Easy Red Beans and Rice Recipe
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This easy red beans and rice recipe is packed full of flavor, with seasonings, tender ham bone, and smoked sausage on a bed of rice.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, I’m about to show you how to make a humdinger of a good old country meal. Remember when I showed you that easy-peasy ham glaze and told you to save your ham bone? Well pull that puppy out, we’re ’bout to fix us some supper!
This easy red beans and rice recipe is a classic Southern main dish. So, besides the aforementioned ham bone, what else do you need to make it? Red beans (or kidney beans), smoked sausage, onion, a bay leaf, minced garlic, cayenne pepper, seasoned salt, salt, and black pepper. Oh yeah, it’s going to be SO flavorful.
Now, when I say this is an easy recipe, y’all know I’m not kidding. We start the night before by sorting and soaking our beans. Then the next morning, we add them to a pan with all of the ingredients except for the sausage. Let that simmer for several hours while you go about your day. Add the sliced sausage about an hour before serving. When the beans are oh-so-tender and your kitchen smells oh-so-delicious, it’s time to serve our red beans on a bed of cooked rice. Yep, that’s all there is to it.
Keep scrolling for suggestions to make this easy red beans and rice recipe work for you and your family. Plus, I’ve included some serving ideas too. Because y’all, there’s nothing quite like red beans and rice with a side of cornbread or some biscuit to soak up that deliciously flavorful broth that’s been simmering all day.
Okay, I’m getting hungry just thinking about this recipe, so let’s get cooking so we can get eating!
Recipe Ingredients
- A big old ham bone
- Red beans
- Onion
- Smoked sausage
- Bay leaf
- Minced garlic (Jar, fresh, or dried garlic)
- Cayenne pepper
- Seasoned salt
- Salt and black pepper
- Rice
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make My Easy Red Beans and Rice Recipe
Sort through your beans and place them in a large pot. Cover them with water and let them sit overnight.
What is “sorting beans,” you ask?
Well sometimes (oftentimes actually) when you get dried beans you’ll find tiny stones in them amongst the beans. This is just one of those things. I mean, beans are grown in the dirt and stones happen. You just pour a few into your hand, make sure there are no stones, and then pour that handful into your pot and repeat.
In the morning the soaked beans will look like this.
Now drain off that water.
Here is what we have left, placed back in the same large stockpot.
They lost a little of their redness. Guess they needed a bath.
Add in all of your other ingredients, including the big old ham bone.
Now fill that pot with water.
Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer for several hours or until tender.
I put mine on in the morning when the kids leave for school and simmer them all day long. You don’t have to cook them that long but it gives you a nice rich broth if you do. I recommend soaking that up with cornbread or just stirring it into your rice when you eat it.
I just slice my sausage a bit and add in about a cup or so about an hour before serving.
You can use more or less depending on what you have on hand.
You can also leave it out entirely if you like.
Another option is to use weenies to save money.
This is how it looks after I’ve cooked it down to a nice thick liquid all day.
Remove your bay leaf and then make your rice.
For this tutorial, I’m just using some brown boil-in-the-bag rice.
Serve your red beans atop the hot, cooked rice.
Dive in and be thankful for the good sense to enjoy the simple things in life.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating as above.
Recipe Notes
- Traditional red beans and rice has you using small red beans, but some folks can’t find those and just use kidney beans. Either one will work just fine so you just grab what you see first or use what you have on hand. Any sticklers for tradition who tell you that you are doing it wrong can go get their supper in a drive-through somewhere while you and yours enjoy the delicious food you’re gonna turn out.
- Here are some recipe variations:
- Add an extra dash of cayenne pepper if you want it to be spicier.
- Use any kind of smoked sausage like turkey kielbasa sausage or Andouille sausage. Another option is cooked bacon bits.
- Add some extra veggies like 1 chopped green bell pepper or 3 diced celery ribs.
