New Orleans red beans and rice is a pot of creamy kidney beans simmered with smoked sausage and the onion, bell pepper and celery base, spooned over white rice. It serves 6, takes about 3 hours of mostly hands-off simmering (25 minutes active) plus an overnight soak, and the creaminess comes from mashing some of the beans, not from cream. In New Orleans it has long been a Monday dish, since the pot can simmer while the rest of the day gets on.
Safety first: raw kidney beans contain a natural toxin that is only destroyed by a hard boil. Boil the soaked beans vigorously for a full 10 minutes before turning the heat down to a simmer. A slow cooker alone does not get hot enough, so start the beans on the stove.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried red kidney beans, rinsed and picked over
- 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch coins
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon drippings
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 6 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Hot cooked long-grain white rice and sliced green onions, for serving
Method
- Soak the beans in cold water at least 2 inches above the beans for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the sausage for 5 to 6 minutes until the edges darken, then lift it out.
- Add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and the onion looks translucent.
- Stir in the garlic, thyme, paprika and cayenne for 1 minute.
- Add the beans, bay leaves and water. Bring to a full rolling boil and hold it there for 10 minutes, then drop to a gentle simmer with small bubbles.
- Simmer partly covered for about 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so. The beans are done when one pressed between your fingers crushes with no chalky center. Add a splash of water if the pot looks dry.
- Return the sausage. Mash about 1 cup of beans against the side of the pot, stir, and simmer uncovered 20 to 30 minutes until the liquid coats a spoon.
- Season with salt and pepper, remove the bay leaves, and serve over rice.
For a more fragrant base, try the beans over this turmeric rice. A tangy coleslaw on the side cuts through the richness.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Beans still hard after 2 hours | Old beans, hard water, or salt or acid added too early | Keep simmering and add hot water as needed; old beans can take another hour |
| Thin, watery liquid | Not enough beans mashed, or lid kept on | Mash another half cup and simmer uncovered 15 minutes |
| Gluey, pasty pot | Over-mashed or too little liquid | Stir in hot water a quarter cup at a time |
| Bland flavor | Too little salt, or no smoked meat | Salt at the end, and add a ham hock or smoked paprika |
| Scorched bottom | Heat too high | Do not scrape the burnt layer; move the pot to a new one and lower the heat |
Substitutions That Work
- Ham hock: add one with the beans, then pull the meat off the bone before serving.
- Vegetarian: skip the sausage, use vegetable broth and 1 extra teaspoon smoked paprika.
- No soak: works, but expect about an extra hour of simmering and 1 to 2 extra cups of water.
- Other beans: small red beans cook slightly faster than kidney beans, so check them at 90 minutes.
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
Cool the beans within 2 hours and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days, with the rice stored separately. They thicken as they sit, so loosen with a few tablespoons of water. Reheat on the stove over low heat, stirring, until steaming hot throughout (165 F). Freeze the beans without rice for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The flavor is better the next day, so this is a good dish to cook ahead.
FAQ
Do you have to soak red beans for red beans and rice?
No, but soaking gives more even cooking and cuts the simmer time. Unsoaked beans need roughly an hour longer and extra water.
How do you make red beans creamy without cream?
Mash about a cup of cooked beans against the side of the pot and simmer uncovered. The starch from the beans thickens the liquid into a gravy.
Can you make red beans and rice in a slow cooker?
Yes, after boiling the soaked beans on the stove for 10 minutes. Then transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Why add salt at the end?
Salting late lets you taste the finished liquid, since the smoked sausage already adds salt and the liquid reduces as it simmers.