3 Reasons You’ll Crave This Authentic Cajun Red Beans and Rice
A classic Cajun dish featuring creamy red beans served over fluffy white rice, packed with smoky and savory flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 mins
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun
- Diet: Low Lactose
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 ham hock or ½ lb diced ham
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 cups cooked white rice
- Chopped green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Drain soaked beans and rinse.
- In a large pot, sauté onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic until softened.
- Add sausage and ham, cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in beans, broth, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, and cayenne.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours until beans are tender.
- Remove bay leaves, season with salt and black pepper.
- Mash some beans against the pot to thicken the sauce.
- Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.
Notes
- Soak beans overnight for best texture.
- Add water if needed during cooking.
- For extra heat, use Andouille sausage.
- Tastes even better the next day.