If you cook red beans on a Tuesday in Louisiana someone will find you.
The tradition of eating red beans and rice on Mondays dates back to 18th century New Orleans when Monday was wash day — an all-day chore that left no time for hands-on cooking. Families would put a pot of red beans on with the leftover ham bone from Sunday dinner and let it simmer all day while the laundry got done.
That pot has been simmering ever since.
This version uses country ham stock from Benton's Farm — the smokiest richest stock you can put under a pot of red beans — and Lucky Cajun Salt-Free Original because the ham stock and the ham chunks already carry significant salt. The Cajun depth comes from the seasoning. The salt comes from the ham. Everything in its right place.
Why This Works
Country ham stock is not the same as chicken stock. Benton's Farm country ham produces a deeply smoky intensely savory stock that carries through every bean and every grain of rice. If you made ham stock from the holiday cookbook recipe this is exactly what it was made for.
Dried red kidney beans instead of canned produce a creamier more complex result. The beans release starch during the long pressure cook that thickens the pot naturally without any additional thickener. Canned beans can work in a pinch but the texture is never quite the same.
The Instant Pot method transforms a dish that traditionally needs hours of stovetop attention into something that's largely hands off after the sauté step. One hour on high pressure produces beans that are thick, creamy, and deeply flavored.
Sautéing the holy trinity until properly browned before adding anything else builds the flavor base. Caramelized onion, bell pepper, and celery produce a completely different result than vegetables added raw to the liquid.
Lucky Cajun Salt-Free Original in place of Black Label is the right call here. The country ham and ham chunks already contribute significant salt to the pot. Salt-Free Original delivers the same fresh ground Cajun depth — the paprika, cayenne, garlic, and herbs — without compounding the sodium that's already there.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried red kidney beans
- 8 cups country ham stock — from the holiday cookbook recipe or homemade
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon Lucky Cajun Salt-Free Original
- Chunks of roasted country ham from the stock preparation
- Hot sauce to taste
- Long-grain rice for serving — basmati or jasmine
Instructions
1. Sauté the Holy Trinity
Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add a splash of oil and sauté the diced onion, celery, and bell pepper until nicely browned — not just softened. The browning is where the flavor base starts. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 60 seconds.
2. Build the Pot
Add ham stock, dried beans, bay leaf, Lucky Cajun Salt-Free Original, and roasted country ham chunks. Stir to combine.
3. Pressure Cook
Seal the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high for 1 hour. Let the pressure release naturally — don't rush it. The natural release allows the beans to finish cooking gently and the starch to settle into the liquid.
4. Check and Adjust
Open the Instant Pot and check the consistency. The beans should be thick, creamy, and deeply flavored. If not thick enough switch to sauté mode and cook down for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the right consistency is reached.
Taste and finish with hot sauce and a light sprinkle of Lucky Cajun Salt-Free Original on top.
5. Serve
Serve over long-grain rice. Basmati adds a subtle floral quality that pairs naturally with the smoky ham and Cajun seasoning. A splash of hot sauce at the table is non-negotiable.
The Country Ham Stock
If you made the country ham recipe from the No-BS Holiday Cookbook you already have the stock. The ham bone and leftover meat from a properly soaked and roasted Benton's Farm country ham produces a stock that makes this dish sing in a way that chicken stock simply cannot.
Use the stock recipe from the cookbook — roast the ham bone until deeply browned, cover with water, simmer low and slow until the collagen dissolves, strain and store.
That stock is the backbone of this dish. Don't skip it.
If you don't have country ham stock use a low-sodium chicken stock and add a few chunks of smoked sausage or tasso to compensate for the smoky depth.
The Monday Tradition
Red beans on Monday isn't just a recipe. It's a cultural marker.
In Louisiana knowing that Monday is red bean day is how you know someone is from there or has spent real time there. It's the dish that connects generations. It's the reason people get in the DMs when you post about it on the wrong day.
I've had red beans with pickled beets piled on the side. With ham. With andouille. With tasso. With all three. Every version came from someone's grandmother who had the original recipe. Everyone is right. Nobody is wrong.
That's Louisiana.
Make it on Monday. Honor the tradition. But honestly — make it any day. Nobody's watching.
