Joy the Baker

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

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New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

It’s taken me entirely too long to get to soak my red beans.  A year!  I’ve lived in New Orleans a year and I’ve never soaked my red beans to make a pot of Red Beans and Rice.  Some nerve, really.  

Red Beans and Rice is a Monday night New Orleans tradition.  I thought Monday nights were reserved for red wine, salty popcorn, and M&M dinner… turns out I was totally mistaken.  All the way wrong.  

Red Beans and Rice is a Monday tradition because Monday was considered the “wash-day”…. laundry.  Red Beans could cook on the stove, mostly unattended, all day while the laundry was done.  Also, Red Beans could be made with the precious ham hock reserved from Sunday supper.  In other words, everything makes sense.  Ham, red beans, Monday laundry.  New Orleans is doing it right and I need to get my act (and my laundry) together.  

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Let’s get this pot on the stove!  

Classic Camellia Red Beans, dried but soaked.  

Major soup flavors like onion, garlic, celery, pepper, and pancetta.  

Parsley and thyme for fresh herb notes.  Bay leaf for base flavors. Good chicken stock for roundness.  

Lastly, smoked sausage, sliced, for that perfect layer of salty smoky pork.  

Rice too!  And it’s almost dinner! 

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

 Onions, peppers, and celery are added to a pot of crisp and cooking pancetta.  We’re layering flavors.  Pork meets classic stew vegetables.  Very little can go wrong here.  

It’s riiiiight about now, as the smell of cooking onions and peppers fill my kitchen that I’m like… CRAP I FORGOT TO SOAK MY BEANS!  

How to Quick Soak Beans.  The Kitchn saves the day.  Like always.  

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Vegetables are really cooked down well.  There are no half measures here.  Red beans and rice are about almost burning everything.  Almost.  Taking vegetables and pork and beans to the edge of done.  

That’s where all the flavor hides.  

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Fresh parsley, lots of minced garlic, and cooked smoked sausage are added to the well-browned vegetables.  It’s already so good!  

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

The sausage is cooked down until it’s crisped and almost gnarly.  Everything gets extra done.  

You’ll also note in the left corner, I’ve soaked my beans.  Crisis averted.  

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Softened beans are added to the pancetta, vegetable, sausage, garlic goodness.

This is where some of you might yell at me for not adding a ham hock to my rice and beans.  I know.  What the heck is rice and beans without a dang ham hock!?!?  Well… it’s still rice and beans.  My version.  It’s cool.  Life goes on.  

(I don’t know where the ham hock aisle is at the grocery store.  Probably the butcher.  Still tho.  Still.) 

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Simmered until softened, fatty, smokey, spicy, and utterly irresistible.  Serve with plenty of fluffy white rice, lots of fresh sliced green onions, and definitely invite at least two friends over for Monday gossip and good times.  

Ps.  Every single time I made rice I have to look it up:  How To Cook Basmati Rice.  Judge not.

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New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 45
  • Cook Time: 120
  • Total Time: 180
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and picked through for stones
  • 1/3 cup diced pancetta
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 green or red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • pinch cayenne or a few dashes of Tony Chachere Seasoning
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 pound cooked smoked sausage cut into 1-inch pieces
  • about 10 cups chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 cups cooked white rice
  • chopped green onions, garnish

Instructions

  1. Place clean dried beans in a medium pot and cover with room temperature water. Allow to soak overnight before making the beans.
  2. If you don’t have time to soak the beans overnight, don’t fret. Place the clean dried beans in a medium pot and cover with room temperature water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the beans boil, cover, remove from heat, and allow to soak for 1 hour. Carry on with the recipe.
  3. In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook pancetta until very well crisp, about 6 minutes.
  4. Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper and cook until vegetables are very well done, about 8 minutes.
  5. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne or Tony Chachere Seasoning and stir to combine.
  6. Stir in the garlic, parsley, thyme, and sliced sausage. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until the sausage is well browned, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
  7. Add the softened beans to the pot, the stock, and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 2 hours, uncovered, until the beans are well softened.
  8. Taste and season with more salt or pepper.
  9. For a slightly smoother consistency, blend about 1/3 of bean and sausage mixture in a blender or food processor and return to the pot. This way, some of the beans will be ground smooth and some will be kept whole, creating a really lovely consistency. You can also smooth out some of the beans by mashing them against the side of the pan once they’re softened, but I like the bender method best.
  10. Serve beans with white rice and a hearty garish of green onions.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 6

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Comments

  1. Jill

    This recipe is amazing! I was transported back to my childhood growing up in E. Texas! I made it with chicken thighs in my slow cooker because my husband hates sausage (he’s from California, ’nuff said. It tasted just like I remember it…will be adding this to my meal rotation.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  3. Kassie

    Made this(ish) last night! It was so good! I had bacon instead of pancetta and I had 45 minutes rather than two hours. Worked out & the leftovers for lunch were delicious.

