New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipe
This authentic New Orleans red beans and rice recipe has all of the classic Cajun flavors that you know and love from the old-fashioned dish.
Servings 8 people
Calories 362kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dry small red beans (or dry red kidney beans), rinsed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces andouille smoked sausage, sliced into rounds
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 8-12 ounce smoked ham hock
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Hot sauce, to taste
- For serving: cooked white rice; chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place beans in a large stockpot or Dutch oven; add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Cover the pot and soak the beans overnight.
- Drain beans.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until nicely browned (about 3-5 minutes). Remove sausage to a plate and set aside for later.
- Add onion, bell pepper and celery to the pot. Cook, stirring, until tender (about 3-5 minutes). Add the garlic, bay leaf, thyme and oregano; cook for 1 more minute.
- Stir in the ham hock, drained beans, Cajun seasoning, and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer.
- Gently simmer the pot, uncovered, for 2 hours, or until the beans are very tender, stirring occasionally. Add more water if the mixture gets too thick. Use a spoon or a potato masher, if desired, to mash some of the beans to give the mixture a creamier consistency. Remove the ham hock and bay leaf. If you’re using a meaty ham hock, you can pull off any good meat and return it to the pot (this is optional).
- Stir in the vinegar and browned sausage; season with salt, pepper and hot sauce, to taste. Simmer for about 5-10 more minutes, just until the sausage is heated through.
- Serve over rice; garnish with fresh parsley.
Video
Notes
- Wait to add the salt until the end of the cooking time. Ham hocks tend to be quite salty, so you don't want to add too much additional salt until you've had a chance to taste it.
- For added heat, season the beans with extra Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning, some hot sauce, or a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Stir the pot occasionally while the beans are cooking. This will help to break down the beans, distribute the starches, and make the broth nice and creamy!
- Adjust the total cooking time to suit your preferences. An hour and a half might be sufficient if you like more in-tact, sturdy beans, while the full 2 hours might be necessary for a more broken-down, creamy pot. That's the beauty of using a Dutch oven (rather than a slow cooker or Instant pot) -- you have full control and can easily take them off of the heat when necessary.
- Garnish with fresh herbs (such as chopped parsley or thyme) or sliced green onions for a bright, colorful touch.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 of the recipe (not including rice) | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 390mg | Potassium: 957mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 5mg