Red Beans and Rice (Better Than Popeye’s!)
Have you ever had traditional Red Beans and Rice? It’s a southern staple! I tried Popeye’s Red Beans and Rice for the first time a while back, but these beans are even better. They are so creamy and flavorful, with the perfect smoky Cajun spice!
I took the kids off to school for their first day this morning! Valentine is at home with me still, and 2 seconds after we got home she managed to spill an entire cup of milk all over the kitchen. I walk in and start cleaning it up, and she keeps saying “S**t… s**t… s**t.” I’m dying laughing and trying to figure out where she learned that word (because no one in our house uses it) when I realize that she spilled milk on her SHIRT.
No use crying over spilled milk, right? She’s so cute I can’t even be mad at her. Also, a baby cussing (even if unintentional) is so funny that it makes a spilled milk situation a lot more bearable.
Popeye’s Red Beans and Rice
I ate at Popeye’s for the first time just a few months ago, and now I’m totally obsessed with their red beans and rice. I told my brother Nathan about it and he just rolled his eyes at me. He lived in Richmond, Virginia for a few years in residency, so he had access to legit southern food. Popeye’s might not be a real Southerner’s top choice for where to get red beans and rice, but for this California girl who had never even heard of it? I was in love. Also, today’s recipe is even better than Popeye’s red beans and rice, thanks to the meaty ham bone we are using. It makes the beans so smoky and delicious!
(But really though, shout out to Popeye’s. Again, I’m not Southern, but that place has delicious food. Nathan told me that once in Richmond they had a fried chicken contest with a bunch of local restaurants, and Popeye’s chicken won. BOOM.)
If you aren’t from the south (more specifically, New Orleans), you might not have heard of this delightful red beans and rice combination. Rice and beans is nothing new of course, but it’s the special Cajun twist on the beans that makes it unique. Traditionally it was made on Mondays, because that was laundry day, and you could set the pot of beans on the stove to cook all day while you were working. Red beans and rice was Louis Armstrong’s favorite food, and he used to sign letters “Red Beans and Ricely Yours,” how cute is that?
How to make red beans and rice
I’m here to let you in on a few secrets about cooking beans from scratch. You do NOT need to soak the dry beans overnight. Seriously. I can’t tell you how many recipes call for this unnecessary step. Now, it is true that you can reduce some of the, ahem, intestinal effects of beans by soaking for a few hours and discarding the water. But it is absolutely not necessary and in my opinion a huge waste of time.
Second tip. DON’T salt the beans until the end, about the last 30-60 minutes of cooking. Salting the beans makes it harder for them to absorb water, resulting in a slower cooking time. Meaning you have to wait even longer before you can get to red bean bliss. Low and slow is really the only way to cook beans. It’s the perfect lazy-day-at-home meal.
(Chop up some of those celery leaves to go in the beans. They have so much flavor!)
(Aren’t those red beans beautiful? If you can’t find them, kidney beans work great too!)
Third tip. Save your ham bone whenever you make a ham. It gives the beans such an amazing smoky flavor. They will keep for a long time in the freezer. I’m pretty sure the one I used for this recipe was from last Thanksgiving, almost a year ago. If you don’t happen to have one, use a ham hock, those work great too and you can just buy them in the meat department. Some recipes call for andouille sausage instead of ham. I haven’t tried that yet, but it sounds delicious.
Red beans and rice is considered a main dish all on it’s own. It really does fill you up and leave you satisfied! This is true especially if you use a ham bone that is nice and meaty.
But if you are craving a main dish that is not so beany, fried chicken is your best bet. It tastes amazing with these beans. I picked some up at the grocery store. I actually don’t have a recipe for fried chicken (have not mastered that technique yet! Anyone have a good recipe?) but these beans would taste great with this Simply Amazing Grilled Chicken Marinade.
You could also check out my post for How to Make Ultra Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, because what’s better than buttery biscuits and beans?? It would also pair amazingly well with My Favorite Coleslaw. Put this all together and you will have an amazing Southern feast!
UPDATE! A reader named Patrick commented below and mentioned that Red Beans and Rice is served with French bread in New Orleans, not biscuits. So here’s my favorite recipe for One Hour French Bread! Thanks Patrick!
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Red Beans and Rice
8 adjust servingsHave you ever had traditional Red Beans and Rice? It's a southern staple! I tried Popeye's Red Beans and Rice for the first time a while back, but these beans are even better. They are so creamy and flavorful, with the perfect smoky Cajun spice!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon sage
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- about 7 cups water
- 1 pound dry red beans, rinsed*
- meaty ham bone or ham hock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 and 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
- 6-8 cups hot cooked rice
Instructions
- Prep your veggies: chop the onion, bell pepper, and celery. I like to chop the ends of the celery (so that some of the leaves get chopped also) instead of pulling off the stalks. Whichever way you choose will work!
