Easy Red Beans and Rice with Ground Beef Recipe
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Red beans and rice gets a weeknight-friendly twist with this faster ground beef version. All the hearty, smoky flavor you’re craving, but it’s ready in about 30 minutes, without hours of simmering needed.
Updated January 2026, rewritten for clarity with new tips.
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Recipe Highlights
⏱️Prep Time: 15 Minutes
⏱️Cook Time: 30 Minutes
⏱️Total Time: 40 Minutes
🍽️Serves: 4 – easy to scale up or down
✔️ A faster, flavor-packed take on red beans and rice made with ground beef and andouille sausage.
✔️Built on the Cajun holy trinity: onion, celery, and green bell pepper sautéed early with Cajun seasoning for deep flavor.
✔️Meat and beans are simmered with tomatoes and bay leaf for at least 20 minutes, then served with cooked rice.
Here is What You Will Need
Ingredient List
- Olive oil, avocado oil or your favorite cooking oil
- Lean ground beef – ground turkey, pork or chicken works too
- Cajun spice blend – homemade or store-bought
- Adouille sausage
- Canned red kidney beans or red beans
- Onion
- Celery
- Green bell pepper
- Garlic
- Diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- Water
- Bay leaves
- Cooked rice (brown or white)
Missing an ingredient? Find a substitute with the ingredient swap assistant!
How to Make Red Beans and Rice with Ground Beef
- Cook the meat: Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the Cajun seasoning and the sausage. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the bell peppers, onions, and celery. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Stir in the tomatoes, beans, water, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and cover.
- Simmer and serve: Cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend. Remove the bay leaf, serve hot with a scoop of cooked rice.
Tips
- Adding the spices early in the cooking process will make the most flavorful red beans and rice.
- Canned beans can contain a decent amount of sodium, be sure to rinse them well after draining them to reduce the sodium.
How to Store Leftovers
This recipe is even better the next day, making it perfect for leftovers.
- Refrigerate– Store leftover red beans and rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze – Once leftovers reach room temperature, store in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen leftovers overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
Recipe variations
Mild – For a milder version of this recipe, replace the andouille sausage with smoked sausage such as kielbasa and use a mild Cajun spice blend.
Vegetarian – Leave out the ground beef and sausage. Add up to a teaspon of smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste.
Serving suggestions
Serve red beans and rice with ground beef, garnished with sliced green onion and a scoop of cooked white rice or brown rice, salad, roasted brussels sprouts, green beans, and a crusty piece of bread or cornbread.
Craving more easy ground beef ideas? Don’t miss my complete guide to healthy ground beef recipes—it’s packed with simple, flavorful dinners for every night of the week. Check them out here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Red Beans and Rice with Ground Beef
Yes. Start it in a skillet as written, then move everything to a slow cooker at the simmer step. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
Yes. This recipe uses canned red kidney beans for convenience. Drain and rinse them before adding to the skillet; it lowers the sodium and keeps the flavor clean.
The Cajun holy trinity is onion, celery, and green bell pepper. This recipe uses all three as the flavor base, and it’s a big reason the dish tastes like classic red beans and rice. The article notes there aren’t real substitutes for that mix.
Swap the andouille sausage for smoked sausage like kielbasa, and use a mild Cajun spice blend. You still get the smoky, savory taste without as much heat.
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Click on serving size to scale this recipe
Easy Red Beans and Rice with Ground Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Cajun spice blend see the ingredients list in the notes section below for a homemade blend.
- 1/4 pound Andouille sausage 1 link
- 1 can Red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup Onion chopped
- 1/2 cup Bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup Celery chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 cup Diced tomatoes fresh or canned
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1 Bay leaf
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients: Chop the vegetables: 1/2 cup Onion, 1/2 cup Bell pepper, 1/2 cup Celery, 2 cloves Garlic.
- Cut the sausage link into slices. Drain and rinse 1 can Red kidney beans, measure 1 cup Diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup Water
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Once the skillet is hot add the 1/2 pound Lean ground beef and cook until the beef is pink. Add 2 teaspoons Cajun spice blend and the sausage, cook for a few minutes.
- Stir in the peppers, celery onions and garlic. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, water and 1 Bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Notes
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme See the article above for recipe tips, and more.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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