    Reply

  4. Mardi

    Thanks! I’ve used your recipe several times now. Love it! I tried ham hock before but there was a smell I wasn’t too fond of. So glad to see that you didn’t use it and it still tastes great. Btw, I was born and raised in New Orleans.

    Reply

  5. Lauren

    If, on the off chance you made this for one person and have a year’s worth of leftovers, it makes an EXCELLENT brunch food with a couple of fried eggs laid on top!

    Reply

  6. Brandi

    Joy, I love you and I’ve cooked many of your recipes very happily. But 10 cups of liquid was way too much! I didn’t even add it all and it was soup. Anyway, it was good soup, but I don’t think that was your intention.

    Reply

    • Karen R.

      This is a delicious recipe, and my entire family (including three littles!) couldn’t get enough of it! I agree, however, that 10 cups is WAY too much! My second attempt, I used 8 cups, and it was much more like beans and rice instead of soup. Thank you for our new Monday tradition!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

  7. Rebecca

    This recipe is soo good. I grew up on the coast of Mississippi and am now living in Portland, OR so I love making this in the winter because it reminds me of home. A side of corn bread is a must.

    Reply

  9. April

    This is a wonderful red beans and rice! I was mystified at how something so simple could meld into such a flavorful and rich meal. I’ll be adding this one to the rotation. Thank you!

    Reply

  12. christy

    Joy,
    I FINALLY made this last night and OMG…… it was A-mazing! I followed the recipe to a T and we can’t wait until lunch today :-) thanks for posting this wonderful dish, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
    Regards,
    Christy

    Reply

  13. Claire Dieterich

    If you did happen to have a ham hock on hand, at what point do you add it to the recipe? Thanks!

    Reply

  14. Mary

    I was pinning different versions to change up a bit. Then I saw this recipe. The color and cooking method. Yes!! I immediately deleted all others. I just added the broth and already know this will be the best. Wish my cousins up north could taste this. Thanks 4 sharing the real deal. Yum!!

    Reply

  15. Lin

    I grew up in Biloxi and red beans and rice was a staple for us. Thank you for the wonderful memories this recipe and the pictures bring back to me!

    Reply

  17. Karen

    Interesting take on a home grown meal. Born and raised NO, here. I never soak my beans, my husband soaks his when he makes it, he uses ham, I use my own home made smoked andouille, we both use tons of garlic. His can be be ready in an hour plus/minus due to the soaking, mine simmer on the stove all day because I’m lazy. Or I use a pressure cooker, or a crock pot. Make sure to smash some beans on the side of the pot for a creamy sauce. My cajun mother in law makes the best red beans, I only hope my kids feel the same way about mine! I’m enjoying reading through your move/discovery to my home town. I love seeing it through non-natives eyes. It’s so refreshing! So are you!

    Reply

  18. Claire

    This is simmering on my stove as I type. Delicious! I used andouille sausage and some Louisiana hot sausages. I quick cooked the beans but found that I needed at least 3 hours to get them soft enough. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Angie

      I’m making them right now. I think I got confused on what simmer is; I’m not the greatest cook. So they’ve been cooking for 4 hours now and they’re still not done. I turned them up but I was afraid they would burn so I turned them back down. I tasted them and the seasoning tastes very good.

      Reply

  19. Dona

    After seeing this recipe on my feed I actually ordered those Camellia beans from NO. They arrived today so I’m set to make this. It looks so delicious!

    Reply

  21. Courtney

    So glad you are embracing the NOLA way of life :) As for the rice, here’s what I do and it comes out perfect every time: cook it like you would pasta! Fill up a pot with water, bring it to a boil. Add the rice in and stir a bit. When the water comes back to a boil, set your timer for 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse if desired. That’s it!

    Reply

  23. jake

    any suggestions for adapting this to a slow cooker? i’m thinking i’ll brown everything first, then add to the slow cooker with the beans and reduce the stock by about half…

    Reply

  26. Dino

    OMG, this was so friggin good!! I wanted to climb into the pot and bathe in it. Lol! SOOO delish. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  27. Consuello Boutte

    Where can I find my Camilia Beans in McAllen TX…? It’s s getting to expensive for my momma to keep shipping. Them bu mail….

