Red Beans and Rice Recipe with Andouille Sausage
This red beans and rice recipe simmers andouille sausage with kidney beans and the Cajun trinity, then spoons it over fluffy white rice.
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This red beans and rice recipe is the weeknight version of a Monday tradition in New Orleans, and canned beans are what make it possible on a Tuesday instead. Andouille browns first, the Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery goes in after. The whole pot simmers for half an hour while the rice cooks alongside.
The trick that gets you a thick, stew-like pot without hours of simmering is blending one can of beans, liquid and all, into a smooth puree. It thickens the whole thing from the inside, which is exactly what smashing beans against the side of the pot does in the long-cooked version. You just get there in 30 minutes instead of two hours.
Brown the sausage properly before anything else goes in. Those browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot lift right off when the vegetables release their water. They carry most of the smoky flavor in the finished dish.
Why You’ll Love This Red Beans and Rice Recipe
- Thirty minutes of simmering, not two hours. Canned beans skip the overnight soak and the long cook that the traditional version needs.
- Cheap enough to make twice a month. Three cans of beans, one package of sausage, and a cup and a half of rice feed six people.
- Real Cajun flavor from the pantry. Smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, and cayenne with the trinity taste like more work than they are.
- Better on day two. The beans keep drinking the seasoning overnight, which makes this a strong Sunday-for-Monday dinner.
Red Beans and Rice Ingredients
Andouille is a fully cooked smoked pork sausage, so it only needs browning, not cooking through. If your store doesn’t carry it, any smoked sausage or kielbasa works and it’s the same story on cooking, though you’ll want to bump the cayenne to 1/2 teaspoon since andouille brings its own heat.
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 14 oz andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
- 3 cups water, for the rice
- 3 green onions, sliced
- Salt, to taste
Recipe Variations
- Use smoked turkey sausage instead of andouille to cut the fat. Like andouille it comes fully cooked, so brown it the same way and just make sure it’s heated through to 165°F in the finished pot.
- Swap the canned beans for 1 pound of dried red beans. Soak them overnight, drain them, then boil them hard in 6 cups of fresh water for a full 30 minutes. Dried red and kidney beans carry a natural toxin that only a rolling boil breaks down, so don’t shortcut that part. Then drop the heat and simmer another hour, until they’re soft enough to mash against the pot, and stir the browned sausage back in at the end.
- Make it meat-free by skipping the sausage entirely. Start with 2 tablespoons of oil, add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke with the broth, and use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.
How to Make Red Beans and Rice
- Brown the sausage: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced andouille in a single layer and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning once, until both cut sides are browned. Andouille is sold fully cooked, so this step is about color and flavor, not about cooking it through. Leave it in the pot.
- Cook the trinity: Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 6-8 minutes, scraping the browned bits off the bottom as the vegetables release their liquid, until the onion turns soft and translucent.
- Toast the seasoning: Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and bay leaves. Cook for 1 minute, until the spices smell toasty rather than dusty.
- Prep the beans: Drain and rinse two cans of kidney beans. Pour the third can into a blender, liquid and all, and blend until completely smooth. If you don’t have a blender, mash it in a bowl with a fork until it’s a rough paste.
- Simmer: Add the drained beans, the pureed beans, and the chicken broth to the pot. Bring it to a boil, then drop the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until it’s thick enough to mound on a spoon.
- Cook the rice: While the beans simmer, combine the rice and 3 cups of water in a separate saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cook for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Season and serve: Pull out the bay leaves and taste the beans. Add salt a little at a time, since the andouille and the canned beans both bring plenty. The pot should be steaming and hot through at 165°F before you serve it. Spoon the beans over the rice and scatter the green onions on top.
Recipe FAQs
Is This Red Beans and Rice Recipe Spicy?
Mildly. A quarter teaspoon of cayenne across six servings reads as warm, not hot, and andouille adds a little more. Leave the cayenne out for a kid-friendly pot, or double it if your family likes heat.
What’s the Difference Between Red Beans and Kidney Beans?