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Once it is hot and shimmering, add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery. Saute for 6-8 minutes, until the onions start to become translucent.
- Mince the garlic. In a small bowl, combine cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, Cajun seasoning, and sugar.
- Add the garlic and spices to the pot and saute for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add 1 teaspoon Better That Bouillon Chicken Base.
- Add about 7 cups of water and 1 pound of rinsed red beans. Add the ham bone or ham hock. Add the bay leaves.
- Stir it all together over high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to a low simmer, so that it is just barely bubbling.
- Cover with a lid and keep it at a low simmer for 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours. About halfway through the cooktime, either remove the lid or tilt it so that the beans can vent.
- 30-60 minutes before the beans are done, add 1-2 teaspoons salt.
- After 2-3 hours, taste the beans. They should be tender and flavorful. If they are at all dry or chalky, keep cooking.
- Add salt to taste. Add more Cajun seasoning to taste.
- Remove the ham bone and bay leaves. Chop any meat left on the bone and return the meat to the beans. Discard the bone.
- Serve with hot rice. See notes for a basic recipe.
by The Food Charlatan
More bean recipes you are going to love!
Traditional Tejano Pinto Beans (Slow Cooker) << this recipe is from my brother-in-law’s grandma. It’s one of my favorite recipes on my blog!
Cowboy Pinto Bean Soup (Slow Cooker):
Bacon Baked Beans << these are so good to bring to barbecues.
More bean recipes from friends that you will love!
Skillet Beans and Rice with Kielbasa from BellyFull
Instant Pot Beans from A Mindful Mom
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup from Valerie’s Kitchen
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I’m from deep Louisiana Cajun country. There’s other shortcuts you can use. Liquid Smoke really adds to the flavor, just don’t overdo it. Believe it or not, canned (yes canned) red or kidney beans works fine, I suggest mixing the New Orleans style creamed and regular Blue Runner brand or Trappey’s. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, sausage thick cut bacon or Tasso instead of ham. I guarantee this is just as good as Popeye’s without the trouble.
Thanks for all the tips Don! Sounds like you know your way around a pot of beans! Love the liquid smoke idea.
I made these beans about 2 months ago. Man they were Dalicious (misspelled purposely)! I didn’t change a thing. It’s just me and my hubby so we had more beans than we knew what to do with. So I found myself making other things to go with the beans. It was kinda funny. We ate them all and paid the price in the end but in separate rooms, LOL.
So I have to make lunch for a few folks tomorrow and I’m making these Dalicious beans again!
Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Dalicious! I like it Bridget! Who’s to say we can’t make up our own spellings on the classics?? ;) and I’m kind of dying over here about you and your husband in separate rooms. Haha!! Worth it though. Red beans and rice forever! Thanks for reviewing!
After cooking the ingredients in the pot, can they be put in a slow cooker and the recipe finished in the slow cooker?
Hi Bill! I haven’t tried it. The beans will certainly cook, it’s just a matter of getting the liquid level right. I will refer you to another beans recipe of mine that has crock pot instructions: https://thefoodcharlatan.com/traditional-tejano-pinto-beans-slow-cooker-recipe/ Hope this helps!
Soaking beans is not an old wives tale. I learned the hard way unfortunately by someone telling me it was so unnecessary. Then I spent about three days with severe abdominal discomfort. . If you know your body has sensitivities, trust me, soak them. Fantastic recipe!
I was reading through the responses and came across “Nina” where she was stating her beans had “a little more juice” than yours did and I have had this same issue. If you would much rather use that tasty liquid, than throwing it out, instead of using rice the needs to be cooked for several minutes, I have substituted it for “Minute Rice”. I put my minute rice, uncooked, into the bottom of my bowl, then ladle my red beans, WITH the juice, then put a paper towel over it for about five minutes. The minute rice soaks up that bean juice and it also adds a great flavor to the rice.
Just so you know, I am Southern by birth, and by choice. I absolutely love to cook traditional southern-inspired dishes like shrimp n’ grits, chicken n’ dumplings, venison-based chili, and lots more that could take all day to type. Having said that, your recipe for Red Beans and Rice looks great and can’t wait to alter my own recipe with yours to see how it stand up to mine.
