Red Beans and Rice

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There are some dinners that are so cozy they make you want to change into your sweatpants, grab a big bowl, and call it a night. This Cajun Red Beans and Rice is the recipe that is so savory, a little spicy, and makes the most comforting bowl for dinner. The red beans, andouille sausage, and green bell pepper are slow-simmered in broth to make a delicious, flavorful mix. 

The beauty of this easy red beans and rice is that it delivers big flavor without asking you to spend all night in the kitchen. Once the vegetables are softened and the sausage is browned, everything simmers in a tomato broth sauce for about an hour. Serve it over fluffy basmati rice and finish with green onions and parsley. 

Whether your weeknight calls for a cozy dinner that makes plenty of leftovers for meal prepping throughout the week. It’s simple but hits the spot every time!!

Why You’ll Love These Red Beans and Rice

• Super cozy! It’s hard to think of a dish that is quite as cozy as red beans and rice. It’s warm, seasoned with classic Cajun seasonings and sausage, and simmered for an hour so the flavor develops into a smoky broth. 
• Easy weeknight meal with a lot leftover! It makes 10-12 servings. Its great for serving for a group or saving the leftovers for meal prepping throughout the week.
• Budget-friendly! This recipe doesn’t require a lot of fancy ingredients. It’s fresh produce, canned goods, and white rice. It’s super simple and makes a lot of servings – more bang for your buck.

How to Make Red Beans and Rice, Step by Step

Step 1. Sauté sausage until browned. 

Slice andouille sausage into pieces. In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, sauté sausage in a couple of tablespoons of oil. Sauté the sausage for 3-4 minutes on each side until it is browned. 

Scoop the cooked sausage from the pot and place it in a bowl. Set it to the side to add back into the pot soon.

Step 2. Sauté onions, peppers, and celery. Stir in seasonings and tomato paste.

Using the same pot, sauté the onion, bell pepper, and celery in the grease of the sausage. Once they are soft, stir in Cajun seasonings and tomato paste. We made our own blend of Cajun seasoning out of onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, and salt and pepper.

Stir the tomato paste and seasonings into the mixture and let it simmer and develop a flavorful base of the red beans. 

Step 3. Add vegetable broth, beans, and bay leaves and simmer for 1 hour.

Pour in several cups of vegetable broth, kidney beans, cooked sausage, and bay leaves. Cover the pot and let it cook on medium-low for 45 minutes. 

Remove the lid and cook for an additional 30 minutes so that it thickens a bit. 

Step 4. Make white rice and serve warm with a large spoonful of red beans.

In a separate pot, boil water for the basmati rice. Once it is at a rolling boil, cook the rice according to the package instructions. Once the rice is cooked, use a spoon to fluff it up. 

To serve, scoop a spoonful of rice into a bowl and top with several ladles of red beans. Top the red beans and rice with some fresh parsley and chopped green onions for a pop of color. Enjoy while hot!

Tips for Making Red Beans and Rice

• Brown the sausage first. The andouille sausage adds a delicious smoky flavor to the dish. We recommend cooking the sausage first and using the drippings to sauté the vegetables. It will add a delicious flavor throughout.
• Let the vegetables soften before adding seasonings. Cook down the onions, bell pepper, and celery until they are tender before you stir in the seasonings and tomato paste. All of this will give the broth a rich, flavorful base.
• Adjust the broth to get your preferred consistency. We recommend starting with 4 cups of broth. The beans will absorb some of the liquid as they simmer. If you see that the mixture is becoming too thick, add some more broth to get the texture you want.
• Simmer long enough for the beans to develop flavor. Simmering the beans and sausage in the seasoned sauce will allow all the flavors to come together. Keep the pot covered at first before removing the lid for the final 30 minutes to reduce some of the excess liquid.

Storing leftover red beans and rice

Store the beans and rice in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the beans on the stovetop or in the microwave.

When you’re reheating the rice, add a sprinkle of water to the rice to make it soft as it reheats.

More weeknight dinner recipes to try:

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