Rice and Beans
$1.14per plate
Prep
15 min
Rice and Beans · Red Beans and Rice
Red Beans and Rice
Red beans and rice is Louisiana comfort food and one of the cheapest, most satisfying dinners you can make: creamy red beans and smoky sausage simmered with the Cajun holy trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery, all spooned over fluffy white rice. This quick version starts with canned beans, so it is on the table in under an hour instead of after an overnight soak, and mashing some of the beans as they simmer gives that signature creamy texture without a drop of cream. A big pot feeds six for about a dollar fifty a plate. It joins our other cheap bean recipes and rice dinners, built on the same smoky sausage as our smoked sausage recipes, price up front.
$1.51per plate
Estimated recipe total
$9.07 · serves 6
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Serves
6
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/red-beans-and-rice
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
Variations
- Soak 1 pound of dried red beans overnight and simmer 1.5 to 2 hours for the classic version.
- Use kielbasa or any smoked sausage instead of andouille; turkey smoked sausage makes it leaner.
- Leave out the sausage and use vegetable broth, plus an extra teaspoon of smoked paprika, for a vegetarian pot.
- Use brown rice with a longer cook and more water, or instant rice for a faster version.
1 How to make it
1
Start the rice
Rinse the rice, then bring it and 3 cups water to a boil in a covered pot. Lower the heat and simmer for about 18 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Fluff it and keep it warm while the beans simmer.
2
Brown the sausage
Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the sliced sausage and brown it on both sides, about 4 minutes. The browned edges and rendered fat are the flavor base. Scoop the sausage out and set it aside.
3
Cook the holy trinity
In the same pot, cook the onion, bell pepper, and celery in the sausage fat for 6 to 7 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds. This trinity of onion, pepper, and celery is the aromatic backbone of red beans and rice.
4
Simmer the beans until creamy
Add the drained beans, broth, smoked paprika, thyme, cayenne, salt, pepper, and the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then scoop out about a cup of the beans, mash them with a fork, and stir them back in. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beans are creamy and the liquid has thickened to a sauce that coats a spoon. Mashing some of the beans is what makes red beans and rice creamy, not soupy, without any cream.
5
Finish and serve
Stir the sausage back in and warm it through, then discard the bay leaf. Taste and adjust the salt and cayenne. Spoon the creamy beans over bowls of the warm rice and scatter with sliced green onions if you like.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Dried red beans (traditional). For the classic version, soak 1 pound of dried red beans overnight, then simmer 1.5 to 2 hours until creamy, adding more broth as needed. It takes longer but is even cheaper.
- Andouille, kielbasa, or any smoked sausage. Andouille is the classic Cajun choice; any smoked sausage or kielbasa works and is often cheaper. Turkey smoked sausage makes it leaner.
- Vegetarian red beans. Leave out the sausage and use vegetable broth; add an extra teaspoon of smoked paprika and a splash of soy sauce for the smoky depth the sausage usually brings.
- Brown rice or bagged rice. Brown rice works with a longer cook and a bit more water; instant or microwave rice makes it even faster.
3 Budget tips
- Canned beans, a bag of rice, and a little smoked sausage make a huge pot that feeds six for about a dollar fifty a plate.
- The sausage is the priciest part, so a little goes a long way; the beans and rice do most of the filling.
- Mash some of the beans instead of buying cream: it thickens the pot for free and makes it authentically creamy.
- Leftovers get better overnight and freeze well, so a single pot can cover several dinners.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; the beans thicken and the flavor deepens overnight. Keep the rice and beans in separate containers if you can, so the rice does not go mushy.
Freezer
The red beans freeze beautifully for up to 3 months; cool completely and freeze without the rice, then cook fresh rice when you serve. Thaw overnight or reheat from frozen.
Reheating
Reheat the beans on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of broth or water to loosen them, since they thicken as they sit. Warm the rice separately and spoon the beans over the top.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
440
Protein
20g
Fat
16g
Carbs
52g
Estimates per serving, including rice, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
Can I use canned beans instead of dried?
Yes, and this recipe is built for it. Canned red beans skip the overnight soak and long simmer, so dinner is ready in under an hour. Drain and rinse them, then mash some as they cook to get the creamy, dried-bean texture without the wait.
How do I make red beans and rice creamy without it turning to soup?
Simmer it uncovered so the liquid reduces, and mash about a cup of the beans, or press some against the side of the pot, and stir them back in. The mashed beans release their starch and thicken the pot into a creamy sauce that coats the rice instead of a thin soup.
What is the holy trinity?
It is the Cajun and Creole base of diced onion, green bell pepper, and celery, cooked down soft before the beans go in. It is the aromatic backbone of red beans and rice and much of Louisiana cooking.
How is $1.51 a plate figured?
About $9.07 for the whole pot with rice, six servings, so roughly $1.51 each. The sausage and beans are the biggest costs; the rice and aromatics are cheap. Green onions or hot sauce to serve are figured separately.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
Feeding a crowd tonight? This one is also part of our Easy Family Dinner Recipes collection.
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