- Add a can of diced tomatoes or chopped whole peeled tomatoes for a more Louisiana-style red beans and rice dish.
- Omit the ham bone if you don’t have one on hand or substitute it for a smoked ham hock instead.
- Instead of white rice, use brown rice, quinoa, or couscous.
- Use Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning instead of seasoned salt.
- Substitute the water for chicken broth, beef broth, or vegetable broth.
- Add a garnish: chopped fresh parsley, chopped green onion, chopped fresh cilantro, or hot sauce.
- Add 2 teaspoons of dried thyme or dried oregano.
- Skip the soak and simply use canned red beans or canned kidney beans instead.
Recipe FAQs
What is traditionally served with red beans and rice?
Red beans and rice is a versatile recipe that you can enjoy as both a main meal and a side dish. It’s often enjoyed alongside other Southern favorites, such as:
- Cornbread
- Buttermilk biscuits
- Blackened pork chops
- Collard greens
- Coleslaw
- Fresh fried corn
- Mashed potato salad
- Barbecue meat (like beef brisket, pulled pork, or baby back ribs)
- Steamed vegetables like zucchini and squash
- Roasted vegetables
- Southern fried chicken
Do you cook beans covered or uncovered?
You want to cover your red beans before cooking and simmering so that none of those delicious flavors escape and the water doesn’t evaporate.
Is red beans and rice healthy?
Red beans and rice is a classic comfort food dish that’s actually relatively healthy. It’s packed full of protein thanks to the beans, ham bone bits, and sausage. The only other ingredients are the onion and seasonings.
Are red beans and kidney beans the same?
No, red beans and kidney beans aren’t the same. Kidney beans are actually much larger than red beans.
Can I make red beans and rice in the slow cooker?
Absolutely! For crock pot red beans and rice, follow all of the directions. However, instead of putting the ingredients into a large pot, put them in the slow cooker and cook them on low for 6 to 8 hours. Then follow the remaining directions, like adding the sausage an hour before serving, removing the bay leaf, and cooking the rice according to package directions.
Can I make red beans and rice ahead of time?
Yep, prepare the red beans and rice according to the directions. Then once cooked and cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days ahead of time. Once you’re ready to serve, reheat it on the stovetop.
Check out these other recipes:
Louisiana Red Beans and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ham bone (with a little meat remaining)
- 1 bag small dried red beans (about two cups)
- 1 chopped small onion
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 heaping teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 dash of cayenne pepper or more to taste
- 1 cup sliced smoked sausage
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- cooked rice
Instructions
- Sort beans (look through them all and make sure there are no small stones) and place them in a large pot. Cover with water and let them soak overnight.1 bag small dried red beans (about two cups)
- Drain off the water and cover with water again, adding several more inches over the top. Add all ingredients except for the sausage.1 ham bone (with a little meat remaining), 1 chopped small onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 heaping teaspoons seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 dash of cayenne pepper or more to taste, 1 bay leaf (optional)
- Bring this to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for several hours or until beans are done. The longer you simmer, the thicker and more flavorful your broth will be.
- About an hour before serving, stir in the smoked sausage.1 cup sliced smoked sausage
- Serve over hot rice, cooked according to package directions.cooked rice
People often say that motivation doesn’t last.
Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.
~Zig Ziglar
I can not wait to try this recipe! I miss my grandma’s cooking!
Red beans and rice nice and easy. Make sme wanna go home and make some after work 🙂
Sister Christy,
I would love this meal, but sadly, my bean-discriminating hubby and kids wouldn’t touch with a 10 ft. pole! I’m going through your cook slowly because I can’t decide on what to make! I know, decisions are hard to make…but, I’m going to take your advice and pick “whatever cranks my tractor!”. Your #1 Yankee Fan from Ohio (or Ohiyah”)!
Well said!! We are blessed, indeed, and we can all do a few little things to make a big difference.
