Red Beans and Rice With Smoked Turkey Recipe (2024)

  • Sides
  • Smoked Turkey
  • White Rice

Swap poultry for pork in this Louisiana favorite.

ByMax Falkowitz

Updated January 17, 2023

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Red Beans and Rice With Smoked Turkey Recipe (1)

Why It Works

  • Salting beans while soaking keeps them intact and better seasoned.
  • Smoked turkey adds meaty depth that complements chicken or turkey stock.

So, you made a smoked turkey. And it was pretty damn moist and aromatic, woodsy, meaty, and smoky-sweet. But now you've got leftovers that need some jazzing up.

Red Beans and Rice With Smoked Turkey Recipe (2)

We feel you; we made a sizable dent in our Greenberg Smoked Turkey—a great ready-made option—but there's only so much straight turkey you can eat in a week. So we came up with options for you! In addition to this red beans and rice dish, we have a veg-packed collard greens recipe and barbecue sandwiches.

In Louisiana, red beans and rice are traditionally cooked on Mondays to use up bits and pieces from Sunday's roast. And it's simple stuff: Cook beans with meat and aromatics, ladle over rice, eat. That meat may be leftover pork bones, smoked or pickled pork, andouille sausage, ham, or tasso (highly seasoned cured pork shoulder). Call us ignorant Yankees if you like, but we think smoked turkey works pretty well, too, and cooking it into beans is the best way to get the most from your bird.

Sweat the Louisiana trinity of onions, green bell peppers, and celery in some oil, then add soaked kidney beans, chicken or turkey stock, some bay leaves, fresh thyme, and cayenne pepper. Then stir in some chopped-up turkey and slap the lid on your pot. In a few hours, you'll have a smoky pot of beans to keep you fed for days. Don't have a smoked turkey carcass on hand? A smoked drumstick from the supermarket works just as well.

Greenberg turkey was provided as a review sample.

November 2014

Recipe Details

Red Beans and Rice With Smoked Turkey Recipe

Active30 mins

Total11 hrs

Serves6to 8 servings

Ingredients

For the Beans:

  • 1 pound red kidney beans, rinsed and sorted

  • 6 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

  • 4 quarts water

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable orcanola oil

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

  • 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

  • 6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

  • 1 jalapeño pepper, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

  • 1 tablespoonminced fresh thyme leaves

  • 3 bay leaves

  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 8 cupshomemadeor store-bought low-sodium chicken or turkey stock

  • 1 pound pulled or chopped smoked turkey, or 1 smoked turkey leg

  • Freshly ground black pepper

For the Rice:

  • 5 cups water

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 1/2 cups long grain rice

Directions

  1. For the Beans: In a large pot or container, combine beans, salt, and water and stir until salt dissolves. Cover and let soak for 8 to 12 hours. Drain soaked beans.

  2. Heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and translucent but not browned, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes longer.

  3. Add thyme, bay leaves, cayenne, stock, smoked turkey, and beans. Stir to combine. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a bare simmer. Cook until beans are very soft but not falling apart, 2 to 3 hours. If using smoked turkey leg, remove it now to let cool slightly, then remove skin and pull meat into fine pieces. Remove Dutch oven lid and increase heat to high. Cook beans at a hard simmer, stirring frequently, until broth is reduced to your liking. Add pulled drumstick meat back to pot if using. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. For the Rice: In the last half hour of bean-cooking, bring water and butter to a boil over high heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in rice, reduce to a bare simmer, and cover. Cook until rice is tender and liquid is fully absorbed, about 20 minutes. Serve beans ladled over a pile of rice.

Special Equipment

5-quart Dutch oven with a tight, heavy lid

Read More

  • Smoked Turkey Barbecue Sandwiches
  • Smoked Turkey Braised Collard Greens
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
337Calories
13g Fat
37g Carbs
18g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6to 8
Amount per serving
Calories337
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g17%
Saturated Fat 3g17%
Cholesterol 43mg14%
Sodium 1437mg62%
Total Carbohydrate 37g13%
Dietary Fiber 5g18%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 25mg126%
Calcium 95mg7%
Iron 4mg20%
Potassium 784mg17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Red Beans and Rice With Smoked Turkey Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What meat is good with red beans and rice? ›

If you wonder what meat goes with red beans and rice, there is just nothing better than a juicy grilled chicken. This is not just any grilled chicken, it's juicy. It's flavorful. The secret for this recipe lies in the technique and the marinade!

