How To Smoke Red Beans And Rice

Smoked red beans and rice get a flavorful upgrade by simmering red beans with smoked pork hocks while slices of sausage smoke on a rack above, letting their drippings infuse the pot below. This low and slow method adds deep, smoky flavor to every bite of this hearty Southern classic.

Prep Time 12 30

Cook Time 5

Servings Servings

Calories 317kcal

Author Bon Appeteach

Equipment

Large Foil Pan
Wire Rack

Ingredients

1.5 lbs. Dried Kidney Beans soaked overnight
2 Smoked Pork Hocks Smoke your own or buy them
2 Smoked Sausages andouille or kielbasa is reccommended
3 tbsp Butter
1 large Yellow Onion diced small
1 Green Pepper diced small
3 stalks Celery diced small
4 Garlic Cloves minced
8 cups Chicken Stock or water
1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning Blend
2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt the sausage and pork hocks are salty, adjust as needed after cooking
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 tsp Cayenne
Cooked White Rice for serving

Additional Optional Ingredients

2 Green Onions for garnishing
Tabasco Sauce for garnishing

Instructions

The Night Before: Presoak your dried kidney beans in water so they are fully covered. Do not skip for best results.
Set Up the Smoker: Preheat the smoker to 275 F. and set it for indirect smoking.
Prep the Base: In a skillet over medium heat, add the melted butter. Add in the onion, green pepper, and celery and cook for 7-8 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and saute for another minute.
Stir in the spices and bay leaves and then transfer the mixture to a large dutch oven or foil pan for smoking. Add in the smoked pork hocks, drained kidney beans, and the chicken stock.
Double Smoke the Sausage: Place a wire rack directly over the Dutch oven or pan so it rests securely above the bean mixture. Lay the sausages on the rack, allowing them to smoke and drip their juices into the red beans below as they cook.
Smoke Low and Slow: Smoke the entire setup uncovered for 4-5 hours in total, stirring the beans occasionally. After 2 hours, remove the sausages and dice them up, then add them to the pan to cook with the beans. Add additional liquid as needed if the beans start to look dry.
Last 30 Minutes: Towards the end of the cooking process, remove 2-3 cups of the beans and liquid and place them into a blender or mash them by hand. This releases the starches and allows the mixture to thicken. Stir the mashed beans back in, mix well, and let it finish cooking to thicken.
Shred the Pork Hocks: Remove the red beans and rice from the smoker. The pork hocks should be tender and shreddable. Remove them from the red beans and pull any meat away from the bone and cartilage. Add the meat back in and stir to combine, then discard the remains. Remove the bay leaves.
Serve: Spoon red beans over warm white rice and garnish with chopped green onions and a splash of hot sauce.

Notes

Don’t Salt Too Early:
Hold off on salting the bean mixture until the beans are almost tender; salt added too early can make beans tough or overly salty as the pork hocks release flavor as it cooks.

Nutrition