Thank you for the recipe. Thank you even more for pulling your soapbox out of the closet! I totally agree with you. That’s the way I’ve been living my life for a long time and what I’ve taught my children to do also….not just by telling them to, but by SHOWING them.
Love your website!
Christy, as always, I LOVE what you have to say! It’s so true. And as a former cashier, I can tell you that the nice customers do in fact brighten up their day in a big way. As for the recipe, it looks completely delicious. My first couple times making red beans and rice, I used kidney beans and didn’t care for it all that much- it didn’t taste right. I thought it was supposed to be made with kidney beans. My dad lives in New Orleans and one of the times I went to visit him, I realized that the beans in the red beans and rice were much smaller. Came home, found “red beans” at the store, tried again with them and TA DAAA! Great red beans and rice 😀 Only thing is I make mine in the crock pot. So if anyone tries this recipe with kidney beans and thinks it’s just average, I suggest trying it again with red beans to see if you like it better. And the ham bone makes all the difference! Hugs!
Hey, Annarose, how do you make it in the crock pot? I’m all about that!!
Thanks so much!!
Lisa, just use 6 or so cups of water instead of the large amount used on the stove top. You can add a bit more water if you need and if it’s too soupy near the end of the cooking time, take the lid off the crock pot, turn the heat to high, and let it simmer a bit. Like the recipe says, add the sausage an hour or so before the beans are done. I love my crock pot and it’s great for recipes like this! I haven’t made this specific red bean and rice recipe before, but I can tell by looking at the ingredients that it is a good one. Also come to think of it, I’ve never used a ham bone but I use about half a pound of ham cut into big hunks. I’m sure the ham bone is even better! I’ve only ever cooked little hams though.
Red Beans and Rice, wahooooo! Christy, I laid on our couch and read and re-read your cookbook for months last fall while I was going through chemo for breast cancer. Everything looked so good, but I didn’t have the energy to cook, and all food tasted horrible anyway because of the drugs. Fast forward to spring…I’m all finished with treatment now and I’m cooking my way through your wonderful book. My family is SO HAPPY to be eating “real” food again!
And a shout-out here for your Disney post, too. Last year when I found out I had breast cancer, I had this huge regret that we’ve never gone to DisneyWorld with our 3 kids (ages 12, 13, and 14). You’d be surprised what comes to mind at a time like that. Navigating everyone through DisneyWorld has always seemed kind of overwhelming, but your post convinces me that we can do it. Thank you so much, and KEEP UP WITH THOSE MAMMOGRAMS, y’all!
blessings to you, Karen. My niece is a stage IV breast cancer survivor, two years cancer free now.
Had to respond to Karen – thank God you are able to now cook and thanks for sharing!!!!!
Christy – you are the best!! I love every recipe you have online – sometimes you ask for favorites but I have not favorite – I would have to bundle them all into one for a favorite!! Thanks again!!
Karen, I am so glad that you are doing well! I’m sure your family is thrilled to have you healthy and the cooking is a great bonus! I have a friend that is fighting breast cancer now, she is only 28. Women need to remember that it is never too early to know the signs and talk to their doctor about anything unusual. Blessings to you and your family! 🙂
Blessings, Karen! I’m going through chemo now, so yes, food does taste yucky, but I look forward to the future!
Thank you so much, Nicky (and Mama Jane, Mildred, Danielle, and Annarose!) — You are so right, looking forward to the future, and meals we want to cook for people we love, just focuses everything in the right direction during that long grind of chemo. I was so blessed to have Christy’s cookbook to help me dream of better days!!!
Nicky, I’m sure we’ll all be thinking of you as you finish out your chemo. Blessings to you and yours, girl!
Karen, I’m so glad to hear you are doing better and that Christy’s book helped you through chemo. How wonderful it must feel to be finished with the treatments and be able to do things like cook from a great cook book and go to Disney World! My mother-in-law had breast cancer, too.