Red kidney beans slow-cooked into a thick, creamy pot, served over rice.
A New Orleans Monday tradition since at least the 1830s. Monday was wash day in pre-electric households — women had no time to cook, so a pot of beans with the leftover Sunday-ham bone simmered on the back of the stove for hours, unattended. The dish predates Cajun-Creole codification; Louis Armstrong famously signed letters "Red Beans and Ricely Yours."
New Orleans Monday tradition since at least 1830s — wash day, no time to cook, beans simmered on the back burner with Sunday's ham bone. Louis Armstrong signed letters 「Red Beans and Ricely Yours.」 Cream comes from collapsed beans, no dairy; some must be mashed against the pot wall.
A bowl of soft red kidney beans cooked into a thick, creamy gravy — some beans whole, some collapsed — over white rice, with sliced andouille or pickled pork stirred through. Smoke and bay come up first, then garlic and the slow-cooked beans themselves. Always Monday in New Orleans, never Tuesday. A hot-sauce bottle on the table is non-negotiable.
The cream comes from the beans themselves — no dairy. Some of the beans must collapse and release starch into the cooking liquid; that's why the pot simmers for 2–3 hours and why a few beans get mashed against the pot wall near the end. Pickled or smoked pork (tasso, andouille, ham hock) supplies salt and depth that ordinary bacon can't replicate.
Variations
Popeyes' commercial version uses pork tasso; Willie Mae's Scotch House in Tremé runs theirs creamy with pickled pork; Camellia Brand's Louisiana red kidney beans are the canonical varietal — most home cooks won't substitute.
On the Palate
Where Red Beans and Rice sits in the Cajun flavor cloud
The creaminess comes from the beans, not dairy — simmer long enough that some collapse and release their starch, mashing a few against the pot wall near the end.
Ingredients
How it's made
5 steps · 50 min active + 12 hours waiting
- 15 min
Rinse the small red beans under cold water, removing any debris. Place them in a large pot and cover with water, soaking overnight.
- 210 min
Drain the beans and add them back to the pot with fresh water. Add diced onions, celery, and bell pepper, along with pork bones and your choice of sausage.
- 35 min
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Add Cajun seasoning, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally.
Watch outOnce it hits a boil, back it right down to a bare simmer before it can catch.
- 410 min
Simmer the beans slowly for about 2-3 hours, until they are tender and the flavors meld, stirring occasionally.
Watch outNear the end the liquid should coat a spoon; mash a few beans on the pot wall to thicken it further.
- 520 min
Cook rice according to package instructions. Once the beans are ready, serve them over the fluffy rice.
Watch outSpoon the beans over rice that's dry and fluffy, not sticky, so it soaks up the sauce.
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