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The authentic recipe those of us who live in New Orleans use to make our red beans and rice!

Living in New Orleans for more than 20 years and being married to a Nola-born-and-raised man; I’ve made a lot of red beans. Below, you’ll find everything you need to make this classic recipe no matter where you live.

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Authentic New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
How to Make Red Beans and Rice
New Orleans Red Beans & Rice (that locals make)

Authentic New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

In New Orleans, we find Red Beans and Rice on the menu at most local restaurants, a tradition from previous times where they were simmered all day on Monday while women caught up on laundry and the men returned to work.

Today, many of us who live in New Orleans continue this tradition and enjoy them on Monday; however, those of us who work full-time cook them the day before, let them cool down, and refrigerate them in the pot and all. This is the type of recipe that tastes even better the next day!

According to my mother-in-law, who by far makes the best red beans and rice, an authentic recipe must include the holy trinity of vegetables (onions, celery, and bell peppers), Camelia red beans (if you have them), and smoked meat of some kind. More on this below.

Ingredients

Making red beans and rice is simple with these ingredients so check them out before making substitutions. Although, they’re common and easy to find outside of New Orleans. The measurements are in the printable recipe card below.

Red kidney beans: use classic dried red kidney beans, not the small ones.
Oil: lard, butter, or bacon grease, to sauté the vegetables.
Aromatic vegetables: chopped onions, bell pepper, and celery, also known as the holy trinity in New Orleans, give the red beans a base flavor.
Garlic: adds more flavor.
Creole seasoning: a blend of spices and herbs that add flavor to the red beans. You can reduce the amount of spice if your meat is seasoned -more on this below.
Thyme: this dried herb adds earthy undertones and flavor to the red beans.
Smoked sausage or ham hock: they add flavor to the red beans, you can also use andouille sausage or tasso if they’re available.
Bay leaves: add flavor as the beans simmer. If you don’t have them, no problem.
Water: the liquid to the red beans and for cooking the rice. There’s no need to use stock because the meat adds flavor.
Rice: typically long-grain white rice, cooked separately and served on top of the beans.

Do You Need to Soak the Beans?

I’ve made red beans and rice without soaking the beans and soaking the beans. And while the latter reduces the cooking time significantly, I found that using dried beans yields more consistent results in the bean texture as well as a thicker red beans and rice consistency.

Can You Use Canned Beans?

While you can make quick red beans and rice using canned red beans and the ingredients below, this recipe was written for a longer cooking time using dried red kidney beans.

What Meat Goes in Red Beans and Rice

The meat added to the recipe is used to infuse the red beans with lots of flavor. I recommend using any type of smoked sausage available to you or ham. In New Orleans, we typically use Andouille sausage instead of regular smoked sausage or tasso instead of regular ham or ham hock (bone-in) because these cured meats include spices that add flavor and heat; in which case, we reduce the Cajun seasoning as noted in the recipe card.

What Rice Do You Serve with Red Beans?

In New Orleans, we use long-grain white rice when making red beans. This is because it’s a Louisiana-grown staple that we also pair with our New Orleans Gumbo and Etoufee.

How to Make Red Beans and Rice

Making red beans and rice is easier than you think. Here is what you’ll be doing:

Rinse the dried beans
Dried beans should be rinsed and inspected for any broken pieces or tiny stones. While rare, they’re sometimes there.
Sauté the vegetables
Many recipes have you doing this on a separate pan. Personally, I do it in the same large soup pot or Dutch oven. You want to sauté them until they’re tender.
Season
I toast the herbs and spices with the tender veggies for about a minute to enhance the overall taste.
Cook the beans
At this point, all you have to do is add the beans, the meat you’ve chosen for the recipe, and the liquid to the pot and bring this mixture to a boil.
Simmer on low
The longer the red beans are simmering, a minimum of 2.5h, the tastier and more tender they’ll be.
Thicken the red beans
This step is optional but very helpful when you want thicker red beans and rice and don’t have an extra 2 hours to simmer past the beans being tender. Just blend a cup or two in a blender and add this smooth mixture back into the pot.
Cook the rice
The rice is cooked separately, not in the red beans pot, before serving.
Serve
Serve the red beans in a bowl and top with a scoop of cooked rice.

What to Serve with New Orleans Red Beans & Rice

Red beans and rice are often a full meal all by themselves since they’re very filling. Sometimes, I also serve them with sliced French bread or cornbread, a simple side salad, Creole Slaw or a delicious Creole tomato salad.

How to Store Leftovers

Refrigerate cooled red beans in a separate air-tight container from the rice for up to 3 days. Red beans can be frozen for up to 3 months.

New Orleans Red Beans & Rice (that locals make)

large plate of white rice topped with New Orleans red beans

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 2 30

Total Time: 2 45

The authentic recipe those of us who live in New Orleans use to make our red beans and rice!

5 from 20 votes

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Ingredients

16 ounces dried red kidney beans
1 tablespoon oil or shortening
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning*
1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 ounces smoked sausage or ham hock, coarsely chopped
3 bay leaves
8 cups water
3 cups cooked white rice, typically long-grain

Instructions

Prep:

Rinse the dried beans under cold water (in a strainer) and sort them. This means looking out for any broken pieces or rocks and removing them -this is rare, but it happens.

Make the red beans:

Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil. Add the oil, and once warm, add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring throughout, until the vegetables are tender. Add the seasonings and stir and toast them with the vegetables for about a minute.
Add the kidney beans, smoked sausage or ham hock, water, and bay leaves to the pot and stir to combine. Bring this to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 2.5 hours, returning to stir the beans from time to time. The beans can be cooked longer, up to 5 hours. The longer they are cooked, the thicker and more tender they’ll be, omitting the thickening step.

Cook the rice:

Before serving, follow the package directions and cook the white rice.

Thicken the red beans:

For a thick red beans liquid, ladle out 1 ½ cups of cooked red beans into a blender, returning any ham or sausage pieces to the pot. Blend until smooth. Pour the smooth mixture back into the pot, and stir to incorporate. This is an optional but very authentic step to New Orleans red beans.

Serve:

Remove the bay leaves from the pot. If using a bone-in ham, remove the bone from the pot onto a cutting board, separate any ham meat from the bone, and return it to the pot.
Ladle beans into a bowl and serve rice on top or on one side of the beans.

Store:

Refrigerate cooled red beans in a separate air-tight container from the rice for up to 3 days. Red beans can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes

Depending on what type of smoked sausage you use, you might not need the Creole seasoning, especially if using Andouille sausage instead of regular smoked sausage or tasso instead of regular ham or ham hock (bone-in).