New Orleans is known for a lot of things. Music, culture, jazz, architecture, folklore, Mardi Gra. But guess what we love most about this treasured city: The food!
And here is one of the most comforting, satisfying dishes in the world. Deep in flavor with a little heat…oh boy, do they get it right down in Louisiana. We show you the tips and tricks to make this dish authentic and through-the-roof delicious. And it’s easy as can be! Serve with steamed white rice for authentic taste and flavor.
Ingredients
The ingredients in this classic dish are not exotic and easy to get your hands on. Next time you cook a bone-in ham, be sure to save (and freeze) that bone! Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:
Dried beans – Red kidney beans are classic, but you could substitute pinto beans. We don’t recommend canned beans.
Hambone – Hopefully you have one frozen from your holiday ham. If not, seek out ham hocks from the meat department. In a pinch, add two strips of smoked bacon to the simmering broth.
Meats – Smoked andouille sausage and smoked ham can be found in the meat department of many well-stocked supermarkets, or at your butcher. Kielbasa, or any type of smoked sausage can be substituted.
Vegetables – Chopped onions, jalapeño, tomato, and garlic. Remove the seeds from the pepper, unless you want some heat.
Seasonings and Flavor Enhancers – Mustard, preferably whole grain. Red wine vinegar (can substitute with apple cider vinegar), dried thyme, cayenne pepper (extra for increased heat), salt, and pepper.
For Serving – Steamed white rice (we don’t recommend Instant). Chopped scallions, and plenty of hot sauce, such as Tobasco.
EXPERT TIP: It’s okay if there is meat still on the ham bone. Actually, this is fantastic. As it simmers, the meat will deepen in flavor and fall into the broth. Huge flavor! You’ll need to remove the bones (plus any excess fat or cartilage from the bone) before serving.
Tips for Making Perfect Red Beans and Rice
Soak the Beans: For the best texture and flavor, soak your dried red beans overnight. This helps them cook evenly and reduces the cooking time. If you’re short on time, you can use the quick soak method by boiling the beans for a few minutes and then letting them sit for an hour.
Use a Flavorful Base: Start with a flavorful base by sautéing the “holy trinity” of Cajun and Creole cooking: onions, bell peppers (or jalapeño), and celery (optional). Adding garlic, bay leaves, and spices like thyme and cayenne will enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
Cook Low and Slow: Allow the beans to simmer gently for an extended period. Cooking them low and slow helps to develop a rich, deep flavor and ensures that the beans become tender. Aim for at least 1.5 to 2 hours of simmering.
Adjust Seasoning and Consistency: Taste the beans as they cook and adjust the seasoning as needed. If the mixture is too thick, add a bit of water or broth to reach your desired consistency. For a creamier texture, you can mash some of the beans against the side of the pot.
EXPERT TIP: Sauté the sliced sausage and cubed smoked ham in a little oil in a sturdy pot until starting to char in spots. This adds major flavor to the dish.
How To Serve
This dish will not be as thick as a stew, but the steamed rice will absorb some of the flavorful broth.
You can serve the pot of red beans separate from the rice and let folks serve themselves, or, do what we prefer, which is to load up serving bowls with a mound of rice and then ladle the red beans mixture all around it.
Pair this with cold beer, a classic hurricane, or iced tea for a truly authentic experience. Be sure to have plenty of hot sauce available.
A side of Southern cornbread is always a nice touch.
EXPERT TIP: We use two pots to make this dish. First, we start with a pot (or Dutch oven) to sauté the vegetables and smoked meats along with the other aromatics. Then, we transfer that to the pot that has been simmering with the ham bone and beans.
Other Classic Cajun or Creole Recipes to Try
We’ve yet to meet a classic dish from Louisiana that we didn’t love. Here is a collection of our favorite recipes that you’ll want to make time and time again! Perfect for a Mardi Gro celebration!
- Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Classic Jambalaya
- Crawfish Etouffée
- Dirty Rice
- Muffuletta
- Fried Catfish Po-Boy
- Cajun Baked Shrimp
- Homemade Beignets
- Bananas Foster
- King Cake
- Hurricane Cocktail
These are classic and so much fun to make in your kitchen. But, in the meantime, isn’t this dish calling your name?
Can Red Beans and Rice Be Made In Advance?
Yes! In fact, this is one of those dishes that gets even better after a few days.
Store in a pot or container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 5 days.
