How to Cook Creole Red Beans

Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours is a title of an album by Louis Armstrong, who was a New Orleans native. Creole red beans and rice is a classic Louisiana dish. Creole flavor contains different types of herbs and spices such as bay leaves, paprika, thyme, and rosemary to create a distinct creole taste. It's a delicious hearty meal that anyone can make with a crockpot. Just leave the beans in the crock-pot, and by the end of the night, you have dinner made. Although this is a meat-based dish, there are ways to make this a vegetarian meal by swapping out different ingredients.[1] [2]

Ingredients

  • 1 pound uncooked (dry) red kidney beans
  • 3/4 pound (12 ounces) Andouille sausage, sliced (Optional ¾ of tofu, sliced)
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 large bell pepper, cored and diced
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 7 of cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 3 of cups uncooked long-grain white rice
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Makes 10 servings

Prep/Cook Time

To prep the ingredients, it may take 10-20 mins. Approximately 8-10 hours for the beans to thoroughly cook in the crockpot. To cook and fluff the rice a total of 30 mins.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:
Cooking the Creole Red Beans

  1. Image titled Cook Creole Red Beans Step 1
    1
    Soak the beans. Place the uncooked red beans into a large bowl. Submerge the beans completely in cold water for 2 minutes.[3]
    • Only soak the beans for a little while to clean it, the beans will soften in the crockpot.
  2. 2
    After 2 minutes, rinse the beans. Place the wet beans into a colander, using cold water rinse the beans until the water runs clear. Set your beans aside.[4]
    • Discard any broken or split pieces.
    • Beans can collect dust and dirt, be sure to thoroughly clean.
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  3. Image titled Cook Creole Red Beans Step 3
    3
    Prep the ingredients. Slice the andouille sausage into 1 cm thick pieces. Peel and mince 5 garlic cloves. Diced 3 celery stalks and 1 bell pepper into 3/4-inch pieces. Peel and dice a medium white onion into 3/4-inch pieces. Thinly slice 4 scallions. Set the sliced scallions aside for serving.[5]
    • For a vegan or vegetarian alternative, add tofu instead of the andouille sausage.
  4. Image titled Cook Creole Red Beans Step 4
    4
    Prep the seasonings. Within a bowl, place all the herbs and spices listed above except the salt and pepper. Measure out 2 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano.[6]
    • Salt and pepper will be used later in the recipe.
  5. Image titled Cook Creole Red Beans Step 5
    5
    Add ingredients to the crockpot. Add the washed beans, chicken stock, Andouille sausage, minced garlic, diced celery stalks, white onion, and bell pepper. Add the seasoning to the crockpot. Mix the ingredients, and cover the crockpot. Leave the crockpot on high for 8-10 hours.[7]
    • For a vegetarian alternative, add vegetable stock instead of chicken, and add tofu instead of Andouille sausage.
    • Best to cook in the morning.
  6. 6
    Adjust the seasoning. After 8 to 10 hours, the beans should be thoroughly cooked. Taste the beans to adjust the seasoning. Add salt and black pepper to your liking. Be sure to discard the two bay leaves.[8] [9]
    • Recommended amount of salt (1 teaspoon) and pepper (1/2 teaspoon).
    • To tell if your beans are fully cooked, apply pressure to one bean between your thumb and pointer finger. If your bean breaks apart then it’s fully cooked.
    • It should have a thick consistency with a depth of flavor and a strong aromatic fragrance. The beans should still be fully intact.
    • If you substitute the Andouille sausage with tofu, the tofu may have not retained its shape, and will have a mashed texture.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:
Cooking the Rice

  1. Image titled Cook Creole Red Beans Step 7
    1
    Rinse the rice. After 8 to 10 hours of slow cooking the beans, it’s time to cook the white rice. Place the rice into a large mesh strainer or bowl, and rinse under cold water. Continue to rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear.[10] [11]
  2. Image titled Cook Creole Red Beans Step 8
    2
    Cook the rice. In a large saucepan or pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil on high heat. Once the water starts to boil, add the 3 cups of rice. Then cover the rice with a lid and bring the flame to a simmer (medium-low flame). Allow the rice to absorb the water for 18 to 20 minutes.[12] [13]
  3. Image titled Cook Creole Red Beans Step 9
    3
    Rest and fluff the rice. When the rice is cooked, let the rice rest off the heat for 10 minutes. Then, remove the lid, and fluff the rice with a fork or spoon.[14] [15]
    • If you would like to add more flavor to the rice, you can stir in a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of butter.
    • The rice should be soft, not mushy. If rice is mushy, the best thing to do is make a new batch with less water. Save the mushy rice for another day to make fried rice or porridge.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:
Serving

  1. 1
    Serve. Serve the beans over rice, and garnish with the thinly sliced scallions that were set aside. [16]
    • Recommended amount of rice: 1 cup and 1/2 cup beans.

Things You'll Need

  • A fork/spoon
  • A crockpot
  • A colander
  • A measuring cup
  • A large saucepan with a lid
  • A knife
  • A cutting board
  • A ladle
  • A large bowl
  • A large mesh strainer

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.hungryhowies.com/blog/creole-seasoning-vs-cajun#:~:text=Cajun%20seasoning%20relies%20on%20the,also%20incorporates%20paprika%20and%20garlic.&text=Creole%20seasoning%20primarily%20relies%20on,%2C%20rosemary%2C%20parsley%20and%20paprika.
  2. ↑ https://www.louisianatravel.com/articles/brief-history-red-beans
  3. ↑ https://www.jessicagavin.com/quick-soak-beans/
  4. ↑ https://www.jessicagavin.com/quick-soak-beans/
  5. ↑ https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/crock-pot-red-beans-and-rice/
  6. ↑ https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/crock-pot-red-beans-and-rice/
  7. ↑ https://www.camelliabrand.com/recipes/slow-cooker-red-beans-and-rice/
  8. ↑ https://www.camelliabrand.com/recipes/slow-cooker-red-beans-and-rice/
  9. ↑ https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/crock-pot-red-beans-and-rice/
  1. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/yes-you-should-be-rinsing-your-rice-228083/
  2. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-rice-on-the-stove-44333/
  3. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/yes-you-should-be-rinsing-your-rice-228083/
  4. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-rice-on-the-stove-44333/
  5. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/yes-you-should-be-rinsing-your-rice-228083/
  6. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-rice-on-the-stove-44333/
  7. ↑ https://www.camelliabrand.com/recipes/slow-cooker-red-beans-and-rice/

About This Article

Tested by:
wikiHow Test Kitchen
wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time.
3 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 4
Updated: December 16, 2020
Views: 520
Categories: Rice and Beans
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