I love the Minute rice idea John, that’s a great way to get really flavorful rice! I wish I could taste all your amazing Southern dishes! Sounds amazing. Thanks for chiming in!
Yes, the secret to good fried chicken is buttermilk! So take whatever amount of chicken you are frying, and 2 hours (or more) ahead of time, place cut up chicken in a bath (gallon plastic bag) of buttermilk (about 4 cups for a whole chicken). Best is marinated overnight.
Combine 2 Cups AP Flour with 2 T Lawry’s. Drain chicken and roll by piece in the the flour, coating thoroughly.
Follow any standard chicken frying instructions after that…best chicken you’ll ever have. (This is the old Morrison’s Cafeteria recipe…)
Okay I’m super excited to try out your recipe Eleanor! Thank you so much for sharing! Lawry’s is the best.
The best red beans I’ve had in a very long time.
I did a hot soak on the beans and used 2 cups less water for cooking. I omitted the sugar and the cayenne pepper, used Cajun sausages instead of ham bone.
My husband was impressed.
Woohoo, so glad your husband was impressed! Love the cajun sausages idea! I’ll have to try that next time. Thanks so much for reviewing!
I’d really like to try this recipe it sounds amazing! Only I don’t eat meat. Is there a way to make this vegetarian? Is the pork bone a must?
Hey Raya! I would be nervous trying this without the pork. It is a pretty huge flavor component in this recipe. My other favorite beans recipe is found here: https://thefoodcharlatan.com/traditional-tejano-pinto-beans-slow-cooker-recipe/
It has a few comments from people who have made it vegetarian style. Maybe check them out to get some ideas! My only other suggestion would be to try adding a bit of liquid smoke or maybe chipotle peppers to get that smokey flavor that the pork provides. Good luck!
You do have a small typo in the post (all on its* own) :) but the recipe sounds delish!
Karen
I am now a devoted follower of yours….and I’m a Popeyes fanatic!!
So I plan on making these Red beans and by the way, I am a southerner and Popeyes’s is one of the best!!!
Popeyes lovers unite!! haha! Enjoy the red beans and rice!!
Anyone who tells you that Popeyes isn’t legit is misinformed. And Southern is not the same thing as Creole. Popeyes was started by the man who owned Copeland’s New Orleans restaurants, and the recipes were developed by top New Orleans chefs. Paul Prudhomme loved Popeyes.
Pro tip: peel the skin off a fried chicken breast, and use it as a taco shells to fill with red beans and rice.
Good recipe! Growing up, We always ate our red beans and rice with hot water cornbread. Look up the recipe, two-three ingredients and the Deliciousness shall be upon you!
Ooh! looking it up now! Thanks for the recommendation Kat!!
I made this last night and it was delicious!
I did cut back on the thyme as it isn’t one of my favorite herbs. My husband happily over-indulged on the carbs!
I did soak my beans (I couldn’t vouch for how long they sat on market shelf) for 6 hours in liberally salted water. Salt doesn’t negatively effect beans while cooking. The recipes calls for cooking them in salty better than bouillon and with a salty ham bone anyways.
We’ll definitely make this recipe again and again when carbs allow!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Dianne! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Why add sugar to beans?
Hi Rose! Round up the usual suspects, I suppose. It’s because sugar makes things taste magical! Beans are no exception. Sometimes it’s very surprising what a touch of sugar can do for savory dishes. You can totally leave it out though, and it will still taste good!
Corn bread goes great with red beans and rice. Whats another carb ;) I’ve got to try the ham bone. Andouille sausage is great though.
Corn bread is one of bean’s best friends, right?? Great suggestion Mark!!
This is the worse recipe for red beans. All you taste is thyme. I will throw the beans out. They are terrible.
I’m sorry this recipe wasn’t for you Adrianne! You can always omit or reduce the thyme.
I’ve had these cooking all day in the crockpot and although they taste and smell delicious, they are a bit juicier than yours appear to be in the picture. What could I have done wrong? Could it be because of the slow cooker and not venting the lid??
Hi Nina! Yes, try taking the lid off and turning the slow cooker on high for the last hour or so of cook time! That should help evaporate some of the liquid.
Do I have to Unthaw my ham bone before cooking
Hi Mary, no you can throw it in straight from the freezer!
Girl, I wanted to slap myself with these beans!!!! They are the bomb dot com. I cooked mines in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours, and added Andouille sausage at the last minute. I took your advice and added the celery leaves to the beans while cooking, and I tied them up using kitchen twine. I will be making this again. Thank you so much for sharing this very delicious recipe Miss Lady!!! 😁😁
Haha! bomb dot com is a totally appropriate description I think ;) Love the idea of adding the Andouille!!! Genius! Thanks for sharing your comment!
