I am not sure if I have mentioned this before on the blog but my husbands family grew up in Louisiana. This means that we are an LSU tigers family, and a Saints football family (If I don’t mention WHO DAT somewhere in this my husband will be very upset so there you go honey!).
With all of that being said, some of our favorite meals are meals my husband grew up eating. Red beans and rice, jambalaya, and my mother-in-laws famous gumbo. This red beans and rice recipe was taught to me by mother-in-law and it is seriously the best. The only thing I do differently is add an extra pack of sausage because we love ours to have sausage in every bite.
This recipe is made in the crockpot which makes it so much easier. The only time commitment is to soak the beans the night before cooking. My mother-in-law swears by Camellia beans. I have never tried this recipe with any other beans because they are just that good. I was intimidated to use dry beans because I had never cooked with them before but it was so easy. I have not tried to make red beans with canned beans so I cannot endorse that method! See the recipe for full instructions.
This post may contain affiliate links, please read our disclosure policy for details.
Why You’ll Love These Red Beans and Rice
How to Make Red Beans and Rice
Please see recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe details.
- The night before. In a large bowl dump in 1 lb dried kidney beans, preferably Camellia brand. Cover the beans in water, just eyeball it. Make sure there is plenty of water in the bowl as the beans will absorb water overnight. I fill with water until about 2 inches from the top of my large bowl. Cover and let sit on the counter overnight (about 7-9 hours).
- The next day. Drain the water from the beans, and give them a good rinse. Add the soaked beans into the crockpot. Fill with 4 cups of water. You can use chicken broth here, but I haven’t noticed any difference.
- Sausage. Time to brown the sausage, this makes the texture and flavor of the red beans so much better. I cook one package of sausage at a time. Slice the sausage into 1 inch coins. Brown over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes stirring to brown each side. Add all of the cooked sausage straight to the crockpot.
- Veggies. To the same pan as the sausage, add in the diced onion, garlic, celery, and bell peppers. Sauté the veggies for about 4 minutes until they start to soften and become fragrant. Add the veggies right into the crockpot.
- Cook. Season with 1 tsp of cajun seasoning and bay leaves. Stir everything together so the sausage and veggies are mixed in with the beans and water. Put lid on the crockpot and turn on low.
- Timing. With the crockpot on low this should take 7-8 hours, stirring occasionally. After time is up give it a good stir and the mixture should be velvety smooth, some of the beans should have dissolved and left you with a creamy pot of red beans. If there is too much water and you think it is a bit runny, crank the heat to high and let it sit uncovered for 20 or so minutes until the texture is how you want.
- Taste. Taste and adjust for salt/pepper. I added an extra 1/2 tsp of cajun seasoning. Note: my cajun seasoning is salted so I did not use extra salt. Check your cajun seasoning and see if it is salted or unsalted and adjust as needed.
- Serve. Serve over white rice, and topped with green onion and Tabasco. I like to add a few spoons of white vinegar in mine and it is so good, try it out! Dip fresh crusty bread in the red beans and savor every bite. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Like this recipe?
Subscribe to Receive More Delicious Recipes.
The Best Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- The night before cooking you need to soak the beans. In a large bowl dump in 1 lb dried kidney beans, preferably Camellia brand. Cover the beans in water, just eyeball it. Make sure there is plenty of water in the bowl as the beans will absorb water overnight. I fill with water until about 2 inches from the top of my large bowl. Cover and let sit on the counter overnight (about 7-9 hours).
- When ready to start cooking the next day, drain the water from the beans, and give them a good rinse. Add the soaked beans into the crockpot. Fill with 3½-4 cups of water. You can use chicken broth here, but I haven't noticed any difference.
- Time to brown the sausage, this makes the texture and flavor of the red beans so much better. I cook one package of sausage at a time. Slice the sausage into 1 inch coins. Brown over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes stirring to brown each side. Add all of the cooked sausage straight to the crockpot.
- To the same pan add in the diced onion, garlic, celery, and bell peppers. Sauté the veggies for about 4 minutes until they start to soften and become fragrant. Add the veggies right into the crockpot.
- Season with 1 tsp of cajun seasoning and bay leaves. Stir everything together so the sausage and veggies are mixed in with the beans and water. Put lid on the crockpot and turn on low.
- With the crockpot on low this should take 7-8 hours, stirring occasionally. After time is up give it a good stir and the mixture should be velvety smooth, some of the beans should have dissolved and left you with a creamy pot of red beans. If there is too much water and you think it is a bit runny, crank the heat to high and let it sit uncovered for 20 or so minutes until the texture is how you want.
- Taste and adjust for salt/pepper. I added an extra 1/2 tsp of cajun seasoning. Note: my cajun seasoning is salted so I did not use extra salt. Check your cajun seasoning and see if it is salted or unsalted and adjust as needed.
- Serve over white rice, and topped with green onion and Tabasco. I like to add a few spoons of white vinegar in mine and it is so good, try it out! Dip fresh crusty bread in the red beans and savor every bite. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
We’d love to see! Tag @a_perfect_sunday on Instagram! #a_perfect_sunday
