon. Smash the red beans and let it continue to simmer without a lid for an extra 30 minutes. I stood and smashed my beans for about 10 minutes, and let it keep simmering for an extra 20 (30 min total).
While the red beans are in their final 30 minute simmer, cook your rice. Add 1.5 cups long grain white rice to a saucepot with 3 cups water. Place a lid on top, turn the heat up to high, and allow it to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let the pot rest for an additional 5 minutes without removing the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork just before serving.
After smashing and simmering for a bit longer, the red beans will have thickened quite a bit. They’ll continue to thicken even more as they cool a bit.
Finally, add the cooked Andouille sausage back to the pot along with about 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine. Taste the red beans and add salt to your liking. You will need at least SOME salt to make the flavors come out in this dish. I added 1 Tbsp for the whole pot, but I suggest starting with 1 tsp and adding more to your liking.
Serve the red beans with a scoop of cooked rice on top, and sliced green onion sprinkled over top!
I will try your recipe as soon as I get at the end of the month, my family recipe is so different from this and very tasteful however I’m here in New Orleans and tried some red beans and rice and love it, it’s funny cuz my grandfather is in Baton Rouge LA his recipe for anyway thanks for your flavors
Lv n Hugggs
Scotty
Such a delicious and flavorful dish, I only had a 14oz can of red beans on hand so I only added 4 cups of liquid (opted in for half beef stock half water) I’ve bookmarked this recipe for future use!
Did you drain the can of beans or just throw it all in?
Thanks!
No flavor! Waste of two hours!
Step 10 mentions adding salt one teaspoon at a time. Definitely helps.
Made this recipe 2x his weekend and loved it. I visited 4 grocery stores before I found my Red Beans. It was a 2 lb bag so I made my first 1lb batch following the recipe on Saturday and made my 2nd batch with minor modifications for a big family dinner on Sunday. Modifications were: 1: Cut the Andouille wheels in quarters so you get some in every bite vs big pieces 2: Minimum 1 Tablespoon of Kosher salt, more to taste. It needs it and it definitely brings out the flavor with a little more. 3: I used a potato masher vs. using the spoon to mash the beans, much more efficient 4:Add Okra. It’s not traditional but if you add Okra after mashing the beans, it adds some texture, nutrients, color and flavor to the final product.
This was SO FLAVORFUL! I couldn’t find red beans to save my life (a snowstorm impacted what was available on the shelves), so I grabbed pinto beans instead. The directions were super easy to follow, and as long as you plan ahead and do the prep, it comes together pretty fast for a relatively hands off meal. Can’t wait to make it again with actual red beans 😊 Thanks for the recipe!
I don’t think the author of this recipe has ever cooked dry beans or she would know it takes several hours to cook beans. I also believe the recipe calls for 6 cups of water and cooking beans is goin to take much more. Cook something before you put out a recipe!!!
The recipe says “overnight” for the dry beans, maybe you skipped that part.
It says after soaking the beans overnight, you use them in the recipe for an hour.
Mine was delicious but I used canned beans. Didn’t have time for the dried process
Amazing– another BB winner! Thank you.
What a waste of time! The dish looked delicious, but was so bland.
That’s why I never copy the seasonings in other people’s recipe. l season myself…
I had to roughly double the recipe’s spices to get it to taste like more than just the beans.
I’m surprised that anyone would give this recipe fewer than 5 stars. It’s the best I have ever made and might be the best I have ever had at a restaurant in New Orleans.
You gave me an education about the beans. I always thought that Kidney beans and Red beans were the same but there is a big difference as far as texture. Strangely, where I live Red beans are not available dried and the canned Red beans are.
Thank you for a 5 star recipe that I will use from now on.
I’ve had red beans and rice- in Louisiana- and let me tell you this is flavorful. We used Conecuh hot and spicy smoked sausage. With the smoked paprika this, had a deliciously smoked flavor. It’s a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
Top site ,.. amazaing post ! Just keep the work on !
What a great and delicious meal this is. I love to make it and I really love to eat it. I sometimes make Pork Chops to go with this dish but sometimes all I’ll make is Cornbread. I really love your recipe here and I follow it to a tee. Thank you and God Bless you…
I thank you all so much for the red beans and rice, it is delicious.
For those of you complaining about the recipe not working out, cooking dried beans is is interesting but this is a great recipe. Not all dried beans will soften normally, age and quality come into play. Sometimes you have to cook longer, some never soften. I NEVER ADD any salt till close to end of cooking. You shouldn’t need to add any. I Tweak the recipe a bit. I brown my sausage ( I use kielbasa) in a bit of oil. Add my chopped veg and cook that down a bit. I’ll add my spices, I don’t really measure but it’s close to this recipe, stir and cook a minute or so. Dump in my presoaked beans. I’ll add enough liquid till it comes to bout a 1/4 inch above the beans. I use water for my liquid then add a tsp atleast of LB Jamison chicken soup base or Better than bullion. Stir it, add few bay leaves, bring to simmer and watch it. Add more liquid as you go to keep it from being too soupy. It might take 2 hours depending on quality of beans. Just add liquid as you go. If you do it this way you should never have to mash beans to thicken, just make sure while cooking you don’t add too much liquid at a time. Taste it as you go but you shouldn’t have to add salt. If you want around last 30 min of cooking you can add a bit of Tony’s or Slap yo Mama seasoning but it shouldn’t need it. If you add your liquid gradually through cooking it let’s the flavor build. You gave to babysit it somewhat but it’s worth it. I’ll make a afternoon out of it. Same with my gumbo. It’s a process and it takes practice.
I agree
In the process of cooking now, and your advice is extremely helpful. Thanks!!!
great tips!!!
I used a roux to thicken mine instead of smashing the beans. Also, added a half cup of red wine vinegar along with the salt at the end.
great idea!!!!
the roux was the perfect addition and the color was amazing!
This was so good. I saved the broth and threw some leftover rotisserie chicken in it the next day. It was a-m-a-z-i-n-g.
Oh, that sounds good too, I will try it next time I make this dish….