This dish also freezes wonderfully. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely and then bring to a simmer on the stove in a pot over medium heat.
You won’t believe how your house will smell when you make this iconic N’awlins dish!
Be sure to have your favorite hot sauce handy…and as is often the case, this is even better the next day!
This recipe is just so comforting, and keeps you and your loved ones coming back for more and more and more!!
Ready to make the best dish this side of the Bayou? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it and post it on Instagram and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Classic Red Beans and Rice
Video
Equipment
- Pot or Dutch oven for sautéing meats and veggies
- Large pot (or stock pot) for simmering water, beans, and everything else.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried red beans
- 1 ham bone or ham hocks, See NOTES
- 4 bay leaves dried or fresh
- 14 oz andouille sausage smoked, sliced, a generous cup
- ½ lb ham smoked, cubed, a generous cup
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 mediume tomato diced
- 2 jalapenos stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon thyme seeds dried
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Steamed white rice for serving
- Scallions thinly slice, for garnish
- Hot sauce for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight and then drain. See NOTES for Quick Soak instructions.
- Combine the beans, 1 gallon of water (16 cups), ham bone, and bay leaves in a large stock pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and ham and cook until lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the onion and peppers and cook until softened, 5 minutes more.
- Add the tomato, jalapenos, garlic, mustard, vinegar, salt, thyme, black pepper, and cayenne and continue to cook until the mixture is hot and the ingredients have softened, an additional 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the sausage mixture to the pot of beans. Simmer slowly, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until creamy and tender, about 3 hours.
- Approximately 10 minutes before the beans are done, use a wooden spoon to smash some of the beans against the inside of the pot.
- Remove the bones and bay leaves. Pick out any cartilage or bone that may have come from the ham bone.
- Serve over hot steamed white rice with sliced scallions and hot sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Gretchen says
BEST Red Beans and Rice I’ve ever made!! I live an hour from NOLA and this recipe tasted just as delicious as the ones in the Quarter!!!
Kris Longwell says
Woo hoo!! Gretchen! You just made our day and got us craving these red beans and rice! Thank you so much for sharing and for the GREAT review! That means the world to us! Please stay in touch! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Lindsey Burks says
This sounds weird but where do I get cubed smoked ham? All my smoked ham comes in slices lol! I usually use shanks for my ham and bean soup but you use both and so I want to also but not sure how to do that step without buying a whole ham. Sorry if I sound stupid!! Any insight is appreciated!!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Lindsey! Not stupid or weird at all!! You can usually find a small smoked ham (boneless) in the lunchmeat/bacon/ham section of your supermarket. I pick one up and then cube it myself. Usually have more than I need for the red beans and rice, but, it’s so yummy, it always gets eaten up. Boars Head has a nice smoked ham that is reasonably priced. Hope this helps! Let us know if you make the red beans and rice and how it turns out. We love them so much!!!
Lindsey Burks says
I went to get my shank and wouldn’t you know right next to it was a boneless smoke ham steak!! Bam. I can easily cube that myself. Soaked my beans last night so everything is ready to go for a great meal!
Kris Longwell says
Awesome!! Let us know how it turned out! We hope you love it!!!
Kristine says
Making Red Beans and rice tonight so excited.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Kristine! We hope you enjoyed them! Let us know when you have a chance!!
Laura says
I gave your RED BEANS AND RICE a 5* rating, with only 1 change…The ham hock didn’t give enough flavor, I’d stick with using bacon (about 3 slices in 1/2 pieces) in place of. But the vinegar, mustard added such a complex flavor…that this is my go to recipe for this dish….I probably make this once a moth during winter.
Had it for our annual Super Bowl party….another guest made the King cake, I got the baby…!
Barbara says
Shoes the nutrition include the rice?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Barbara…yes, the nutrition stats include one serving of the rice. Let us know if you make the dish and what you think. It’s one of our all-time favorites! Best, Kris & Wesley
Lisa Bailey says
I came across your site while looking for a good quiche recipe at 2:00am. (I love that it’s so meaty!!) Now it’s almost 4:30am and my phone is about to die, haha. Just can’t stop reading your amazing recipes, watching your videos, and looking at all of the gorgeous food photos!
Your recipies are incredible, you two handsome men are incredible, and thank you so much for what you do. I now know I’ll never have to struggle to figure out what to cook. I can just “visit” you!!!
