Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice

Ahhh, red beans and rice. This classic dish has been filling hungry bellies on a dime for centuries. In fact, this particular recipe has been a reader favorite for almost 15 years, proving that good food never goes out of style! It’s rich, flavorful, has a TON of fiber and protein, makes a ton of freezer-friendly leftovers, and is basically a budget cook’s dream. But these classic Louisiana Red Beans and Rice do take a little time to cook, so plan this one for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon when you’ll be chillin’ at home. Your house will smell amazing, and you’ll have food for the whole week!

“This was delicious!!! I made it and the wife went for seconds and thirds. It’s a keeper. Thank you for sharing.” Juan

Easy recipe for Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice

There’s something incredibly comforting about a big pot of New Orleans-style red beans and rice; it’s the kind of meal that feels like a warm hug! My recipe keeps things simple with budget-friendly staples like smoky Andouille sausage, creamy red beans, and the “holy trinity” of Cajun cooking: onion, bell pepper, and celery. Add a few pantry spices, some fresh herbs, and a pot of fluffy white rice, and you’ve got a meal that’s packed with flavor without breaking the bank.

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Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

Classic Louisiana style red beans and rice are a naturally budget friendly meal that will give you leftovers for days! Freezer friendly!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Total Cost $9.75 recipe / $1.63 serving

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Soaking time 8 hours hours

Total Time 10 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 1.5 cups red beans each

Calories 702kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Equipment

• Dutch Oven
• Chef’s Knife
• White Cutting Boards

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dry red beans $1.96
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil $0.08
• 14 oz. Andouille sausage* $3.47
• 1 yellow onion $0.70
• 1 green bell pepper $0.86
• 3 ribs celery $0.56
• 4 cloves garlic $0.16
• 2 tsp smoked paprika $0.20
• 1 tsp dried oregano $0.10
• 1 tsp dried thyme $0.10
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder $0.05
• 1/2 tsp onion powder $0.05
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper $0.03
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.04
• 2 bay leaves $0.20
• 6 cups water $0.00
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley $0.20
• 1 Tbsp salt, or to taste $0.09
• 1.5 cups long grain white rice, uncooked** $0.72
• 3 green onions $0.30

Instructions

• The night before, add the dry beans to a large bowl with double their volume in water. Allow the beans to soak in the refrigerator overnight.
• When you’re ready to start cooking, slice the sausage into rounds. Add the cooking oil and sliced sausage to a large pot and cook over medium until the sausage pieces are browned. Remove the cooked sausage with a slotted spoon to a clean bowl. Place the cooked sausage in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the dish.
• While the sausage is cooking, dice the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Mince the garlic.
• After removing the cooked sausage, add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the pot. You can drain the fat before adding the veggies, if preferred, but I don't! Sauté the vegetables over medium heat until the onions are soft, allowing the moisture from the vegetables to help dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the pot as you stir.
• Add the smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and bay leaves to the pot. Stir and cook for one minute more.
• Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Add them to the pot along with 6 cups water and give the pot a brief stir to combine the ingredients.
• Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the pot boil for one hour, stirring occasionally. Replace the lid every time you stir.
• After boiling for one hour, the beans should be tender. Begin to smash the beans with the back of a spoon against the side of the pot. Continue smashing the beans and letting the pot simmer without a lid for 30 minutes to thicken the pot.
• While the beans are simmering for their final 30 minutes, cook the rice. Add the rice and 3 cups water to a sauce pot. Place a lid on top, turn the heat on to high, and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let the rice rest for 5 minutes without removing the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
• Once the red beans have thickened, add the cooked sausage back to the pot along with 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine. Taste the red beans and add salt to your liking. Start with 1 tsp and add more as needed. I used 1 Tbsp total (3 tsp).
• Serve the red beans in a bowl topped with a scoop of rice and a sprinkle of sliced green onions.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

*Andouille sausage is the traditional choice for this recipe. I used a medium spice-level sausage, but you can use mild if you don’t like spice. Any Andouille sausage between 12-16oz. will work. Your favorite smoked pork or beef sausage will work in its place if you can’t get Andouille sausage where you live.

**You can swap out the white rice for brown rice if desired. Just keep in mind that brown rice takes longer to cook and requires more water than white rice, so be sure to follow the package instructions on your brown rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 702kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 24g | Sodium: 1731mg | Fiber: 14g

How to Make Red Beans and Rice Step-By-Step Photos

Prep your ingredients: Gather all of your ingredients. Depending on where you live, you may find small red beans or kidney beans (dark or light). You can use either type for this recipe. You’ll need one pound of dry beans for this recipe.

Soak the beans: Soak the beans in water (make sure to use twice as much water as beans) overnight. If you forgot to soak your beans, use one of the other methods described in this article. (this photo is after the beans have been soaking overnight)

Cook the sausage: Slice the sausage into rounds and add them to a large pot with 2 Tbsp cooking oil. Cook over medium heat until the sausage is well browned. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a clean bowl and place it in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the recipe. If you want to reduce the fat in your red beans, you can drain off most of the fat left behind by the sausage. I left the fat in, though, because it’s super flavorful!

Dice the veggies: While the sausage is cooking, dice one onion, one green bell pepper, and about three ribs of celery. This trio of flavors (onion, bell pepper, celery) is called “holy trinity.” But I also like to add four cloves of garlic, so mince those up as well.

Sauté the veggies: Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot after removing the sausage. Sauté the vegetables over medium until the onions are soft. Use the moisture from the vegetables to dissolve the browned bits of meat off the bottom of the pot as you stir.

Add the seasonings: Once the vegetables have softened, add the Cajun seasoning (2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and about 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper) and two bay leaves. Cook and stir for about a minute more.

Cook the beans and veggies: Drain and rinse the soaked red beans, then add them to the pot with 6 cups of fresh water.

Give the pot a brief stir to distribute the spices and other ingredients. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring it up to a full boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the beans simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Smash the beans: After boiling the beans for one hour, the beans should be tender but the pot as a whole will still look pretty watery. To thicken the pot, begin smashing the red beans against the side of the pot with your spoon. Smash the red beans and let it continue to simmer without a lid for an extra 30 minutes. I stood and smashed my beans for about 10 minutes, and let it keep simmering for an extra 20 (30 minutes total).

Cook the rice: While the red beans are in their final 30 minute simmer, cook your rice. Add 1.5 cups long grain white rice to a saucepot with 3 cups water. Place a lid on top, turn the heat up to high, and allow it to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let the pot rest for an additional 5 minutes without removing the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork just before serving.

After smashing and simmering for a bit longer, the red beans will have thickened quite a bit. They’ll continue to thicken even more as they cool a bit.

Finish and serve: Finally, add the cooked Andouille sausage back to the pot along with about 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine. Taste the red beans and add salt to your liking. You will need at least SOME salt to make the flavors come out in this dish. I added 1 Tbsp for the whole pot, but I suggest starting with 1 tsp and adding more to your liking.

Serve the red beans with a scoop of cooked rice, and sliced green onion sprinkled over top!

Are Red Beans and Kidney Beans the Same Thing?

Nope! They’re both red, but they are two different beans, but you can use either one in this recipe. Here’s a photo of red beans and kidney beans side by side for reference:

How to Freeze Red Beans and Rice

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