Easy dinner recipe, this Louisiana influenced red beans and rice with ground beef recipe is hearty and filling with a flavorful Cajun taste that just needs a few minutes prep, then let it stew!
If you are looking for a delicious and easy weeknight dinner idea, you might love these red beans and rice. It is a really nice and hearty dish, that has authentic flavors!
This recipe calls for canned beans, which allows it to be whipped up a lot faster, than using the traditional dry beans you have to soak. Don’t be afraid of using canned beans, they speed up the process, and they are full of amazing flavor. If you’re looking for easy red beans and rice, can beans are definitely the way to go.
Red beans and rice is a classic Louisiana dish. You traditionally eat them on Mondays, because Monday was wash day. That worked so they could simmer their beans throughout the day on the stove-top, I can only imagine how amazing their homes must have smelled!
As their red beans simmered they would scrub clothes, and then at the end of the day have a delicious meal waiting for them! I still like a nice meal at the end of a long day with the kids too. This recipe was inspired by that classic Louisiana recipe, but with added substance.
Living in such a fast paced world, I don’t really always have the time to simmer beans all day, so I love using canned beans. You still get the amazing flavor, and it is a huge time saver for this dish.
I will say if you have any leftovers, the flavors really grow stronger as they marinade, and the dish tastes even better the next day for leftovers! This version has ground beef and smoked sausage, so it really makes it a perfect main course dish.
This is a very filling dish, with a nice kick of Cajun flavors, that really will wow your family!
As for the style of rice, you can really play around and use any style of rice your family enjoys the most. Brown, white, Jasmine, whatever your heart desires. It is a very versatile and hearty dish, that is truly pleasing to the taste buds.
More Easy Recipes You’ll Love
We love sharing easy dinner recipes! See our dinner landing page for our most popular recipes!
- This 3 ingredient potato soup is so easy for those busy weeknights to toss in a meal with little to no thought needed!
- For a new twist on pizza night, this Pizza Pasta Bake is so delicious and easy to get into the oven to bake!
- Macaroni Chili Pasta is a favorite meal for mixing up your chili night — or repurpose those chili leftovers in a way that makes them feel different again!
Red Beans and Rice Recipe
Red Beans and Rice with Ground Beef
Easy dinner recipe, this Louisiana red beans and rice dish is hearty and filling with a flavorful and authentic cajun taste that just needs a few minutes prep, then let it stew!
Ingredients
- 3 celery ribs
- 1 medium onion
- 2 green peppers
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup bacon fat (butter or oil will work too)
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (Like Tony's)
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 4 cans kidney beans
- 1 (14 oz.) package beef sausage
- 2 cup broth (beef or chicken)
- 8 cups hot cooked rice
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed 4 quart pot, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in bacon fat until soft.
- Add the ground beef and cook until browned all the way through.
- Pour in the broth and beans. Add cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.
- Stir sausage into beans, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Serve beans over hot rice.
Shelley says
Hi you say 1/4 bacon fat wondering a 1/4 what? cup? tsp? tbsp.?
Janel says
Cup, thanks for catching that I’ll update the recipe!
Robin Walker says
The recipe says 1/4 cup.
James says
Made this for dinner and it is great.
However, No where in the directions it say when to add the Cajon seasoning.
Almost left it out and added it during the 30 minute simmer.
Janel says
Add it with the broth and beans, updated the recipe!
Kim says
Drained or undrained kidney beans??
Janel says
Undrained!
Jim says
I also added 130 oz can of chili beans in spicy sauce and it really adds a little extra boost to the kick. Y’all should try that.
Phil says
Can this be done in a crickpot
Monica says
Are we supposed to drain the hamburger grease?
Olivia says
Is the beef sausage already cooked in the package? Sounds good will give it a try. Thank you.
Offended Cajun says
In what world is this a Louisiana recipe? Ground beef? No! Just wrong!
Jennifer Burns says
Agreed!!
Marjorie says
Louisiana red beans and rice doesn’t have ground meat in it, and the beans are cooked a very long time so they break down and get very creamy. Saying it is an Louisiana inspired dish is fine, but no one in Louisiana makes red beans and rice this way.
Trudy S Doiron says
You just haven’t met the right cajun yet. My Aunt cooked red beans with ground beef all the time. There was no sausage in hers.