Kris Longwell says
Lisa!!!! You have no idea how happy you have made us!!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!! Please stay tuned and stay in touch!!! xoxoxo Kris & Wesley
Melody says
My husband cannot stand thyme! What would y’all use for a substitute. I have just discovered y’all on YouTube and your recipes look amazing! I love to cook from scratch and can’t wait to get started. By the way I also love your website.
Kris Longwell says
HI Melody!! Thank you so much!!! So glad you found us and we found you!! You could substitute oregano for the thyme, and still get excellent flavor. Or, you could just omit it completely. It definitely adds a depth of taste, but the dish will still be yummy without it. Let us know if you make it and what you and your hubby think!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Erica says
Hello! This is my all-time favorite red beans and rice recipe. Sooo good! But I’m having an issue finding dried red beans because of this darn coronavirus. Can I use canned red beans instead? Would it change the cook time? Thank you.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Erica! So sorry for the delayed response! You can absolutely use canned red beans. You can reduce the cooking time in half, but it won’t hurt anything to cook them as long as you want. The extended cook time helps to deepen the flavor, but they’ll still be delicious in the shorter amount of time. Let us know how it turns out or if you have any other questions!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Kobey says
This is incredibly tasty. I hope you don’t mind, but I added celery and bell pepper to the recipe. Can’t wait to try some of the other recipes.
Kelsea Stokley says
Can you cook this recipe on the slow cooker? If so, what is a suggested length of time?
krislongwell says
Hi Kelsea! We’ve never done this in the slow cooker, although I have done a variation in our Instant Pot, and it turned out just fine. I would recommend cooking on Low for 8 hours, and add the shrimp to the mix just during the last 45 minutes of cooking. Let us know how it turns out!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Steven M Bohne says
What shrimp? I didn’t see shrimp on the ingredients list!
krislongwell says
Hi Steven, where did you see/hear something about shrimp for this recipe? There’s definitely no shrimp in this red beans and rice recipe. Sorry for any confusion!!
Steven M Bohne says
To wit:
“Hi Kelsea! We’ve never done this in the slow cooker, although I have done a variation in our Instant Pot, and it turned out just fine. I would recommend cooking on Low for 8 hours, and add the shrimp to the mix just during the last 45 minutes of cooking. Let us know how it turns out!! All the best, Kris & Wesley”
krislongwell says
Ha!! Well, I must have had jambayala on my mind! Just disregard the “shrimp” part of that comment! We respond to a lot of a comments, so I must have gotten mixed up!!
Elsie says
Would love to try this but wondering can I make this in insta pot? If so how long will it take ?
krislongwell says
Hi Elsie! We’re certain you could make this in your Instant Pot…but we need to look into timing on that. Each recipe is a little different when you make it in the IP. We’ll need to get back to you. Thanks so much!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Mo Morse says
New Orleans Red Beans and Rice is a New Orleans dish, not a Cajun dish. It’s traditionally served on Mondays. I know this seems minor but not to New Orleanians that have to combat that, ‘no, we are not Cajun, we are New Orleans.’ However, you have an excellent recipe says this New Orleans Yat!
krislongwell says
Okay! Thanks for the clarification! We do LOVE NOLA!
SUZIE BELL says
this looks amazing, I am wondering how smoked pig neck would taste in this recipe?
otherwise guess i could get the smoked shanks.
suzie
krislongwell says
Hi Suzie!
The smoked pig neck would be great! Will still give that same great smoked pork taste. Let us know what you go with!
Thanks!
Kris & Wesley
Vicki says
Can I substitute the andouille sausage for smoked sausage? I love spicy cajun food but my husband has stomach ulcers and can’t eat spicy foods..
krislongwell says
Hi Vicki! Sure, you can substitute any kind of sausage you like. It’s still going to have the wonderful Cajun flavor. Let us know how it turns out. This is one of our favorites!
lucy says
Is there a substitute for thyme seeds? I’ve not seen those in my local stores.
krislongwell says
Hi Lucy,
Sure, go with dried ground thyme (same measurement of 2 teaspoons), or 3 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme. You may just see ‘dried thyme’ in you spices section of the store, that would work perfectly. Let us know now it turns out! This is one of our favorite dishes!! Thanks!! Kris & Wesley
Katia says
Another spectacular looking recipe! Can’t wait to try this one soon. You have some real good looking food! Love your site in general.
The Loon says
Hi Katia! We love all things CAJUN!!! Thanks for stopping by and please come back often!