Red beans and rice recipe with canned beans

Q: Can you use canned beans for red bean paste?

Ive been asked if other types of beans, e.g. kidney beans, would work for this recipe. Yes, they would if youre making the smooth version with a blender (technique explained in later sections). The flavour will be a little different but still tasty.

Table of Contents Show

The Easy Way to Get a Taste of New Orleans
Cooking Tips
Why It Works
Selecting and Salting Your Beans
The Holy Trinity of Vegetables
Which Spices to Add to Your Pot
Choosing Your Meat
Simmering Your Beans
How to Make New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
Special Equipment
How do you cook red beans from a can?
What can I add to canned beans?
How do you thicken red beans and rice?
Can you use canned beans for red bean paste?

The Easy Way to Get a Taste of New Orleans

Red beans and rice is a trademark Louisiana dish, traditionally served on Mondays using the ham bone leftover from the previous Sunday's ham dinner. Red kidney beans are most often used, but many purists think that flavor is too strong and use the small South Louisiana red beans instead.

Cooking Tips

Salting the cooking liquid for dried peas and beans tends to slow cooking and toughen the beans. Salt should be added after they're cooked.
When using dried beans in the crockpot, cook until tender before adding other ingredients. You can cook in plain water overnight (about six to eight hours) on low, then drain and add recipe ingredients in the morning. Follow package directions for the amount of water.
Simmer, don't boil. Boiling can cause the liquid to overflow and the beans to break apart and the skins to break off.
For softer beans, cover the cooking pot.
Test doneness by tasting. The beans should feel smooth yet firm and not mushy. Or gently squeeze a bean between your thumb and index finger; if the middle is still rather hard, cook them longer.
To reduce the risk of stomach distress, change the water two times or more during the soaking process and once after the beans have simmered for 30 minutes.
As soon as the beans have cooked, drain the liquid to prevent further cooking (unless the liquid is part of the dish).
Refrigerate leftover beans for up to five days to be used in salads and soups.
Dry bean yields: 1 pound equals about 2 1/2 cups uncooked; 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups cooked.
Use baked ham instead of a country or smoked ham.

Mix up a batch of this New Orleans comfort food from one of these easy recipes.

Groesbeck / Uhl / Getty Images
This easy recipe uses canned red kidney beans for a quick take on this classic. Bacon; the "holy trinity" of onions, bell peppers, and celery; andouille sausage (if desired), and seasonings make this a tasty weekday dinner. Serve over white rice with warm French bread.
James Baigrie / Getty Images
This traditional recipe for red beans and rice with sausage or ham is a commitment. It takes three hours and 15 minutes to cook, though the preparation takes just 10 minutes. You'll start by soaking red beans overnight and then cook for several hours with ham hock, sausage, onions, garlic, and seasonings. Serve this classic mixture over white rice.
sandoclr / Getty Images
This is a slightly different version of this concoction, made the Louisiana way. This one uses ham hocks only; you can add smoked sausage if you like. Serve with hot white rice.
Diana Miller / Getty Images
You might be wondering what the difference is in Louisiana red beans and rice and Southern red beans and rice. This recipe turns up the heat with lots of crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, and cumin. It's an interesting take on the traditional recipe.

Why It Works

Soaking beans in salted water helps them cook up more tender.
Multiple cured pork products lend deep flavor to the beans.

Whoever came up with the expression "a case of the Mondays" probably never spent much time in New Orleans.

Head to any classic New Orleans restaurant on a Monday, and you're likely to spot red beans and rice running as a special. (An even better plan: Get invited into a New Orleans household.) Why red beans and rice on a Monday? As the apocryphal story goes, Mondays were traditionally laundry days, and women needed a dish that could cook itself, unattended, while they were busy scrubbing clothes. A big ol' pot of red beans simmering on the stovetop was the perfect solution.

Why was laundry done on Mondays? Well, probably because Mondays were bean day, which gave folks plenty of time to get the laundry done. I don't know. These stories are almost never accurate.

What I do know for sure is this: New Orleans–style red beans and rice is mind-bendingly delicious. Smoky, spicy, hearty, and supremely comforting. For someone used to having a big chunk of protein in the middle of their plate for every meal, it can be hard to imagine that beans and rice make a meal in and of themselves in countries all over the world. If there's one version that could convince you, it's New Orleans red beans and rice.

For a dish so complex in flavor, the preparation and ingredient list are pretty simple. A few vegetables to start, a handful of common pantry spices, a couple of fresh herbs, some chunks of pork, and some red kidney beans. Let's go through each step of the process.