I’m enjoying my first plate and this recipe is really good. I didn’t have parsley and forgot the bay leaves but can’t wait for the family to come over later. I used my electric pressure cooker and will slow cook until this evening. Yummy!
Oh good idea using the pressure cooker for this! I’ll have to try that next time. I hope your family enjoyed it as much as you did Patricia! Thanks for commenting!
I made this using Andouille sausage and it was fabulous. Much better than Popeyes, and Popeyes is pretty darn good. Thanks for giving me another staple in my growing aresenal of Cajun Creole recipes.
Ooh. I need to try this with Andouille!! Thanks Kevin!
Don’t have a Popeye’s to compare to, but have always heard red beans and rice was good. Fellow in church Sunday told me he made them for his family which started me looking. Found this gem of a recipe and made them this evening. Oh yeah, baby! I didn’t use all your spices as my wife has an allergy to sage, but these things turned out so smooth and even better, they were so easy to put together. I keep a binder of all the keeper recipes I come across and this is going in there.
Hey Stew, I’m so glad the beans turned out well and that you’re keeping the recipe! Honestly you can skip Popeye’s now that you have these, this recipe is better ;) But do make some fried chicken to go with this someday. Mm-mmm. Thanks for commenting!
Perfect for the leftover ham bone from Christmas and a bag of yellow eye beans that I didn’t know what to do with. Total yum!
Ooh yellow eye beans sounds delicious! I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for commenting.
Enjoyed your red beans and rice. Instead of pricey smoked ham hocks, try honey baked already cooked ham bones. These yield more meat and flavor. Just ask for them when you go to the Honey Bake store. They may not be visible, but they are always available.
That’s a great idea Marjorina! Thanks for the tip. I’m glad you liked the recipe!
Made this recipe, it’s FABULOUS!!!! Thank You So Much!!! My daughter spent some time at Duke, and came to love the food SO MUCH! She thinks I’m wonderful because I made this for her. I’ll have to tell her about your blog . . . . but for right now, I love having her think I’m genius! She often visits the Popeye’s here, but they don’t carry the fritters or okra here in our town. There is a Louisiana Food Truck we can sometimes find, but this is better than what we’ve purchased there.
Thank You, Karen!!!
Fritters and okra! I will have to check if my Popeye’s has those next time I go! And don’t tell her about my blog Dana, it will be our little secret ;)
This looks soooo good. I grew up with Popeye’s and my mom bought boxed, instant red beans and rice (the Zatarain’s brand, you can get it in the rice aisle!) all the time because she loved it so much. It was like a side dish with chicken for dinner. Definitely making this!!!
Ah what you had popeye’s all the time?? That and Fazoli’s, right? I always think of you when I see a Fazoli’s, I’ve still never been to one. Also I had no idea you could by packets of red beans and rice! Genius!!
What’s better than buttery biscuits and beans? French Bread. Visit New Orleans on a Monday, and the dish most every restaurant has will be Red Beans and Rice. And with that is always French bread so lite you have to keep a cloth on it to keep them from floating away. That’s what goes better with Red Beans and Rice.
I’m so glad you commented Patrick! I’m not from the South so I was just trying to think of what I would want with Red Beans. Here’s my favorite French bread recipe, I’ll update the post to include the link! Thanks!
Delicious. I love these beans
Love red beans and rice! Definitely try it with the andouille. Valentine is absolutely adorable! When my son was about her age he didn’t pronounce “r”s in his words. We were in the check out line at the grocery store and he tried to say, “I need new britches” (old southern word for pants that my grandparents taught him) but remember he dropped his r … so it came out much different than intended! And he kept repeating it louder and louder regardless of how many times I tried to quiet him. I definitely got a few looks from the other shoppers that day.
Sounds great
Thanks Stella! Southern food for the win! :)
Karen,
I love Popeyes, event though I can’t eat it as much as I used to. A little too salty for me now. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. My roots are in the south and I love love love red beans and rice. Hope to definitely try your recipe one weekend soon. Will let you know how it turns out. Thank you again for all your creative cooking.
I probably shouldn’t be eating Popeye’s so much either, haha! Now that I have this recipe mastered it will be a little easier to resist, because the red beans and rice is the biggest draw for me. I’m so happy to hear you will be trying the recipe, please let me know how it goes! Thank you so much for commenting Gail, I love hearing from you!