How to Make Red Beans & Rice with Andouille

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Creole, Soul Food

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 2 25

Soak Time: 8

Total Time: 10 40

Servings: servings

Calories: 742kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Authentic Louisiana-style red beans cooked low and slow with smoky, spicy, and savory flavor served with hot fluffy rice

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Equipment

1 large bowl
1 cutting board
1 knife
1 garlic press optional
1 large Dutch oven or deep pot
1 kitchen spoon
1 small saucepan

Ingredients

1 pound dried kidney beans
water
12 ounces Andouille sausage or another coarse-ground, smoked sausage
½ pound bacon
3 stalks celery
1 yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
8 cloves garlic
1-2 scallions (also called green onions or onion greens)
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 bay leaves
8 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cup uncooked white rice

Instructions

Soak the Beans: Rinse and sort the beans then add them to a bowl and cover with about two inches of water. Soak for eight hours or overnight, then drain.
1 pound dried kidney beans, water
Prep the Vegetables and Meats: Cut the sausage into cubes or slices, and cut the bacon into 1-2 inch pieces. Dice the celery, onion, and bell pepper. Crush or mince the garlic, and thinly slice the scallion.
12 ounces Andouille sausage, ½ pound bacon, 3 stalks celery, 1 yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 8 cloves garlic, 1-2 scallions
Cook the Meats: Add bacon pieces to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and cook until crispy (about eight minutes). Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside.
*Do not remove bacon grease from the pot.
Add the sausage to the pot to brown, flipping so that all sides cook evenly (about eight minutes). Remove the sausage from the pot and set aside.
*Do not remove rendered fat from the pot.
Bloom the Aromatics: Add the prepped onion, celery, and bell pepper plus the creole seasoning, black pepper, and three bay leaves to cook in the rendered fat from the meats until softened and aromatic (about five minutes). Stir and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then add the garlic and cook one minute more.
4 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Finish and Serve: Carefully stir the beans, cooked sausage and bacon, and broth into the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce heat to between medium-low and low, and simmer, uncovered, for about two hours or until the beans are tender and the liquid is reduced and thickened to your liking.
8 cups chicken broth
Meanwhile, rinse the rice then boil it in water with the remaining bay leaf. Use two forks to fluff the rice once cooked through.
1 ½ cup uncooked white rice
Serve the beans hot with rice and garnish with scallions.

Notes

Modifications

Soaking dried beans partially rehydrates them so that they will cook faster, so I always recommend it. But if you forget or are short on time, don't worry! You can do a quick soak (1-3 hours) or just rinse, sort, and add the beans to the pot without soaking. The beans will typically take an extra hour or two to cook.

You can use either broth or stock interchangeably here, or you can use an equal amount of water with three chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in it. In a pinch, plain water will also work; it just won't produce as much flavor in the final dish.

Smoked cuts like ham hocks or turkey legs are traditional inclusions because they infuse more flavor and add extra protein. The low and slow cooking style of red beans also gets the meat perfectly tender! Add up to one pound of smoked meat or ham bones in step six, if desired.

Use vegetable broth and omit the bacon and sausage. With no meat, you'll need to use a couple tablespoons of cooking oil to saute the aromatics. I also recommend adding a bit of liquid smoke to round out the flavor.

Storage

Store cooked rice and red beans in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to five days.

To freeze, cool the beans and rice to room temperature, then transfer them into separate airtight, freezer-safe containers and freeze. I like to freeze individual portions in Souper Cubes for easier reheating later. Once frozen, they will keep for up to six months.

Nutrition