The ingredient line-up for New Orleans red beans and rice—minus the beans.

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Selecting and Salting Your Beans

Though red beans and rice is the best-known version of this dish, it is frequently made with other types of beans, and you can do the same if you'd like. Pink beans, white cannellini beans, even black beans will all taste great with the same basic technique. If you want to go with true red beans, pick up some dried red kidney beans.

You could make a quick version of red beans and rice with canned beans, but if you want really creamy texture and the best flavor, dried beans are the way to go. Some recipes suggest that you can cook the beans straight from dried without an overnight soak. You can, but it extends the actual cooking time by several hours, and I found that the results were not quite as creamy or evenly cooked.

For the best results, soak the dried beans overnight in salted water. Salt can help soaked beans cook more evenly, as salt ions replace magnesium and calcium ions in the bean skins, allowing them to tenderize more readily. Salting the cooking liquid will also aid in this process. (The whole idea that salting the water prevents beans from softening is an easily disproven myth.)

The Holy Trinity of Vegetables

The "Holy Trinity"—green bell pepper, onion, and celery—form the base of red beans and rice.

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Red beans and rice starts, like countless other Cajun and Creole dishes, with the "Holy Trinity" of vegetables: onion, celery, and bell pepper. As with the mirepoix of France or the battuto of Italy, these vegetables are finely chopped and added to the pot right at the start of cooking, where they'll eventually break down and form the flavor backbone of the dish.

I tried sweating my vegetables in lard, vegetable oil, and shortening, and found that the difference between them was quite minor. If you want to go all in, sweat the vegetables in lard. If you want to get 98% of the way there without having to go find lard at the butcher's, vegetable oil or shortening will do just fine.

The key is to cook the vegetables gently, salting them to draw out liquid and stirring them until they're very soft but not quite browned. Right when they hit this stage, I add a few cloves of minced garlic, then cook the garlic just until it's fragrant.

Which Spices to Add to Your Pot

The herbs and spices used in recipes for red beans and rice can vary from cook to cook.

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Next come the dried spices. There's no need to go overboard with the whole spice rack: Some very reputable recipes, like this one from New Orleans expert Emeril Lagasse, contain basically no spices at all, instead relying solely on the pork to add extra flavor. I like to use just a few spices in my version—black pepper and cayenne pepper for a bit of extra heat, and some ground sage for its woodsy flavor.

Some recipes call for dried thyme, but I prefer the flavor of fresh thyme in most stews. Picking individual leaves? Nobody has thyme for that. Present Me just throws the entire sprigs straight into the pot and lets Future Me worry about picking the stems out when everything is done cooking. It's much easier.

The only other aromatics I add are a few bay leaves. (And yes, bay leaves are important!)

Choosing Your Meat

Most of the time, I'd use chicken stock to cook beans instead of plain water, in order to add more flavor. You can do that here as well, but it's almost redundant. We're adding so many bits of pork that the dish essentially makes its own stock as it simmers.

Smoked ham hock and andouille sausage form a backbone of meaty flavor.

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Andouille sausage is a must; it lends a spicy, cured flavor and plenty of rich fattiness. In order to maximize its flavor penetration, I like to add the sausage to the stew right from the start, even before I add the vegetables. That way, it gets a chance to brown a bit, while providing more rendered fat for the vegetables to sweat in.

Tasso, another common addition, lends smokiness, while its rind provides gelatin to add body to the liquid. Unfortunately, it's really hard to find tasso in most parts of the country. I settle for smoked ham hocks in its place. They aren't quite the same, but they're delicious nonetheless.

The really unique ingredient—one that is not always called for, even in authentic recipes—is pickled pork shoulder. It adds an interesting brightness to the beans (though they'll still be plenty delicious without it). Pickled pork, which is just pork shoulder pickled in vinegar, can be even harder to find than tasso.

If you're inclined to make it yourself, Alton Brown has a good recipe. If you want to skip it, adding a small shot of cider vinegar to the finished beans can go a long way toward mimicking that pickled flavor.

Simmering Your Beans

Simmering the red beans usually takes between one and a half and two and a half hours.

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Once everything is in the Dutch oven, including the drained beans and enough fresh water to cover them, it's time to bring it to a simmer, cover up that pot, and walk away to get your laundry done.

But don't plan on too many loads. I don't know if it's because I soak my beans or if beans were simply much tougher back then, but I find that my beans are perfectly tender in between one and a half and two and a half hours.

You can continue to cook them under the lid even after they're fully tender—this is one of those dishes that are totally okay if they overcook a bit—but if you're anything like me, the aroma will be so overwhelmingly good that you'll want to get it to the dinner table as soon as you possibly can.

