Red Beans and Rice is a New Orleans favorite recipe. It’s hearty, filling, and easy to make. The aromas from this Creole recipe makes your home smell amazing as it simmers away on the stovetop. I love finding recipes that the family enjoys and brings some authentic flavors and different cuisines to our dinner menu. Serving Red Beans with Sausage and Rice is a fun way to do that. It brings some tasty Creole flavors to your dinner table and it’s something the whole family will enjoy!
Red Beans and Rice is a very cheap and economical meal, especially if you’re using some leftover ingredients from other meals. If you need some more money saving dinner recipes, I have you covered.
Red Beans and Rice
Red Beans and Rice is so incredibly flavorful after simmering on the stove top, melding the flavors of the onion, bell pepper, sausage, and Creole seasonings all together. It’s a recipe that the whole family will love and if you know me, you know I am all about family-friendly, belly warming recipes that nobody grumbles about.
Plus, I like easy recipes. This recipe practically cooks itself after the initial veggie sautéing.
What Makes This Recipe Quicker?
• I use canned red kidney beans in this recipe instead of dried red beans, which speeds things up a lot. No need to pre-soak them or anything like that.
• Feel free to use dry red beans if you like. Adjust the liquid and cook time accordingly.
Is This Recipe Spicy?
It is a bit spicy. The best way to control the heat in this recipe is to add more or less of the Creole seasoning. You can also add in some cayenne pepper for a spicier batch. Or add some Louisiana hot sauce to your serving after cooking.
How to Make Red Beans and Rice
• Gather all of your ingredients together and do the chopping and measuring before you begin cooking.
• In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and cook the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic for 5 minutes.
• Then stir in the salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, and creole seasoning. Cook everything for another minute.
• Add in the sausage and beans.
• Add Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth, ham hock, and smoked ham to the stock pot.
• Stir everything together and let it simmer for 30 minutes to an hour (or longer). Add more broth if needed.
• While your dish simmers, make your rice. Either stir your rice into the beans or spoon some bean mixture on top of a bowl of rice.
• Serve with cornbread, if desired, and enjoy!
What to Serve With Beans & Rice
- Traditional Red Beans and Rice is served with a big hunk of cornbread and a nice cold drink. I enjoy my beans and rice with some Butter Dip Biscuits, and sometimes I really love it with some Corn Casserole.
- I think making my famous Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil, and serving it with Red Beans and Rice would make the absolute best Creole dinner. You should give it a try.
Is This Beans & Rice Recipe Healthy?
This dish isn’t a healthy recipe like a salad, per se, but it is not a recipe that you will be eating all the time. The key is moderation! The meat and red kidney beans provide a good source of fiber, protein, and other vitamins and minerals. So not too bad!
How to Store Red Beans and Rice
- Leftover Rice and Red Beans can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- You can make this dish ahead of time and keep it on warm for 1-2 hours before serving if needed. However, I enjoy it best freshly made.
- Freezing leftovers is also an option. Once you’ve let the dish cool down completely, store it in a freezer safe bag or airtight container in the freezer. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat
Reheating this Red Kidney Beans and Rice is simple. Pop it in the microwave for a few minutes or heat it back up on the stovetop, stirring a few times. Super easy.
Red Beans and Rice Tips and Variations
- Want to make this vegetarian? Simply swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and omit both kinds of ham and sausage.
- You can also choose to use chicken or bacon with, or in place of, the other meat in this recipe.
- Wait to cook the rice until you’ve started the recipe and have it simmering on the stove so the rice will be nice and hot when serving.
- Making Red Kidney Beans with Rice is the perfect way to use the ham bone from the Holidays and to easily use up any leftover ham. Helps reduce food waste!
- As this dish cooks on the stovetop, the juice from the hams and sausages thickens with the beans. If you like a thinner recipe, add more broth so it becomes more like a soup instead.
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If you love seasoned red kidney beans cooked with sausage, ham, celery, garlic, bell pepper, and onion, and enjoy it mixed with okra, rice and hot sauce for a nice complete and filling meal, then this easy Red Beans and Rice recipe was made just for you!
If you make this Red Beans, sausage, and Rice recipe, please let me know. Leave a comment with a star rating below. I would love to know how you liked it!
Quick Red Beans and Rice
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 cup Sweet Onions, diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
- 2 ribs Celery, diced
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme Leaves (not ground)
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons Creole Seasoning, like Tony’s
- 1 12.8-ounce package Smoked Andouille Sausage, thinly sliced
- 3 15-ounce cans Red Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 cups Chicken Stock, low sodium
- 1 Ham Hock
- 1 pound Smoked Ham, diced
- 2 Tablespoons Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped, plus extra for serving
For Serving
- 1 jar Pickled Okra, for serving (optional)
- Louisiana Hot Sauce, like Crystal's, for serving, optional
- 1 cup Cooked White Rice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large stock pan and cook the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme bay leaf and creole seasoning and cook for another minute.
- Add the sausage, beans, worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, ham hock, and smoked ham to the pan. Stir and let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour or longer. Add more broth if needed.
- To serve, either stir the rice into the beans, or put a couple of spoons of rice in a bowl and top with the red beans.
- Serve with cornbread.
Notes
Tips
- Add more or less Creole seasoning to your taste.
- This is a perfect way to use the ham bone from the holidays and use up the leftover ham.
- As this cooks, the juice thickens with the beans, you can thin it out with more broth if you want it to be more of a soup instead.
- This is generally served with a side of cornbread.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Elise says
Very good! I added extra broth as we like lots to go over the rice. This has very good flavor and was easy to put together.