by Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) · Updated
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This BEST Red Beans and Rice Recipe is the Ultimate Cajun Favorite done all the way right! Insanely flavorful kidney beans with a hint of spice and meaty essence are served over white rice for the perfect Southern Creole recipe. Popeye’s ain’t got nothing on this y’all!!
This Red beans and Rice recipe is a soulful dish. I love to watch the beans simmer away in a pot of spices and intense flavors gradually thickening and melding together in the most magical way. It’s true love whenever someone makes this dish for you.
Once ready, this kidney beans recipe is smothered with rice, and your first taste is the reward for your patience.
I grew up eating all types of beans. My mother is the queen of crock pot bean meals. From lima beans and pinto beans to red beans, we had them all and on the regular too.
Red beans have a personality all their own, and the South really knows how to bring that personality out. I never really appreciated my mother’s consistent bean meals until later in life when I began making them myself.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- A recipe that comes together without much effort on my part beyond the initial prep.
- Bean recipes are perfect for making healthy meals with a lil’ soul.
- Full of rich, savory flavors.
- A budget-friendly meal to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients that really make this recipe stand out above the rest:
- Chicken Stock: Using stock instead of water adds additional flavor to the base of this dish making this dish taste even better!
- Hot sauce: Adds that nice extra kick of spice y’all know I love!
- Creole Seasoning: Definitely a must ingredient for giving you that true Louisiana flavor. Brands like Slap Yo Mama are fantastic to use.
- Andouille Sausage: It is truly one of the most important ingredients in this red beans recipe. I use Sausages by Amylo’s chicken andouille flavor to cut down on the fat in the dish.
- Holy Trinity: You must begin with the holy trinity, onions, bell pepper, and celery in cajun cooking. You will find this base in most New Orleans-style recipes and it adds a ton of flavor.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes, most definitely! You can easily make vegan or vegetarian red beans and rice using this recipe. Here are the easy steps to take:
- Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock. Super easy fix!
- Remove the sausage from the recipe.
- For an additional kick of flavor, add a little soy sauce! Taste until you like how much you add. Don’t add too much since it adds salt!
How to Make Red Beans and Rice with Kidney Beans
And lastly, this red beans recipe just tastes so damn good y’all. A big bowl is about as comforting as a meal can get. Let’s look a what goes into making it!
- Cook the onions, celery, and bell peppers in oil until they begin to caramelize and tenderize.
- Add the sausage and brown for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir it frequently and make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Add the chicken stock, water, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, creole seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pot.
- The red beans go in next. After it boils, turn down the heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 2 – 2½ hours until they are tender and liquid as thickened.
- When they’re ready, check the flavor and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let them cool and thicken a bit before serving.
How to Store
This recipe is great to make ahead but also this recipe makes a big batch so you might have leftovers.
Leftovers: Store the leftover beans and rice separately in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze the cooked red beans for up to three months.
Reheat: If frozen, thaw them out overnight in the fridge. Return them to a pot and heat on the stove until heated through. If they seem a bit dry you can add more stock to the pot. Cook fresh rice for serving or reheat leftover rice in the microwave.
How to Serve
With a trinity of celery, onions, and bell peppers, a dose of creole spices and andouille sausage, and a heaping scoop ofrice, this is a meal that’s not only good for the body but oh sogood for the soul.
- Rice: It wouldn’t be spicy red beans and rice without the rice! You can serve it up with white or brown rice. I often make this with brown rice to make it healthier. Other rice dishes that make a tasty side this dish are dirty rice and jambalaya.
- Cornbread: There are lots of options when it comes to cornbread! Southern cornbread is always a favorite but you can also serve hot water cornbread, hush puppies, or some freshly baked corn muffins!
- Other Cajun favorites: If you’re looking to combine your spicy red beans and rice with other dishes, I love this seafood gumbo, shrimp creole and blackened fish. They are Cajun classics that everyone will love with the ultimate traditional flavors!
- Dessert: Don’t forget those beignets boos!
Expert Tips
- Really let the flavors of the trinity develop. This is crucial for adding more bomb flavor to the base of this dish.
- Check on the beans as they cook. They will take a while to cook but it’s a good idea to give them a stir every now and then.
- Use broth or stock over water! This makes it taste better.
- Let the the pot sit after cooking. They will cool down slightly during this time and the liquid with thicken up slightly making them even better.
- Craving more cajun recipes? Trymy Cajun Jambalaya Pasta, homemade Cajun Seasoning,or these Stuffed Cabbage Rolls.
FAQs
Can I make red beans and rice in a crockpot?
Yes, you can! Saute all of your trinity ingredients upfront. Then add all the ingredients to a standard-sized crockpot and cook until tender, thick and delicious! You can add all of the ingredients in the morning and have an incredible dinner in the evening!
Do I need to soak the beans before cooking?
Yes, it’s a good idea. Not only does it help the beans cook up in less time but it makes the easier to digest which alleviates some of the uncomfortable side effects of eating beans. If you forget to soak them the night before, you can do a quick soak. Boil the dry beans for five minutes in water. Then turn it off and let it sit for an hour. Then you can drain the water and continue making the recipe.
More Bean Recipes
- Black Eyed Peas
- Hoppin John
- Butter Beans
- Jamaican Rice and Peas
- Pinto Beans
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
The BEST Red Beans and Rice Recipe (with Kidney Beans Recipe)
This BEST Red Beans and Rice Recipe is the Ultimate Cajun Favorite done right! Insanely flavorful kidney beans with a hint of spice and meaty essence are served over white rice for the perfect Southern creole recipe. Much better than Popeye's!
4.73 from 47 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cajun/Creole
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours hours
Total Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 344kcal
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onions
- ½ cup finely chopped celery
- ½ cup finely chopped bell peppers
- 3 85g andouille sausage links, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 5 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper up to 1/4 tsp but taste later
- 1 pound dried red beans already soaked overnight and drained
- Cooked rice to serve with beans
Instructions
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions, celery and bell peppers and cook about 10-12 minutes or until they begin to caramelize and tenderize. Next add in sausage and brown for about 4-5 minutes. Add in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute making sure not to burn.
Turn heat up to medium high and add chicken stock, water, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, creole seasoning, salt and pepper then stir in red beans.
Bring liquid to a boil then turn heat down to low, cover with lid and cook for 2 – 2½ hours until beans are tender and liquid as thickened. Check flavor of beans and season with salt and pepper to taste, stir and turn off heat.
Let cool for 15 minutes and allow beans to continue thickening. Serve with rice.
Notes
- Really let the flavors of the trinity develop. This is crucial for adding more flavor to the base of the dish.
- Check on the beans as they cook. They will take a while to cook but it’s a good idea to give them a stir every now and then.
- Use broth or stock over water! This makes them taste better.
- Let the dish sit after cooking. They will cool down slightly during this time and the liquid with thicken up slightly making them even better.
- Craving more cajun recipes? Trymy Cajun Jambalaya Pasta, homemade Cajun Seasoning,or these Stuffed Cabbage Rolls.
Nutrition
Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 682mg | Potassium: 996mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 485IU | Vitamin C: 18.5mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 4.5mg
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This post was originally published March 2015. It has been updated with new content and images.
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