Red Beans and Rice, New Orleans Style

My son Hampton looooooves red beans and rice with fried chicken. From the time he was 4 years old, it’s been his go-to favorite meal for birthdays, celebrations, and everyday dinners. I can’t blame him; beans and rice is an ultimate comfort food.

Is it a coincidence that Hampton found himself a New Orleans native for a wife? Now, I’m not saying the two loves are related, but it sure is convenient to have a true Louisiana cook in the family to make authentic red beans and rice. 

This recipe is in my latest cookbook, Love Language of the South. Get yours here.

It has been awesome for me to get the inside scoop on New Orleans dishes from Abbi and then to recreate them in my Alabama kitchen. My ambition was to make this red beans and rice recipe creamy with just enough heat and flavor. Spice wise, cayenne gives it medium heat. Feel free to add tabasco or another hot sauce to taste if you like your beans and rice extra spicy.

Beans and rice on Mondays (laundry days) is a New Orleans tradition. However, this dish is wonderful anytime.

How to Make Red Beans and Rice from Scratch

This red beans and rice recipe is so rich in flavor yet so simple to make.

Soaking the red beans does take some planning, but there’s no need for patience if you set them soaking right before bed. If you don’t have time to soak the beans for at least 4 hours, you can use this shortcut:

• After rinsing and picking over the beans, transfer them to a large pot or Dutch oven.
• Cover the beans with at least  an inch of water.
• Bring to a boil for 3 minutes, remove from the heat, and cover. Let stand for one hour and then proceed with cooking instructions.
• For best flavor, be sure to include the Creole “holy trinity” of aromatics — a trio of onion, garlic, and bell pepper.

Louisiana cooks often use tasso, a spicy, cured pork for flavoring. While this recipe calls for ham hock to flavor the beans, leftover ham bones from a Sunday dinner would be a delicious and time-honored alternative.

Homemade chicken stock is also super easy to make and a good way to make use of a chicken carcass. The stock or broth will give the beans extra flavor.

The beans will take about 2 hours to cook. Another trick for authentic red beans and rice is to create a creamy texture by mashing or blending about 2 cups of the cooked beans and then returning them to the pot.

Variations on the Recipe

The Andouille sausage provides protein and a wonderful smoky flavor in this recipe. Any spicy smoked sausage will work. If you prefer seafood, you certainly could substitute shrimp. Just be sure to adjust the seasonings to get enough of a spicy kick. Include sausage and shrimp, and you’ll have something similar to jambalaya!

What to Serve with Red Beans and Rice

While this dish would be fantastic with fried chicken, Hampton style, it’s also a complete protein in itself. So you could pair your red beans and rice with collard greens and Southern cornbread for a complete, satisfying, delicious meal.

Authentic Red Beans and Rice

This New Orleans red beans and rice recipe was inspired by my daughter-in-law, a Louisiana native. Serves 14-16 people.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Cajun

Servings 16 servings

Calories 368 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 pounds dried red beans or red kidney beans
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound Andouille sausage sliced ½ inch thick
• 2 Vidalia onions chopped
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 4 stalks of celery chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons Creole or Cajun seasoning
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3½-4 quarts chicken stock or chicken broth
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 ham hock or leftover ham bones
• 1 bunch green onions about 1 cup, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch parsley about 1 cup, chopped
• cooked long-grain white rice for serving (not included in nutrition)

Instructions

 

• In a colander, rinse the dried beans under cool running water. Transfer the beans to a large bowl or pot, cover the beans with at least one inch of water, and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown until slightly crisp.
• Add the other 3 tablespoons of oil, onions, bell pepper, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the salt, Creole Seasoning, thyme, cayenne, and pepper. Add the bay leaves and ham hock and cook for 2 minutes.
• Pour drained beans into the pot and add enough stock to cover the beans by at least one inch.
• Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for about 2 hours or until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
• Remove about 2 cups of the cooked beans to a small bowl and mash the beans with a fork or use an immersion blender to thicken the beans and create a creamy texture.
• Remove the ham hock, pull off any loose meat, and return the meat to the beans. Remove the bay leaves. Add the mashed beans back to the pot along with ½ the parsley and ½ the green onions and stir until incorporated. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking for better flavor. Add water or stock as needed if beans are too thick.
• Spoon the rice into the bowls and top with the beans. Garnish with parsley and green onions.

Notes

Stacy Lyn’s Notes:

• If you don’t have Andouille sausage, you can use any smoked sausage or even seafood if you prefer.
• If you don’t have time to soak beans for 4 hours or overnight, use this method: after rinsing and picking over the beans, transfer them to a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Cover the beans with at least  an inch of water. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes, remove from the heat, and cover. Let stand for one hour and then proceed with cooking instructions.

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 23gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 749mgPotassium: 1145mgFiber: 9gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 108IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 5mg

If you like this recipe, please give it a star rating to help other cooks find it!

Follow me on Instagram and tag #stacylynharris so I can see all the SLH recipes you make. ♥

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!