Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
This is probably the most famous Monday dish in New Orleans – it’s cheap, filling, and uses up leftover ham from Sunday dinner. The beans get creamy from long cooking and all that rendered pork fat makes everything taste incredible.
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Ingredients
Ingredients (~9 servings)
- 1 1/2 lbs dried red kidney beans
- 8 strips thick cut bacon diced
- 1 1/2 lbs andouille sausage cut into rounds
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 4 ribs celery diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 large smoked ham hock
- 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Green onions sliced
- Hot sauce for serving
- Steamed white rice
Instructions
- Soak kidney beans overnight in salted water, then drain and rinse.
- Heat Dutch oven over medium-low and cook diced bacon until crispy, about 8-10 minutes.
- Transfer bacon to a bowl, leaving fat in pot.
- Increase heat to medium, add andouille sausage, and brown for 5-6 minutes.
- Transfer sausage to bowl with bacon.
- Add diced onion, celery, and bell pepper to pot and cook 8-10 minutes until softened.
- Stir in garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, and cayenne, cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Return bacon and sausage to pot with chicken stock, drained beans, ham hock, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Remove lid and simmer uncovered 30-45 minutes until beans break down and liquid thickens.
- Remove ham hock, shred any meat, discard bones and fat, return meat to pot.
- Remove bay leaves.
- Season with salt, pepper, and sherry vinegar to taste.
- Serve over white rice with green onions and hot sauce.
Notes
This is a traditional New Orleans red beans and rice dish that improves with time, so it can be made a day ahead and reheated.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & let me know!