Why do Cajuns eat red beans and rice on Mondays? ›

Red beans and rice became a traditional dish on Mondays in New Orleans because it made use of the ham bone left over from Sunday dinner. Monday was typically wash day, and the beans could be simmered for a long time on the back of the stove while the laundry was being done.

What is the difference between Creole and Cajun red beans and rice? ›

Red beans and rice is a Creole dish! Creole and Cajun are two distinct cultures in Louisiana. Creole describes the culture of people born to settlers in French colonial Louisiana, especially New Orleans. A lot of people remember the difference like this: Creole food uses tomatoes and proper Cajun food does not.

What is the best smoked meat for beans? ›

Notes. These beans are tastiest with leftover smoked brisket, beef chuck, pork, or turkey. If you don't have leftover smoked meat, you can omit it, or replace it with 6 ounces of chopped, cooked bacon or 8 ounces of your favorite smoked sausage, cooked and chopped.

Why add butter to red beans and rice? ›

By adding butter at this point, you're increasing the buttery flavor and ensuring wonderful creaminess, right before serving the beans.

What do you do with a precooked smoked turkey? ›

Place your smoked turkey on the broiler try rack and tent securely with tin foil. Place the trayed smoked turkey in the middle of a 350° F oven and cook for about 1.5 – 2 hours (or until a meat thermometer reaches about 140° F in the center of the breast). Remove the turkey and carve for serving.

Is cooking with smoked turkey healthy? ›

Though smoked chicken and turkey can still create HCAs and PAHs, they are, overall, heathier choices than red meat. Go lean. Next in line after poultry are lean cuts of pork (like pork loin, tenderloin and center cut chops).

How long is leftover smoked turkey good for? ›

USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

Do black people eat red beans and rice? ›

The slave rebellion in Haiti (1791-1804) also brought an influx of ethnic Europeans, free blacks, and enslaved blacks. So it was probably inevitable that the newcomers, whether voluntary and involuntary, brought along with them their rice and beans dishes, which, in New Orleans, became red beans and rice.

What is red beans and rice called? ›

Red beans and rice is also a dietary staple in Central America, where it is known as arroz con habichuelas. The dish is popular in Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Haitian and Jamaican cuisine as well.

Can you eat red beans and rice everyday? ›

Yes, you can eat rice and beans every day. Many people in third world countries do. Rice and beans are complementary vegetables that together provide all the necessary amino acids and minerals to live on, although either alone will be deficient in some. A 50/50 mix is ideal.

How do you thicken red beans and rice? ›

For this recipe we are going to use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch + 2 tablespoons of COLD (again, COLD) water. Mix the two ingredients and add the slurry to the red beans mixture while stirring. You will start to feel and see the gravy thickening and becoming creamy.

What does jambalaya mean in Louisiana? ›

Jambalaya (/ˌdʒæmbəˈlaɪə/ JAM-bə-LY-ə, /ˌdʒʌm-/ JUM-) is a savory rice dish of mixed origins that developed in the U.S. state of Louisiana apparently with African, Spanish, and French influences, consisting mainly of meat or seafood (or both), and vegetables mixed with rice and spices.

What ethnicity is red beans and rice? ›

The origins of red beans and rice in New Orleans can be traced back to its African, Spanish, and French influences. African culinary traditions brought the concept of slow-cooked beans as a nourishing staple, while Spanish and French colonizers introduced rice cultivation techniques.

What meat goes good with red beans? ›

A few that come to mind are:
  • Fried, grilled or smoked chicken.
  • Fried Oysters, scallops, shrimp or clams.
  • Smothered, grilled or fried pork chops.
  • Steak.
  • Smoked meats such as pork ribs, pulled pork, brisket, or hot links.
  • Fried, grilled, or blackened fish.
  • Meatloaf.
Mar 2, 2018

What meat goes best in red beans? ›

Traditionally, red beans and rice is made with Andouille sausage, which is a smoked pork sausage originating from France, but also popular in Louisiana. If you can't find Andouille sausage, you can use any type of smoked pork or beef sausage that is available to you.

What protein goes with red beans and rice? ›

Chicken: A classic choice, chicken, especially grilled or baked, adds a lean protein boost to the dish without overpowering the flavors. Pork: Traditional recipes often include andouille sausage or ham hocks, infusing the beans with a smoky flavor.

What protein to eat with red beans and rice? ›

The most traditional protein paired with this dish is Andouille sausage, a smoked sausage made from pork that adds a spicy and smoky flavor to the beans. Other common meats include smoked ham hocks, tasso ham, or even leftover pork bones.

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