Small red beans are a different bean, rounder and softer than dark red kidney beans, and they’re what’s traditional in Louisiana. Kidney beans are what most grocery stores carry and work just as well here. Use either.
Can I Use Dried Beans Instead of Canned?
Yes, with one step you can’t skip. Soak 1 pound of dried red beans overnight, drain them, then boil them hard in 6 cups of fresh water for a full 30 minutes. Dried red and kidney beans carry a natural toxin, and only a rolling boil destroys it. A low simmer or a slow cooker never gets hot enough. After that 30 minutes, drop the heat and simmer another hour, until they’re soft enough to mash against the side of the pot. It’s the better version if you have the afternoon, but this recipe is built for the night you don’t.
Can I Make Red Beans and Rice in a Slow Cooker?
Yes. Brown the sausage and vegetables on the stove first, then move everything to a slow cooker with the beans and broth and cook on low for 4 hours. The browning step is worth the extra pan. Use canned beans for the slow cooker version. Dried red beans have to be boiled hard on the stove for 30 minutes first, so they can’t go in from dry.
Can I Cook the Rice Right in with the Beans?
Not with regular long-grain rice. It needs a set ratio of liquid and the bean pot doesn’t give it one, so you get gummy rice and thin beans. Instant rice does work: stir in 2 cups for the last 12-15 minutes along with an extra 1 1/2 cups of broth.
Cooking Tips
- Blend one can of beans with its liquid, not with fresh water. That starchy canning liquid is a thickener, and rinsing it away is why some quick versions come out watery.
- Give the sausage room to brown before you add the vegetables. Crowded sausage steams in its own fat and you lose the fond on the bottom of the pot.
- Salt at the very end. Between the smoked sausage, the canned beans, and the broth, this pot is usually close to seasoned before you add a single pinch.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Refrigerate the beans and rice in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days. Storing them apart keeps the rice from turning to mush in the sauce.
To freeze: The beans freeze beautifully for up to 3 months in a freezer bag laid flat. Freeze the rice separately or cook it fresh, since reheated frozen rice comes out grainy.
To reheat: Warm the beans on the stove over medium with a splash of broth until they reach 165°F, about 8 minutes. They thicken a lot in the fridge, so expect to loosen them.
How to Serve Red Beans and Rice
Red Beans and Rice is a full plate on its own, but a wedge of cornbread or a skillet of corn muffins is the classic partner. A simple green salad or quick-pickled onions cut through the richness of the sausage. Set hot sauce on the table, because most people at ours reach for it.
Loved This Recipe?
Red Beans and Rice takes an hour, costs a few dollars a plate, and tastes like it simmered all afternoon.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
Red Beans and Rice Recipe with Andouille Sausage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 14 oz andouille sausage sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans two drained and rinsed, one blended with its liquid
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
- 3 cups water for the rice
- 3 green onions sliced
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Brown the sausage: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced andouille in a single layer and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning once, until both cut sides are browned. Andouille is sold fully cooked, so this step is about color and flavor, not about cooking it through. Leave it in the pot.
- Cook the trinity: Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 6-8 minutes, scraping the browned bits off the bottom as the vegetables release their liquid, until the onion turns soft and translucent.
- Toast the seasoning: Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and bay leaves. Cook for 1 minute, until the spices smell toasty rather than dusty.
- Prep the beans: Drain and rinse two cans of kidney beans. Pour the third can into a blender, liquid and all, and blend until completely smooth. If you don’t have a blender, mash it in a bowl with a fork until it’s a rough paste.
- Simmer: Add the drained beans, the pureed beans, and the chicken broth to the pot. Bring it to a boil, then drop the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until it’s thick enough to mound on a spoon.
- Cook the rice: While the beans simmer, combine the rice and 3 cups of water in a separate saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cook for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Season and serve: Pull out the bay leaves and taste the beans. Add salt a little at a time, since the andouille and the canned beans both bring plenty. The pot should be steaming and hot through at 165°F before you serve it. Spoon the beans over the rice and scatter the green onions on top.
Notes
If you made this, leave a star rating down in the comments. It takes about ten seconds, and it’s how other cooks decide whether a recipe is worth trying.
