Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Bowl of red beans and rice with sliced sausage, garnished with chopped chives and parsley on top of fluffy white rice.

This classic red beans and rice recipe features smoky andouille sausage, tender red kidney beans, and bold cajun seasoning slow simmered to perfection. It's really comfort food at its best!

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Soul food, Southern

Keyword: soul food, southern

Servings: servings

Author: August DeWindt

Ingredients

16 oz Andouille sausage sliced
½ tbsp Olive oil
1 large white Onion diced
1 Green bell pepper diced
2 stalks Celery diced
5 cloves Garlic minced
2 ½ tsp Cajun seasoning
1 ½ tsp Smoked paprika
½ tsp dried oregano
6 cups water
2 tbsp better than bouillon chicken or 2 maggi cubes
1 lb Dry red kidney beans soaked overnight and drained
1 Bay leaf
Thyme
¼ c fresh Parsley chopped
Cooked Long grain white rice
Chives or scallions

Instructions

Heat a large pot over medium high heat and brown the sausage. Once crispy, remove from the pot and set aside.
To the same pot add the oil, cook the onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook this for a few minutes until the veggies are a bit soft. Then add the seasonings, beans, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil and add the bay leaf and thyme.
Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Let cook for an hour and half.
After an hour and half stir the beans then smash some of the beans using a spoon, this will thicken the beans. If you don’t want it too thick, don’t smash too many beans.
Next add the sausage in and cook uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme sticks. Add the fresh parsley and stir. Serve with rice and chopped chives on top.

Notes

For even more meat and flavor, add in some smoked meat during step 2. I like to use smoked turkey neck or ham hocks.

Nutrition