Food Recipes Side Dishes Louisiana Red Beans and Rice 4.8 (10) 8 Reviews Kwame Onwuachi's rendition of classic red beans and rice is based on his mother's version. By Kwame Onwuachi Kwame Onwuachi Kwame Onwuachi is the chef of Tatiana in New York City and competed on Top Chef season 13. In 2019, he was a Food & Wine Best New Chef, the James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef of the Year, and Esquire's Chef of the Year. Kwame's the author of Notes from a Young Black Chef and My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 17, 2024 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Active Time: 55 mins Soak Time: 12 hrs Total Time: 14 hrs 25 mins Servings: 6 to 8 Jump to recipe "Everyone with roots in southern Louisiana, where red beans and rice is a staple, thinks that their mom makes the best version," says 2019 F&W Best New Chef Kwame Onwuachi. "But I'm the only one who's right. Growing up, my mom used this recipe as a base, sometimes adding in smoked turkey necks or smoked, spiced, and cured tasso ham, in addition to the ham hocks and andouille sausage that impart their smoke, fat, and spice to the Holy Trinity (celery, bell peppers, and onions) and, of course, the sturdy red kidney beans." To read more about how Onwuachi takes inspiration from Louisiana foodways, and for more great Southern recipes like this, see his story, "In Her Footsteps." Frequently Asked Questions Do you have to soak your beans for red beans and rice? While it's not absolutely necessary to soak dried beans before cooking them, doing so will reduce stovetop cooking time and make them easier to digest. For this recipe, Onwuachi covers the kidney beans with about two inches of water and soaks them overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. What thickens red beans and rice? Here, Onwuachi blends a cup of the cooked beans with half a cup of the cooking liquid, then adds the bean puree back to the pot with the remaining beans to thicken the mixture. Can this red beans and rice recipe be made ahead? Red beans and rice can be prepared in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days or frozen for up to three months. Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen This dish calls for a tablespoon and a half of Onwuachi's House Spice, a versatile mixture of black pepper, kosher salt, granulated garlic, Worcestershire powder, granulated onion, cayenne, and sweet Hungarian paprika. The recipe provided makes a large amount of the spice blend; though you can store the unused portion in an airtight container for several months, you may also opt to make only a quarter of the recipe. Suggested pairing Choose a spicy, fruit-driven red, such as Bedrock Wine Co. California Syrah. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 cups dried red kidney beans (12 ounces) 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 (14-ounce) andouille sausage, sliced crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-thick pieces 1 large (12-ounce) yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups) 2 medium-size (7 ounces each) green bell peppers, chopped (about 1 3/4 cups) 2 medium (3 ounces each) celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup) 6 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons) 1 1/2 tablespoons House Spice 2 (14-ounce) smoked ham hocks 6 cups vegetable stock 4 (4-inch) thyme sprigs 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried Kosher salt, to taste Perfectly Steamed Rice, for serving Directions Place beans in a medium pot or bowl; add water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and refrigerate overnight (up to 12 hours). Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add oil, and heat until shimmering. Add sausage; cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Transfer sausage to a plate (do not wipe Dutch oven clean); let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to stir into beans. While sausage cools, drain soaked beans; set aside. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to Dutch oven; cook over medium, stirring often, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add House Spice; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add beans, ham hocks, stock, thyme, and bay leaves; stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook very gently until beans are completely tender and ham hock is fork-tender, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes. Start checking for doneness after about 1 hour. (Depending on how old they are, the beans could take up to 3 hours.) When beans are completely tender, remove from heat. Remove and discard thyme and bay leaves. Transfer ham hocks to a small bowl or a cutting board; remove and discard bones and skin, and shred meat. Transfer 1 cup red beans and 1/2 cup cooking liquid to a blender. Secure lid on blender and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening. Process until mixture is velvety smooth, about 1 minute. Stir pureed mixture back into red beans in Dutch oven. Stir in shredded ham and cooked sausage. Bring to a simmer over medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sausage and ham are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve red beans alongside Perfectly Steamed Rice. Originally appeared: May 2022 Rate It Print