\
Someone from Louisiana says
This is not Louisiana style. We do not use ground beef in our red beans nor do we eat it without the beans making a gravy.
Tom says
I agree…its blasphemy!
Terry says
I have never met anyone in all my 60 years of living in the NOLA area, who ever put ground meat in their red beans. I had never even heard of such a thing before seeing this “Louisiana” recipe. Everyone may make them slightly differently (bell pepper or no, herbs or not, even dried beans vs. canned), but NO ONE I’ve ever met or heard of has ever put ground meat in their beans. Sausage, pickled pork, ham, ham bone, bacon, or any combination of them, yes. But no beef. Not even in FB recipe pages I belong to. Never.
Brad says
Sausage is ground meat. Some people don’t eat swine so this is a great alternative.
Donna Duhe says
We don’t put ground meat in our red or white beans. Only smoked sausage or andouille for smoked flavor. We also have a much thicker “gravy” since we make a roux AND we cook them down so much they are creamy and we mash some for an even creamier gravy.
Camellia’s Famous New Orleans-Style Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients:
1 (1-pound) package Camellia Brand Red Kidney Beans
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
8-10 cups water
1/4 stick of butter
2 cups chopped seasoning blend (onions, celery, green bell peppers, parsley flakes)
1 toe garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Cajun seasoning to taste
Hot cooked rice
Total time:5 hoursPrep time:2 hoursCook time:3 hoursYield:6 – 8
Directions:
Rinse and sort beans. (Optional: Soak beans using your preferred method.)
In large heavy pot, cook sliced sausage for 5 minutes.
Add chopped seasoning blend and garlic to cooked sausage, along with 1/4 stick butter, and continue to cook until onions turn soft and clear.
Add beans, water, and bay leaf.
Bring to rolling boil for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Reduce heat, simmer for 1-2 hours (may be longer), stirring occasionally, until beans are desired tenderness.
Add salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning to taste.
Serve over hot cooked rice.
Duckling says
I hope your self righteous attitude was enlarged by posting your authentic recipe on another person’s Pinterest post. You sure showed her and her recipe a thing or two. Plus the added benefit of belittling those of us who actually tried it and liked it. Your recipe looked good, however not having the leisure 7-8 hour time to prepare, its pretty useless. Why not post your authentic pride filled time consuming recipe on your own Donna post? Instead of competing and piggy backing off of this lady?
She wins in the gracious, simple, offering of her recipe. You won in authentic…authentic tacky.
yvette says
Although this is not the traditional way red beans is cooked here in South Louisiana I DO add ground beef to my Red Bean Soup and it is totally delicious
Michele says
Dang why all the negativity in her cooking. That is how she makes her Red Beans and Rice. Why are you even in this page anyways if you all already know how to make Red Beans and Rice? Janel makes hers this way. Everyone is entitled to their own way of making things. Maybe ground beef is not supposed to be in it but don’t diss her cooking or poke fun of other peoples way of doing things. Yes I get it freedom of speech blah blah blah but I truly believe in bringing people up and not knocking them down.
Sandi says
Well said
Sherri says
Yea, Michele! I just don’t understand why some people have to have a hissy fit if a recipe isn’t to their liking. Just move on to one that is! The world is already so full of negativity. Let’s not add to it over a difference of opinion of a recipe! Make it the way you choose & “allow” others to do the same.
Mary says
This recipe is delicious. I didn’t have any sausage and it still turned out great. Our son stopped by while we were eating and wanted the recipe because it smelled so good. Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
Teresa says
Thank you for the recipe! Family loved it! I run across Mexican recipes all the time and a lot of them are not authentic.
However, they are enjoyed and tasty, even though they’re not what my Mexican momma made. To post an “authentic” Cajun recipe on someone else’s Pinterest post is tacky. Post your own recipe and see how you tolerate the comments left by critical viewers. The people of Louisiana have always been gracious and food is celebrated with friends and family. We love visiting all our family there as often as possible. Thank you for this version of RED BEANS and RICE!
Susana says
I know I’m late to the game but I just wanted to say you’re a class act for pointing ths out. I was thinking the same thing, How tacky to post a completely different recipe on someone else’s post. I was looking for a quick shortcut recipe for red beans and rice and this fit the bill, not to mention it was delicious as well.
Sherri says
Well said. Thank you!