Red Beans and Rice is a classic Louisiana dish made with creamy red kidney beans, smoky andouille sausage, and the holy trinity of Cajun cooking, onions, celery, and bell pepper. This hearty, flavorful dish is perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner or Sunday supper.
You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!
I've been to New Orleans a couple of times and have eaten at so many Cajun restaurants during my visits. I absolutely fell in love with red beans and rice. The best red beans and rice, in my opinion, are flavorful, super creamy, and just downright delicious. I've made it many times before and after my visits, and feel like I've finally nailed down a recipe I absolutely love.
My version stays true to the basics. I use water as my flavor liquid, along with some reserved bean water, Cajun seasoning, and andouille sausage. I cook this low and slow, which lets the beans become incredibly tender and creamy.
I also opted to soak my red beans overnight. I'm usually team no-soak when it comes to bean recipes, but for this red beans recipe, I felt the results were better when I soaked and used some of the soaking liquid, along with fresh water, to cook the beans. I do the same method when making my Jamaican stew peas, a somewhat similar dish, with a totally different flavor profile. Either way, you will be blown away by this classic dish.
Love, Tanya
A Quick Look at The Ingredients
Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Oil - for sautéing the vegetables and browning the sausage
- Yellow onion, celery, green bell pepper - chopped, the holy trinity of Cajun cooking
- Garlic - minced. I love adding garlic to my recipes.
- Bay leaves - essential for that authentic Louisiana flavor
- Dried red kidney beans - soaked overnight.
- Andouille sausage - chopped, gives the dish its signature smoky flavor
- Bean water, fresh water - reserved from soaking and for cooking
- Cajun seasoning - for that authentic Louisiana flavor
- Hot sauce, green onions - to taste and for garnish
- cooked rice - for serving with the beans.
How to Make this Red Beans and Rice Recipe
Step 1: Rinse and sort the kidney beans, discarding any broken pieces. Place them in a large bowl and cover with plenty of water. Soak overnight, then drain and reserve 3 cups of the soaking liquid.
Step 2: In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 5-6 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Step 3: Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to the same pot. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Step 4: Add the soaked beans, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, 3 cups reserved bean water, and about 5 cups fresh water. The liquid should cover the beans by at least 2 inches.
Step 5: Bring to a rolling boil and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This step helps eliminate naturally occurring toxins in red kidney beans. Add about 2 cups of fresh water to allow the bean water to cover the beans by 2 inches.
Step 6: Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy and tender. Add more water as needed to keep them submerged.
Step 7: Mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the mixture and create that signature creamy texture.
Step 8: Remove the bay leaves, then stir in the sausage and chopped green onion. Season with hot sauce to taste and serve over cooked white rice.
Tips and Variations
- Make it vegetarian by omitting the sausage and using vegetable broth instead of some of the water. Use ingredients like smoked paprika to add smoky flavor.
- Adjust the heat level by adding more or less hot sauce and Cajun seasoning.
- For a thicker consistency, mash more of the beans. For a brothier dish, leave them whole.
Why Do Red Kidney Beans Need to Be Boiled for 30 Minutes?
Soaking beans overnight reduces cooking time to an hour after boiling. Boil red kidney beans for 30 minutes to destroy the toxin phytohaemagglutinin, which can cause stomach upset. The FDA advises this to ensure proper temperature throughout. Avoid using a slow cooker, as it doesn't get hot enough.
How to Store Red Beans and Rice, and How Long Does It Last?
Store red beans and rice in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The beans and rice will last for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the beans for up to 3 months. Just remember to defrost before reheating. When reheating, add a splash of water to the beans if they've thickened up too much. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed through.
Tanya's Top Tips
- Soak your beans overnight and reserve some of the soaking liquid for extra flavor. If you're not a fan of using the water the beans are soaked in, then use fresh water or chicken broth for added flavor.
- Brown your sausage first to develop a deeper, richer flavor in the final dish.
- Stir occasionally during the simmering phase to prevent sticking, but don't stir too much or the beans will break apart.
- The dish tastes even better the next day, after the flavors have had time to meld.
I hope you love this red beans and rice recipe as much as we do. If you're looking for more Southern comfort food recipes, try these out:
- Cornbread - cornbread and red beans and rice are the perfect combo. Use the cornbread to mop up some of the red bean gravy.
- Dirty Rice - Flavorful rice cooked with ground meat and Cajun seasonings
- Blackened Pasta - This blackened chicken alfredo is so flavorful. Alfredo sauce flavored with blackened seasoning.
If you make this red beans and rice recipe, please let me know how you like it by leaving a review. Your feedback is appreciated!
Red Beans and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse and sort the kidney beans, discarding any broken pieces. Place them in a large bowl and cover with plenty of water. Soak overnight, then drain and reserve 3 cups of the soaking liquid (bean water).
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 5-6 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to the same pot. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the soaked beans, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, 3 cups reserved bean water, and 5 cups fresh water. The liquid should cover the beans by at least 2 inches.
- Bring to a rolling boil and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Aftter 30 minutes, add about 2 cups of fresh water to allow the water to cover the beans by 2 inches.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy and tender. Add more water as needed to keep them submerged.
- Mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the mixture.
- Remove the bay leaves, then stir in the sausage and chopped green onion.
- Season with hot sauce to taste and serve over cooked white rice. Garnish with extra green onion if desired.
Nutrition
Notes
- The 30-minute boiling step is essential for food safety. Red kidney beans contain phytohaemagglutinin, a toxin that must be destroyed by boiling at high temperatures. If you don't have 30 minutes to boil, I would suggest boiling uncovered for atleast 10 minutes.
- This dish tastes even better the next day. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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