Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice is thick, creamy, and delicious. This family recipe will have everyone clearing their plates.

This red beans and rice recipe is another recipe that I inherited from my mother in law that I tweaked a little bit. Red beans and rice is a labor of love, but it is the very definition of comfort food. It has the stamp of approval from my Cajun husband and his brother!

🥘 Ingredient Notes

• red beans: I like to use Camellia Red Beans
• butter
• bacon
• seasoning ham
• water
• chicken broth
• onion
• garlic
• celery
• bay leaves
• kosher salt
• Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• dried parsley
• ground black pepper
• rice for serving
• pepperoncini peppers and vinegar for serving

🥣 How to Make It

Red beans and rice is a labor of love – it takes time, but you will get a few delicious meals out of it. Here is a REALLY in-depth guide that will help you make red beans that are so good, people will think you have been cooking them your whole life.

STEP 1: Soak your beans for two hours.

Add your red beans to a large bowl with 4 cups of chicken broth and 4 cups of water. (Pictures 1 – 2) I usually soak them until most of the liquid is absorbed, which takes about two hours. (You can also soak them overnight to start cooking your red beans in the morning.) When the beans have absorbed most of the liquid, drain them and rinse them off. (Picture 3)

STEP 2: Dice up your bacon and seasoning ham.

Dice your bacon and ham into bite-size pieces – about 1/2 an inch. (Picture 5)

STEP 3: Heat a large pot over medium heat and melt your butter.

Heat a large pot over medium heat (Picture 6) and add a tablespoon of butter. (Picture 7) Once the butter is melted (Picture 8), add your bacon. (Picture 9) Cook until a little crispy. (Pictures 10 – 12)

STEP 4: Add your seasoning ham.

Add your seasoning ham. (Picture 13) Cook the bacon and ham until the ham is lightly seared and the bacon is crispy on the edges. (Pictures 14 – 16) While the ham and bacon are cooking, dice your onion, garlic, and celery. (Pictures 18 – 20) Remove the ham and bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon and leave the bacon grease and butter behind. (Pictures 17 & 21)

STEP 5: Saute your vegetables.

Add your onions, celery, and then garlic and saute until onions are translucent. (Pictures 22 – 26)

STEP 6: Add your meat and spices.

When the onions are translucent, add your ham and bacon back to the pot and mix well. (Pictures 27 – 29) Once combined, add your bay leaves, salt, pepper, parsley, and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. (Pictures 30 – 31) Mix well. (Picture 32) (If you do not have access to Tony’s Seasoning, you can use my Bayou Blast Seasoning instead.)

STEP 7: Add your water and broth.

Next, add your water (Pictures 33 – 34) then add your chicken broth. (Picture 35) Stir well, then bring to a boil. (Pictures 36 – 38)

STEP 8: Add your beans.

Add your soaked beans to the boiling stock and water. (Pictures 39 – 41) Bring everything to a boil (Pictures 42 – 43) then reduce to a simmer (2 – 3 out of 8 on the stove). (Picture 44)

STEP 9: Let your red beans cook.

Simmer your red beans on low heat for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. Check on the beans and give them a stir every 30 minutes, making sure to stir all the way down to the bottom of the pot, checking to make sure that the bottom is not burning. (Pictures 45 – 48)

The beans will be pretty thick after two hours, but once they are taken off the heat, they will continue to thicken up.

STEP 10: Cook your sausage.

Toward the end of the cooking time, dice up your andouille or smoked sausage and cook it in a frying pan. (Pictures 49 -51) Get a nice sear on all of the pieces and add them to your red beans when serving. (You can add the sausage directly to the pot of red beans, but I prefer to add it when serving so that the sausage stays crispy.)

🍳 Serving Suggestions & Uses

STEP 11: Serve your red beans.

Serve your red beans over cooked white rice and top with diced pepperoncini peppers.

✏️ Helpful Tips

• The longer your beans cook or the longer they sit, the thicker your beans will get. They are amazing leftover the day after you cook them.
• Add your sausage to your beans when serving them, that way everyone can get the amount that they want and it keeps the sausage from getting soggy.
• Do NOT try to cook your beans faster by increasing the heat. Beans are really easy to burn.
• When reheating beans, heat them over very low heat so that they don’t burn.

🌶️ Other Great Cajun & Creole Recipes

• Copycat Raising Cane’s Sauce
• Paleo Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
• Cajun Bayou Blast Seasoning
• Southern Collard Greens