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Red Beans and Rice

Comfort food straight from the heart of New Orleans!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Cajun
Keyword Red beans and rice
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Red Beans

  • 16 oz light red kidney beans rinsed*
  • 6 slices smoked bacon – diced
  • 14 oz smoked sausage sliced on bias**
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion – diced
  • 3 cloves garlic – minced or crushed in garlic crusher
  • 4 stalks celery – diced
  • 1 medium green bell pepper – diced
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon flat leaf parsley - chopped optional
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 cups of cooked white rice***
  • 4 tablespoon Cajun seasoning – your choice or recipe follows

Cajun Seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon paprika – I prefer smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • Cayenne pepper according to desired spice level****

Instructions

  • Add olive oil to large stock pot. Bring to shimmer over medium high heat
  • Add in smoked sausage and bacon until bacon is crispy and sausage is seared on both sides
  • Remove meat from stock pot with slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate; Drain most of the fat from the pot, leaving enough to cover the bottom
  • Add in onion, celery, and bell pepper; sauté in remaining fat until soft
  • Add in garlic and cook until fragrant – approximately 30 seconds
  • Add in butter until melted
  • Stir in flour over veggies until coated; cook flour, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and flour no longer has smell
  • Add in chicken stock and stir, scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pot to de-glaze
  • Add in water, beans, meat, bay leaves, and Cajun seasoning and stir together.
  • Bring mixture to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cover and let simmer for 3 ½ to 4 hours
  • Remove cover and bring back to boil. Boil for 10 more minutes to reduce
  • Serve over cooked rice. Garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley if desired

Notes

*Beans should be rinsed thoroughly. Can be soaked up to 24 hours at room temp according to your preference
**It’s traditional to use Andouille sausage here, but smoked sausage can be used to cut down the spiciness
***1 cup uncooked rice makes 2 cups cooked. Add more or less per your preference
****Less Cayenne pepper results in less spice. This can be skipped altogether to avoid spiciness