Cajun Red Beans and Rice

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There’s something about a cozy bowl of Red Beans and Rice that screams “welcome home, baby”. I don’t know if I miss New Orleans orrrr because the weather is cooling down or a little of both… but I was in the mood for some cozy home cooked red beans and rice with a side of honey butter cornbread.

red beans and rice

Y’all this was so good! And very easy to make. It’s a one pot recipe that comes together super easily. Now I will warn you… It does take a while to cook but it is so worth it! After those 2-3 hours, you’ll have a delicious pot of beans that are flavored down, honey!

Red beans and rice Monday! Is a New Orleans tradition. So in honor of my man being home, I wanted to fix up a pot. It’s one of those dishes that I may not have often but when I do… I’m so happy and full. Literally. It’s the perfect recipe for fall and winter. It’s so cozy and comforting.

Made from red kidney beans flavored up with fresh herbs and spices, juicy turkey sausage and turkey necks. This is the ultimate comfort food. You can serve this with fried fish or chicken. But this time, I decided to keep it simple and pair it up with some white rice and honey butter cornbread.

Red Beans and Rice Ingredients

  • Red Kidney Beans– wouldn’t be red beans and rice without them.
  • Chopped seasoning– Chopped bell pepper, celery and onions
  • Garlic– minced! as much as your little heart desires.
  • Herbs– fresh thyme, bay leaves.
  • Chicken broth- I prefer using low sodium chicken broth. That way I can control the amount of salt when I add seasonings.
  • Smoked turkey sausage & turkey necks– you can choose whatever type of meat you’d like butttt as for me and my family smoked turkey is what we like.
  • Seasonings– a combination of cajun seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, hot sauce, cayenne pepper and a little crab boil for an extra kick.

As you can see the ingredients are simple. It doesn’t take much to create this pot of deliciousness. The one thing you want to make sure you do is SEASON your beans. Very important. But keep in mind, whatever meat you use has flavor and salt. So be mindful of that. You can always add more salt/seasonings as your beans cook. NOTE– season and heat it up to your taste buds. Use my recipe as a guide and create yours to YOUR taste palette and heat discretion.


Make them in the Instant Pot or Crockpot

If you’re short on time, or impatient like me- you can alternatively make the red beans in the instant pot and have them done in half the time.

More weeknight meals

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Shrimp Po’boy
Creamy Cajun Pasta
Black Eyed Peas

If you make my Cajun Red Beans and Rice, please be sure to leave a comment, and or tag me on Instagram @cookwithci. I would love to see your recreations and hear your thoughts.

Cajun Red Beans and Rice

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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups red beans
  • 4 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • 4 cups water
  • 1/2 cup chopped seasoning
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • smoked turkey sausage link cut into moons and a few into 1/2 moons
  • 1 lbs smoked turkey necks about 4-5 pieces
  • 2 tsp Tony's creole seasoning
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme fresh or dry
  • cayenne pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp crab boil optional
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/8 tsp salt + more if needed
  • Louisiana hot sauce

Instructions
 

  • Pour red beans into a bowl and pick out the bad beans. Rinse and soak in water 6-24 hours prior to cooking. When ready to cook, drain and rinse the soaked beans.
  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped turkey sausage and cook until slightly brown. about 5 minutes. Then add in chopped seasoning and sautè until veggies begin to soften and fragrant. About 3 minutes. Then add in minced garlic. Sautè for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Next add in turkey sausage, red beans, chicken broth and water. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, crab boil, black pepper, hot sauce, bay leaves and salt to taste. Mix everything together and bring pot to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for about 2 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Check and stir occasionally making sure the beans don't stick to the bottom.
  • After about 2 1/2 hours, take 1 cup of beans out the pot and smash them. Add them back to the pot and continue to simmer for 30 minutes on low.
  • While the beans simmer, cook the rice. Add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of rinsed rice to a sauce pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Let rice simmer for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 5 minutes.
  • Discard bay leaves. Taste test, and adjust seasonings accordingly.
  • Serve red beans in a bowl over white rice and garnish with green onions and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe calls for using dry kidney beans. You will need to soak them for a few hours prior to cooking. Most people recommend overnight but it’s not necessary in my opinion. I say at least 6 hrs prior to cooking and you should be fine. There are a lot of other ways to prep your beans if you’re short on time. Just check out google.
Keyword Comfort Food, dinner ideas, Fall Recipes

Did you make it?

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