Cajun/Creole · main

Quick Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage

Quick Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage reads richness 5.9, umami 5.8 and salinity 4.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cajun/Creole main, about 44 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.5 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.8 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 0.6 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 4.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.2 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.9 · Umami 5.8 · Salinity 4.8 · Allium 4.7 · Smoke 3.6 · Heat 3.0 · Sweetness 2.6 · Earthy 2.0 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Funk & Ferment 1.3 · Nutty 1.1 · Bitterness 1.0 · Floral 0.9 · Fruity 0.7 · Sourness 0.6

What's in it (16)

• long-grain white rice — 266 g
• water — 710 g
• salt — 5 g
• vegetable oil — 27 g
• kielbasa sausage — 340 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• green bell pepper — 100 g
• celery — 80 g
• garlic — 12 g
• smoked paprika — 5 g
• cayenne pepper — 3 g
• thyme — 1 g
• bay — 2 g
• red beans — 879 g
• low-salt chicken broth — 237 g
• green onions — 220 g

Time & effort: about 44 min (43 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 83.9 kcal, 8.4 g protein, 4.8 g fat, 8.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan, then stir in the rice and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the water is fully absorbed and the rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered - you'll fluff it just before serving while the beans finish.
2. While the rice simmers hands-off, heat the oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned on both sides, 5-6 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the drippings left in the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion turns translucent, 6-7 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne, and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Return the sausage to the pot along with the bay leaves, red beans, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered, mashing a few beans against the side of the pot to thicken the liquid, until the mixture turns creamy and slightly thickened, 12-15 minutes.
6. Discard the bay leaves and season with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and more to taste.
7. Fluff the rice with a fork. Divide it among bowls, ladle the red beans and sausage over top, and scatter with the green onions to serve.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Chicken Fricassee with Andouille — Cajun/Creole
• Hoppin' John with Smoked Ham Hock — Southern
• Migas — Spanish
• Turkey and Sausage Gumbo — Cajun/Creole
• Alheira — Portuguese

Keep reading: what richness, umami, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.