Variations
Andouille version: Add 1 lb sliced andouille sausage to the pot alongside the ham chunks. The andouille fat renders into the beans during the pressure cook and adds a smoky spicy depth that makes this the version people request.
Tasso version: Substitute tasso for the country ham chunks. Tasso is more aggressively seasoned than country ham and adds a different kind of Cajun depth to the beans.
Stovetop version: Soak dried beans overnight in cold water. Drain and rinse. Follow the same sauté method in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add stock and beans and simmer uncovered for 2 to 3 hours until thick and creamy. Stir occasionally and add stock if the beans get too dry.
Vegetarian version: Skip the ham entirely. Use vegetable stock seasoned generously with Lucky Cajun Salt-Free Original. Add smoked mushrooms or a splash of liquid smoke to compensate for the depth the ham would have provided.
FAQ
What is the Monday red beans and rice tradition in Louisiana?
Eating red beans and rice on Mondays dates back to 18th century New Orleans when Monday was wash day. Families would simmer a pot of red beans with a leftover ham bone from Sunday dinner all day while doing laundry — a dish that needed almost no attention during a full day of chores. The tradition has held for over 200 years.
Why use dried beans instead of canned for red beans and rice?
Dried beans release starch during the long cook that naturally thickens the pot into the creamy consistency that defines great red beans. Canned beans are already fully cooked and don't release the same starch — the result is thinner and less complex.
Why use Lucky Cajun Salt-Free Original instead of Black Label for red beans?
Country ham stock and ham chunks already contribute significant sodium to the pot. Salt-Free Original delivers the same fresh ground Cajun depth — paprika, cayenne, garlic, and herbs — without compounding the salt that's already there. The result is bold Cajun flavor without an oversalted pot.
What is country ham stock?
Stock made by simmering a roasted country ham bone with aromatics until the collagen dissolves and the liquid becomes deeply smoky and savory. Benton's Farm country ham from Benton, Tennessee produces one of the best stocks available for this dish. The recipe is in the No-BS Holiday Cookbook.
Can I make red beans and rice without an Instant Pot?
Yes. Soak dried beans overnight in cold water. Drain and rinse. Follow the same sauté method in a heavy-bottomed pot. Simmer uncovered with the stock for 2 to 3 hours until thick and creamy. Stir occasionally and add stock as needed.
What rice works best with red beans?
Long-grain white rice is traditional. Basmati adds a subtle floral quality that pairs naturally with the smoky ham and Cajun seasoning. Cook separately and serve the beans over the rice — never cook the rice in the beans.
What hot sauce goes best with red beans and rice?
A Louisiana-style vinegar-forward hot sauce. Lucky Cajun The Green Boss is built for exactly this — green cayenne heat with clean acid that cuts through the richness of the beans.
What is the best Cajun seasoning for red beans and rice?
Lucky Cajun Salt-Free Original when cooking with country ham or heavily salted stock. Lucky Cajun Black Label when using unsalted or low-sodium stock and you want to control the salt yourself. Both are fresh ground sugar free Cajun seasoning without fillers.
Can I freeze red beans and rice?
Yes. Freeze the beans and rice separately for best results. Beans freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of stock to restore the creamy consistency.
Why cook red beans on Monday specifically?
Tradition. In Louisiana Monday is red bean day and has been for over 200 years. It's a cultural marker that connects generations of Louisiana cooks to a dish that was born out of practicality and became something much more meaningful over time.
Why Lucky Cajun
A pot of red beans simmers for an hour under pressure. The seasoning needs to hold up through that cook and distribute evenly through every bean. Fresh ground Salt-Free Original with volatile oils still active builds Cajun depth into the stock during the pressure cook. Processed blends with fillers produce a flat pot that needs more salt to compensate for flavor that was never there.
Every Lucky Cajun bag ships with a Born-On Date so you know the seasoning is still working when it goes into the pot.
🌶️ Shop Lucky Cajun Salt-Free Original
🌶️ Shop Lucky Cajun Black Label
🌶️ Shop Lucky Cajun The Green Boss
🌶️ Shop the Holiday Survival Kit
Brown the trinity properly. Use the ham stock. One hour on high pressure. Serve on Monday or whenever they can get over it.
That's red beans and rice done right. 🌶️
