Red Beans and Rice

5 from 4 votes

Red Beans and Rice

These Red Beans and Rice are the epitome of Southern comfort. Slow-cooked beans infused with spicy sausage, aromatic spices, and a melody of veggies, all served atop perfectly fluffy white rice. Every bite is a heartfelt embrace of tradition and flavor.

Prep Time20

Cook Time2 15

Total Time2 35

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: new orleans red beans and rice recipe, red beans and rice, red beans and rice with sausage

Servings:

Calories: 395kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

1 pound dried red beans soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
½ pound smoked sausage sliced
1 large onion chopped
1 medium green bell pepper chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 quarts water
4 cups cooked long-grain white rice (about 1⅓ uncooked)
green onions chopped, for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned and remove it from the pot, leaving the fat behind.
Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the pot and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Return the sausage to the pot along with the beans, salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir everything together until well combined.
Add the water to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender.
To thicken the mixture, use the back of a spoon to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot.
Serve the beans over cooked rice, garnished with chopped green onions.

Notes

Soak the beans: overnight in cold water. It cuts the cook time and, more importantly, gets them cooking evenly. Quick soak method is in the FAQs if you forgot.
The mash: press about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon and stir them back in. This is what thickens everything and it's my favorite part.
Sausage: andouille is traditional and brings heat along with the smoke. Any good smoked sausage works, kielbasa included.
Water, not stock: the beans and sausage build their own broth. Starting with stock makes the finished pot taste heavy.
Season twice: once at the start, once before serving. Beans absorb a lot of salt over 2 hours.
Cayenne: ½ teaspoon is gentle warmth. Add more a pinch at a time, because there's no taking it back out.
Rice separately: always. Long grain white, cooked on its own and fluffed with a fork.
Leftovers: better the next day. Store the beans and rice in separate containers for up to 4 days.

Nutrition