    Reply

  28. mary mcdonald

    you can find ham hocks at most any grocery in and around new orleans. i buy enough to fit a crock pot & let it cook at least over night. after straining through cheese cloth refrigerate until fat hardens on top. then i remove fat and portion for freezing. it should look like jello. i use ham stock for beans, split peas and potato soup.

    Reply

  30. mary mcdonald

    ham hocks can be found in just about any grocery store in & around new orleans. i always buy enough to fill a crock pot and make a rich stock. after straining through cheese cloth i portion and freeze. i use it for most bean dishes, split peas and potato soup.

    Reply

  31. Blathering

    In your neighborhood NOLA grocery, you can also ask for stew meat which is usually pickled pork and is added to greens, beans, and just about everything else.

    Reply

  33. Melissa

    I got here while Googling for a red beans and rice recipe, but then I realized you’re mostly all about the baking, especially the cake, and I spotted the ‘Joy the Baker Cookbook’ cover photo, and things suddenly got weird, because… well, have you ever heard of a video game series called Cake Mania? I used to work on it, and was forcibly struck by the fact that you appear to be the living embodiment of the main character, Jill the baker. I pointed it out to the art director and he is now convinced that we somehow summoned or channeled you into existence.

    Seriously, the resemblance is hilariously uncanny: http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2007/03/26/514518/menujill.png
    http://www.cakemania3.net/

    Reply

  37. teffysperkst

    That looks unbelievably amazing!! I grew up on rice and beans, and to this day it is still one of my favourite things to eat.

    How awesome is this quick soak link you posted?! I had no idea! Life saver, that is!

    Reply

  38. Emily

    Looks amazing! I also have to thank you, Joy, for the New Orleans recs on your blog. Went for the first time last weekend. I admit to eating double meals, as a rule, the entire long weekend. There was a beignet taste-off. I’ll keep my opinion to myself because it seems very polarizing! But we loved the food and the bands and the architecture and the people. Keep the insider information coming, I’m already wanting to go back.

    Reply

  41. Lauren

    There is a running debate amongst our family on who makes the best red beans: my mom or my uncle. They’re both NOLA natives :) I cook mine in the pressure cooker so no soaking needed and my uncle mails me pickled pork to make it extra delicious!

    Reply

  43. Lauren

    Ha ha, I made red beans and rice last night! But I had no idea about the red beans Monday tradition, I guess that’s why there is still overflowing dirty laundry! This recipe looks fabulous.

    Reply

  44. Kathleen

    This is my number one comfort food. I stock up on Camellia red beans when I go see family in Baton Rouge. They really are the best. I use water instead of chicken stock, no pancetta or thyme (that’s fancy!) and andouille when it’s available. Also, fun fact- Louis Armstrong used to sign his letters “Red Beans and Ricely Yours.”

    Reply

  45. Vera

    I soaked a pound of red beans yesterday (Sunday night) without really having a plan for them. This morning I came here and read your post – it’s destiny :-)

    Reply

  47. naomi

    This is the entry which gets me to comment. YES! You’re there. Red beans and rice. My husband and I don’t eat meat nor bird, though living here in NOLA we must eat fish, so we’re pescatarians. After the Federal Flood, we were one of the few households in our neighborhood with a working kitchen (working anything). The waters only reached four inches below our floorboards. Our half of the street was okay; those around us, not so good. Every Monday morning, my husband Louie would start a huge pot of beans (a little Liquid Smoke helped, along with his secret ingredient), picking through packages of Camellia Beans (’cause even with Camellia ya still got to pick), I’d go off to work making New Orleans street tiles (’cause the sidewalks were messed up and new letters were needed). He’d pick me up in the afternoon, then put out a sign on our porch: Supper Ready, Come Eat. Neighbors would start showing, a few strangers too. We had a curfew still those first six months or so but most people lived close enough they could sneak home. A few marshals and police would get plates to go. People brought beer, ice tea, salads, big smiles. During the week it could get tense – between the stands of stinky refrigerators, sodden mattresses and sofas, no electricity forever, no landlines for a year (try to teach 78, 86 and 91 year olds how to use a cellphone; phone rings after a session, 91 year old as I’m walking home so I don’t get arrested as the sun’s gone down: “Music! Oh, hello, Mr. Music Man, where are you? Hello, Mr. Music Man!”), but Monday night beans and rice laid to rest any anger, brought out smiles and pleasant conversation.