Once the lid comes off, it'll take about 20 more minutes of simmering to reduce the liquid down to the right creamy consistency. Depending on the freshness of the beans, the rate at which they give off their creamy starch can vary, so you might find in some cases that the liquid will evaporate before the beans have released enough starch to make the pot properly creamy. If this happens, just splash some extra water into the pot, and keep simmering until you get the texture you want.

New Orleans red beans and rice is best finished with vinegary hot sauce. J. Kenji López-Alt

To finish it off, hit the pot with vinegary hot sauce, like Crystal or Frank's, then pick out those bay leaves and thyme stems (or don't, and just give your guests a quick word of warning before they dig in). If you're so inclined, you can shred the meat from the ham hock, or shred the pickled pork or tasso, if you use those things.

There are some people, with more patience than I have, who say that the beans will have better flavor if you let them cool and serve them the next day. As with my testing on stews, I didn't find that the flavor changed all that much with the wait, but the texture certainly does. Reheated red beans are even creamier than same-day red beans, so, if you can stand to wait, it doesn't hurt to give them a rest in the fridge overnight.

But I won't blame you if you don't.

Pass out the bowls of rice, bring the whole pot to the dinner table, and let people dig in. They're gonna want seconds.

How to Make New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

May 2017

1 pound (450g) red kidney beans
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil or lard
1 pound (about 450g) cooked andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch disks
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 12 ounces; 340g)
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (about 8 ounces; 225g)
4 ribs celery, finely chopped (about 8 ounces; 225g)
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon (3 to 15g) ground cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it)
1 teaspoon (about 4g) ground sage
Freshly ground black pepper
1 smoked ham hock (optional)
8 ounces (225g) pickled pork shoulder or rind (optional; see notes)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
Hot sauce, such as Crystal or Frank's, to taste
Cider vinegar, to taste (optional; see notes)
Cooked white rice, for serving

Place beans in a large bowl and cover with 6 cups (1.5L) cold water. Add 2 tablespoons (30g) kosher salt and stir until dissolved. Set aside at room temperature for 8 to 16 hours. Drain and rinse.

Serious Eats / Liz Voltz
Serious Eats / Liz Voltz
In a large Dutch oven, heat oil or lard over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add andouille and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Season with salt and cook, stirring, until vegetables have softened and are just starting to brown around the edges, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add cayenne pepper, sage, and a generous 10 to 12 grinds of fresh black pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans, along with enough water to cover by about 2 inches (roughly 6 to 8 cups), ham hock (if using), pickled pork (if using), thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce to a bare simmer. Cover and cook until beans are completely tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Older beans can take longer.)

Serious Eats / Liz Voltz
Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has thickened and turned creamy, about 20 minutes. If the pot starts to look dry before the stew turns creamy, add a cup of water and continue simmering. Repeat as necessary until desired level of creaminess is achieved. Discard bay leaves and thyme stems. Season to taste with hot sauce, a few teaspoons of cider vinegar (if using), and more salt and pepper. For best texture, let cool and refrigerate overnight. Reheat the next day, adding a little water to loosen to desired consistency. Serve red beans over steamed white rice.

Serious Eats / Liz Voltz

Special Equipment

Dutch oven

Notes

Pickled pork can be difficult to find, and the beans can easily be made without it. If you're omitting the pickled pork, a small splash of cider vinegar can help brighten up the flavor of the beans, but is not completely necessary. Add it to suit your own taste.

How do you cook red beans from a can?

How to Cook Delicious Canned Beans.

Drain and rinse beans in cold water. ... .

Place beans in a heavy-duty pot, cover with good quality olive oil, salt and aromatics (see above). ... .

Heat to medium and simmer until liquid has reduced slightly to coat beans, 10-15 minutes..

What can I add to canned beans?

How to make Kicked-Up Canned Baked Beans:.

Bacon..

Onion..

Molasses..

Spicy brown mustard (can substitute yellow mustard).

Worcestershire..

Brown sugar..

Ketchup..

A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar for a touch of tanginess is optional and not shown..

How do you thicken red beans and rice?

TO THICKEN RED BEANS AND RICE To get them even creamier: Transfer 1/2 cup of cooked beans to a small bowl. Use a fork to mash, then stir mashed beans back into the pot. Let simmer for a further 10 minutes to get it nice and thick.

Can you use canned beans for red bean paste?

I've been asked if other types of beans, e.g. kidney beans, would work for this recipe. Yes, they would if you're making the smooth version with a blender (technique explained in later sections). The flavour will be a little different but still tasty.