This is probably my absolute all-time favorite comfort dish. If you haven’t had or tried red beans and rice in your lifetime, you are most definitely missing out on the JOY this dish brings. My kids absolutely love when Mama makes a pot of red beans and rice with some cornbread.
A Louisiana creole dish that is made up of protein, vegetables, and spices – red beans and rice is typically made using ham, sausage, or tasso. For my recipe I use sausage but after any holiday I reserve the leftover ham for my red beans as well. For this red beans & rice recipe you’ll need the following ingredients:
- The “holy trinity“: 2 stalks of celery, 2 green bell peppers, and 1 yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 8 oz red beans
- 1 lb of Andouille sausage
- 3 tbsp creole seasoning
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cup chicken stalk
- 2 cup water
Step By Step:
Prep: The night before, soak your beans in a large bowl of water. While this part isn’t completely necessary, if you are cooking your red beans on a stove top this will help reduce the amount of time needed for the beans to become tender.
Cook: Start by browning sausage in a 5-quart pot. When sausage is browned, remove and set aside. Add in garlic, celery, bell peppers, onions, and half of all seasoning. Cook down your vegetables until onions are translucent and peppers and celery are soft. Go ahead and add the meat back into the pot with drained beans. Pour in water, chicken stalk, remaining seasoning, and bay leaves. Bring the pot to a boil, then slightly reduce heat and cover. Cook for 2 hours stirring occasionally.
After 2 hours, remove 1 to 2 cups of beans and smash. I prefer thicker red beans and rice, so I remove about 2 and a half cups to smash and then add them back into the pot. Stir the beans back in and then cover and cook for an additional hour on low heat.
Serve: Beans and meat should be tender to fork when ready. Remove bay leaves before serving and top with white rice. You can also serve it with cornbread, collard greens, and even some Southern fried chicken.
Eat & Enjoy!
Other Methods To Cook: Red beans and rice can easily be a dump-and-go meal. Dump all of your ingredients into the crock pot with an additional cup of chicken broth and cook on low for 8hrs. 30 minutes before time is over, remove about a cup of beans and smash. Place back into the crock pot and cook for the remaining time.
Red Beans & Rice
A Southern comfort dish filled with deep flavors and tender sausage.
Ingredients
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 green bell peppers, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb red beans
- 1 lb of Andouille sausage, sliced
- 3 tbsp creole seasoning
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sage
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cups chicken stalk
- 2 cups water
Directions
- Pour red beans into a large bowl and fill with water. Let soak 2hrs-24hrs.
- In a 5-quart pot on medium heat, start by browning sausage. Once cooked, remove and set aside.
- Add garlic, celery, bell peppers, onions, and half of all seasoning into the pot.
- Cook down your vegetables until onions are translucent and peppers and celery are soft.
- Add sausage back into the pot with drained beans.
- Pour in water, chicken stalk, remaining seasoning, and bay leaves. Bring the pot to a boil.
- Slightly reduce heat and cover, stirring occasionally for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, remove 1 to 2 cups of beans and smash with a fork.
- Add smashed beans back into the pot.
- Stir the beans in and then cover and cook for an additional hour on low heat.
- Turn off the heat and remove bay leaves.
- Serve and top with rice.