Red Beans and Rice Recipe with Ham Hock
Whip up an authentic Cajun New Orleans red beans and rice recipe, featuring creamy red beans, sausage, and smoked ham hock over fluffy white rice.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 410kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried red beans
- Cold water for soaking beans
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt for soaking beans
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 12 ounces Andouille sausage sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion medium dice
- 2 ribs celery medium dice
- 1 bell pepper medium dice
- 2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 smoked ham hocks
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Cooked white rice to serve
Instructions
- Pour the dried beans into a large mixing bowl, then pour in enough water to cover the beans with 2 inches of water over them. Add the tablespoon of kosher salt and stir. Let the red beans soak for at least 8-10 hours.
- Drain the beans after they are done soaking.
- Pour the 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil into the large dutch oven and heat over medium high. Once hot, add the sliced andouille sausage and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the sausage once they are a bit browned.
- Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper to that pot and saute for 8 minutes over medium heat. Add the 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon of dried sage, 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning, 3 bay leaves, and 4 cloves of minced garlic, then saute for another 2 minutes, do not let the garlic burn.
- Pour in the drained red beans, chicken stock, ham hocks, browned sausage, and turn temperature up to medium-high to high, to bring everything to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer.
- Cook the beans for 2-2 ½ hours, until the beans are tender and the meat is falling off the bone of the ham hocks. Add the red wine vinegar half way through cooking and mash about ⅓ of the beans with the wooden spoon onto the side of the pot to help thicken the dish.
- Once the beans are done cooking, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Pull the bay leaves and ham hocks out of the pot. Pull the meat from the ham hocks and put it back into the pot, discard the bones and the bay leaves.
- To serve, ladle the red beans, sausage, and ham hock meat into a bowl, then spoon rice over the beans.
Notes
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store in Fridge: Take your leftover red beans into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Everyone knows red beans and rice are even better the next day! How to Freeze and Thaw: Put the cooled, room-temperature red beans into a gallon sized, freezer safe zip-top bag. Remove as much air as possible and flatten the bag of beans out, date and label them, then place it in the freezer. Your beans are good to go for up to 6 months! Thaw the beans by placing them in the fridge overnight or thawing on the countertop for a few hours until soft. Reheat: Put the leftover red beans into a saucepan with a good splash of chicken stock or a little water because the beans will be thick. Warm it up over medium low heat until it loosens up and is warmed through. Serve over some rice!Fast Red Beans and Rice using Canned Beans
Pour 3 (15 ounce) cans of drained red beans into the pot and use 3 cups of chicken broth at Step 5. Simmer for 30-45 minutes until the liquid reduces. I recommend smashing some of the beans while they cook to get that velvety texture. The ham hocks will not cook down til tender within that time, so remove the ham hock before serving.Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 2125mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g