Name: Southern Red Beans and Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; ½ pound andouille sausage, sliced; 1 yellow onion, diced; 1 green bell pepper, diced; 2 celery stalks, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 pound dried red beans; 1 ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon hot sauce (I use Texas Pete); 3 bay leaves; 6 cups cooked rice; ¼ cup sliced green onion

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Jump to Recipe

Southern Red Beans and Rice is a classic Louisiana recipe packed with flavor. Spicy andouille sausage is slowly simmered with red beans and loads of cajun flavor for a comforting meal the entire family will love!

spoonful of red beans and rice held over plate of red beans and rice

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

This easy red beans and rice recipe is one of the meals I find myself making a lot. Bean and rice meals tend to be inexpensive and there is just so much delicious flavor in this dish. A few bites will have you thinking you are down in southern Louisiana with this traditional recipe.

Why I love this recipe

inexpensive meal the entire family loves
it’s easy to adjust the spice level

Ingredients

andouille sausage – substitute smoked sausage or kielbasa to tone down the spiciness
red beans – this recipe calls for dry beans, see the notes below for substituting canned beans
veggies – onion, green bell pepper, celery
seasonings – garlic, cumin, thyme, salt, and bay leaves
hot sauce – I use Texas Pete but you can choose your favorite
rice – I use long grain white rice but you can substitute brown rice if you prefer
green onion for serving
olive oil

Step by step

Heat oil in a large heavy pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes.
Add onion, green pepper, and celery and cook 6-7 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, cumin, and thyme and cook an additional minute.
Add beans, salt, hot sauce, bay leaves, and enough water to cover the beans by 1 ½ inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and over. Cook for 1 ½ hours. Uncover and continue to simmer until beans are cooked and tender and sauce is thickened, about 45 additional minutes, adding more water as necessary.
Discard bay leaves and serve over rice with sliced green onions.

How to substitute canned beans

To make red beans and rice with canned beans substitute 2-3 cans of beans and reduce the cooking time to 30 minutes after adding the beans.

Tips for best results

When using dry beans it’s best practice to pick through the beans to make sure no small pebbles or dirt that may have snuck in. Give them a quick rinse as well.
older beans will be drier and may take longer to cook tender
you can substitute beef sausage or other pork meats like bacon, ham cubes, or smoked ham hock for the sausage
try this recipe with other types of beans like pinto beans, white beans, or black beans

FAQs

While they are similar, red beans and kidney beans are not the same. Red beans are smaller and rounder with a smoother texture compared to kidney beans, which are larger and have a more kidney-like shape and thicker skin. In terms of taste, red beans are slightly sweeter and milder than kidney beans, which have a stronger, more robust flavor. Most New Orleans style recipes call for authentic red beans, however, they can often be used interchangeably in recipes that call for one or the other.

Because this recipe cooks for such a long time it is not necessary to soak the dried beans before cooking them. That being said, there are some advantages to soaking dried beans. The soaking process reduces the gas produced when the beans are being digested and can result in a smoother texture. If you choose to soak the beans you can soak them for 8 hours or overnight or boil them for 10 minutes before draining and using them in the recipe.

Serving suggestions

There are a ton of great options when it comes to sides for red beans and rice. My favorites are collard greens and slow-simmered green beans.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat on the stovetop. Add extra water or chicken broth as you reheat to keep the red beans and rice from drying out.
Freeze in a freezer-safe container (affiliate link) or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!