Cajun Beans and Rice is an easy one pot meal that is known for its incredibly delicious Southern Cajun flavor from the sausage coins, rice, beans and seasonings.
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If you are new to one pot meals, they make dinner clean up time a breeze. This Rice and Beans dish is made in one skillet, like some of my other easy dinners, Easy Cheesy Goulash and my Cheesy Sausage Zucchini Casserole. They really are a must have for every kitchen.
Why This Recipe Works
This Mardi Gras classic dinner recipe, like other Cajun cooking recipes, is a Southern necessity that's known for such depth of flavor and is one that will keep you full all night long.
This one-pot stovetop method will become your favorite way to make this cajun red beans and rice dish.
Ready in only 35 minutes, it's a quick dinner to have on the table for those busy nights that won't break the bank. You should also try this Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta!
Ingredients Needed
- Oil: olive oil or other oil of preference, like vegetable oil or avocado oil.
- Chicken stock: Low sodium is always recommended, you can also use vegetable stock.
- Sausage: Smoked sausage, Kielbasa, Andouille sausage all work great.
- Veggies: diced onion, canned diced tomatoes with juice.
- Herbs and spices: minced garlic cloves, cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and chopped parsley
- Beans: Kidney beans, pinto beans or even black beans all work great.
- Rice: long grain rice. I used Jasmine rice but basmati or long grain white rice would also work
How to Make Cajun Rice and Beans
- Step 1: Heat a large skillet, add cooking oil and the sausage. Cook sausage, remove to a plate, and set aside.
- Step 2: Add diced onion to the skillet and cook until soft. add garlic and cook a bit more. Transfer cooked sausage back to skillet with the onion. Add rice and spices, stir to combine.
- Step 3: Pour in chicken stock and tomatoes. Stir to combine.
- Step 4: Increase the heat and bring to a simmer for a few minutes. Scrape the bottom of the skillet as you stir so you get any of the browned bits with all the flavor.
- Step 5: Move skillet to the smallest burner and reduce the heat. Place lid over the skillet and cook.
- Step 6: Remove the lid and stir in the drained kidney beans. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Recipe Tips
- If using brown rice other other rice varieties, you'll need to adjust the cooking time.
- Like a little more heat? Add some more red pepper flakes or try some cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
- Be sure to measure rice and chicken stock appropriately as you can mess up the consistency easily.
- Serve this main dish with greens and some Sweet Honey Cornbread. But, it's a complete meal all in itself.
Recipe Faq's
If your easy Cajun rice is still hard you either needed more cooking liquid or more cooking time. Start by adding 1/2 cup of water to the rice and cook another 5-10 minutes covered. Check the rice and adjust as needed.
Yes, you can freeze this recipe. Cool completely and place in an airtight freezable container or ziplock freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, you can either reheat in the microwave or in a skillet until heated through.
This recipe is a complete meal by itself. Served with a side of Sweet Honey Cornbread and greens are classic sides to red beans and rice. But you can also serve this as a side dish to my Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken Thighs.
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One-Pot Cajun Rice and Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 oz fully cooked smoked Beef Sausage Link cut into ¼ inch slices.
- 1 cup onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes do not drain
- 1 cup long-grain rice I used Jasmine
- 15.5 oz red kidney beans drained
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
- Add salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large 12-inch skillet (you need a lid) on medium-high heat and add in the olive oil. Add in the sausage and saute for about 5 minutes, remove sausages to a plate, and set aside.
- Add in the diced onion and cook 3-5 minutes just until soft. Add in the minced garlic and cook another minute.
- Add back in the sausages and sprinkle in the cajun seasoning, paprika, chili powder, onion and garlic powder, and red pepper flakes and mix until coated.
- Add in the chicken broth, tomatoes, and rice, Turn up the heat a bit and bring it to a simmer 2-3 minutes and stir scraping the bottom from any browned bits.
- Move the skillet to the smallest burner and reduce the heat to the low temp. Place the lid on the skillet and cook for 20 minutes ( do NOT remove the lid to peek) then turn the heat off and let it sit for 5-10 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove the lid and stir in the drained beans and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Hi Lynne, The wrong video was uploaded it's all fixed now and yes its all made on the stovetop 🙂
Hi Wendie -
I thought I was able to send this question, but I think it gave an error message. I watched the video for this recipe, which says to “bake”, but the written directions indicate it’s to continue cooking on the stove. So it’s all stovetop then?
Thanks!
Wendie Hi! In your video, it shows you covering & baking. The written directions indicate we’re to keep the skillet on the stove. Which would be better? Thanks!
Woohoo Jodi happy you enjoyed it 🙂
This recipe was delicious. we will definitely use this from now on instead of the box mix.
Thank you Chuck all fixed 🙂 I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
Wendie,
This recipe was delicious and hearty. I served it with my mustard greens recipe and homemade cornbread. Yum!
One note: The text recipe left out when to add the cajun seasoning.
There is a space between the 'the' and the comma preceding the other powders. Looks like it was deleted during the edit. No problem, though. I added it with the other seasonings. Making it again tonight. My new go to cajun rice recipe.
Made this for supper tonight and it was a hit. Didn't use all of the spices given but I did use the creole seasoning and added a can of Rotel. Next time I think I'll add chopped bell pepper with the onion and garlic and add the beans with the tomatoes. The beans were a little tough. I loved the clean up. PS I used minute rice because that's what I keep in the pantry. All of your recipes that I've tried have been exceptional
Good flavor, but i would make a change to the method to ensure more consistent results- before adding the tomatoes, pour them into a strainer over a mixing bowl and squeeze them out to get all the liquid out. Then add enough broth to the liquid to equal 2 cups (thus ensuring that you have the correct amount of liquid to cool the rice). Add the tomatoes and liquid to the skillet, bring to a boil, then put the lid on, then throw the whole thing into a 325-degree oven for 30 minutes. After that, stir in the beans and let it sit on the stovetop with the lid on for 10 minutes.
Otherwise, good recipe!