Red Beans Rice Beef Sausage (Printer-friendly)
Savory red beans simmered with smoky beef sausage and spices, served atop fluffy white rice.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beans
01 - 2 cups dried red kidney beans (or 3 cans, drained and rinsed)
02 - 6 cups water (if using dried beans)
03 - 2 bay leaves
→ Meats
04 - 12 oz beef smoked sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
→ Vegetables
05 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
06 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
07 - 2 celery stalks, diced
08 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Spices & Seasonings
09 - 1 tsp dried thyme
10 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
14 - 1 tsp kosher salt
15 - 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
16 - 1/2 tsp hot sauce
→ Liquids
17 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth
18 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
→ For Serving
19 - 3 cups cooked white rice
20 - Sliced green onions
21 - Fresh parsley, chopped
# How To Make It:
01 - If using dried beans, rinse and soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. Drain and rinse again before cooking.
02 - In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the sliced beef sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Return the sausage to the pot. Add the drained beans (or canned beans), bay leaves, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, black pepper, white pepper, salt, and hot sauce. Stir to coat the vegetables and sausage with the spices.
05 - Pour in the broth and water (if using dried beans). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours (45 minutes for canned beans), stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy and tender.
06 - Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt and spices as needed. For a creamier consistency, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot with a spoon.
07 - Serve hot over cooked rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and chopped parsley, if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The beans get incredibly creamy without any cream, creating this rich velvety texture that coats every grain of rice
- Its one of those magical dishes that tastes even better the next day, so youre basically meal prepping while making dinner
- The whole house smells like a cozy Creole kitchen, which is basically free aromatherapy
02 -
- The beans are done when theyre creamy inside, not just soft, so keep tasting as you go
- Mashing a portion of beans against the pot is what creates that authentic thick texture, so dont skip this step
03 -
- Cast iron or enameled Dutch oven holds heat beautifully and develops even more flavor over time
- Chop your vegetables uniformly so they cook evenly and disappear into the beans