    In our neighborhood, some have moved, some died. We put flowers on a grave in Holt, we go to the Bayou at sunset and toast the others. We no longer have the weekly Monday night red beans and rice. We do still have the best neighbors; we have ‘family meals’ with them at different houses almost every week. We share something better than blood: we share those meals, those hugs and smiles, those memories no one should ever experience but if you must, pray it is here in New Orleans. Maybe soon, another red beans and rice night?

    Just this once, I’ll sign off, red beans and ricely yours – naomi

    Reply

  51. Stacey

    I was so excited about this recipe and how it coincided with my laundry day that it is simmering on the stove as I type this. I can’t wait for dinner tonight! Thank you Joy!

    Reply

  52. Liz

    Mmm.. Looks amazing, I’ve been looking for some classic American dishes to impress my friends in Zurich with! Now how do you say “ham hock” in German..?
    PS: Curious about the whereabouts of the podcast? :) What will I do if I lose your podcast and Downton Abbey in the same year??

    Reply

  53. Andreea

    Hi,

    your recipe looks great and after some looking up I ended up with pretty much the same version. Never fails, comfort food, simply delicious. I’ve always used to soak my beans over night, but after reading an article (maybe it was the Kitchn also or Food52, I don’t have the bookmark at the moment), I had to try it without soaking. The whole process took around one and a half hours more than the regular, but the result was very much the same, if not a bit better, I’d say.

    Enjoy your lovely food :)

    Reply

  55. skerry

    I grew up on red beans and rice on Mondays. Recently I’ve gotten back in the habit of making them for Monday supper – it really does make sense to do all that laundry and cleaning up from the weekend on a Monday with a big pot of beans on knowing how good they’ll taste this evening. This recipe is the closest I’ve seen to how I prepare mine which how my Mother and grandmothers’s did as well…enjoy! ‘Whose your Momma??”

    Reply

  56. Chrissy

    I’m half Asian and the only way I know how to cook rice is in a rice cooker. Essential kitchen equipment. This looks good. I want a bowl like, yesterday.

    Reply

  60. Ashley

    I have been looking for a good red beans and rice recipe, and I bet yours is as close to N.O. original as I will ever get!! I have a question – I am not a fan of pancetta, what else can I use instead? Thank you for posting this long-time favorite of mine!

    Reply

  62. Ryann

    Do you think putting this in the crocpot for about 7 hours on low will work? Working mom and need to use my crockpot.

    Reply

  64. Ash

    I ALWAYS have to look up how to make the rice. Why can’t I retain this small and simple bit of info? So glad to know I’m not alone. :)

    Reply

  66. yolonda

    It’s gotten a little warm out for this but I’m still adding it to my list of things to cook. This recipe sounds so delicious, that it can’t be ignored.

    Reply

    • Anita

      Made this for Fat Tuesday and it was a big hit! The blending of half the pot makes it so creamy and delicious! Served hot sauce on the side for those who needed a little more kick. Also love the story behind making this on laundry day. Next time will make on Monday. Thanks for making my Fat Tuesday party a big delicious success.

      Reply

  67. Nel D.

    A culinary cautionary tale … when I was growing up here on the Miss. Coast I always stayed at the elbow of my NOLA born mama while she was cooking. On red beans Monday, she always told me, once everything was on a simmer, to NEVER EVER burn red beans. Well, years go by and I’m on my young adult own, making my first pot of beans. I got distracted just long enough, and I started to smell something, well … AWFUL! It’s not something you ever want to have lingering in your home! The moral of my tale — use a heavy bottomed pot, and stir occasionally to be sure nothing is starting to stick :)

    Reply

  68. Katie@From Shores to Skylines

    LOVE red beans and rice – so hearty and delicious! I need to find a good smoked sausage for this recipe. I love that you use dried beans, since that’s all I keep on hand now :)

    Reply

  71. Erin | Well Plated

    I just put my laundry in the dryer! Never mind that said laundry was in the washer last night and I forgot about it—it must be the universe willing me to make red beans and rice tonight. Destiny.

    Reply

  75. Heather - Butter & Burlap

    I think I’ve been subconsciously waiting for you to make this classic New Orleans dish! It’s simply amazing, such a delicious pot of comfort food! I’ll be visiting New Orleans later this summer, any favorite local spots off the beaten path I should check out? Great recipe!

    Reply

  80. Tori@Gringalicious.com

    Red beans and rice are a dish that’s screams nostalgia to me because my dad used to make it for me when I was little. Just looking at these pictures I can almost taste how delicious it is and I love that you use ham hock for the base!

    Reply

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