Smoky, spicy, and deeply satisfying, this hearty one-pot meal is a camp-friendly adaptation of red beans and rice.

Traditionally, red beans & rice were served on Mondays using the leftovers from a more elaborate Sunday night dinner. But from its humble origins as a cleanup meal, it has grown into a beloved tradition in its own right.

Today, all across the South you’ll see restaurants marketing their red bean and rice specials. But once you learn how to make it yourself, you can enjoy red beans and rice any day of the week!

We found this meal to be a natural fit for cool weather camping. The entire meal is prepared in a single pot, which not only makes cleaning up easier, but allows the flavors to build on top of one another. Each step adds another wonderful flavor to the mix, resulting in a complex and satisfying meal far greater than the sum of its parts.

This recipe is definitely not an authentic representation of Red Beans & Rice, but we find it to be a great version to cook up on a car camping trip!

How to Make Red Beans and Rice

Begin by heating a little bit of oil in the bottom of your Dutch oven, over medium heat. If you’re using Andouille sausage, slice them up into bite-sized rounds and sautee them until lightly browned on each side.

Once the sausage starts to pick up a little color, add in the Holy Trinity (chopped green peppers, onions, and celery). Occasionally stir this around until the onions and peppers start to soften and pick up a little color.

Next comes the spices. Add in your sliced garlic, cajun seasoning mix, smoked paprika, bay leaf, and salt. [Note: Red Beans & Rice is technically a Creole dish, not Cajun, but we’ve only seen Cajun spice blends in grocery stores] Knock these around in the pot until all sausage and veggies are covered and the spices begin to smell fragrant.

It’s now time to add the beans (rinsed if possible) and rice (rinsed if possible). Finally, add in the water. As soon as the water hits the hot pot it will start to hiss and steam. Now is the time to take your metal spatula and firmly scrape the bottom of the pot to release all the tasty brown bits that might have adhered to the bottom. This fond layer is pure flavor and really adds a lot of depth to the meal.Then cover the pot with the lid and reduce the heat to low. If you don’t have a tight-fitting lid, or if your lid has a bunch of holes in it for straining, consider folding a cloth napkin around your lid to make a tighter seal. Being able to trap the steam inside the pot is critical to making good rice.

After 20 minutes, remove the lid. The rice should be light and fluffy

Add 2-3 tablespoons butter (or use a butter alternative) to the hot and steamy rice mixture. Gently mix everything together with the spatula, until the butter is melted in and the all ingredients have been evenly distributed.

Top with chopped parsley and serve!

What to Prepare at Home

Pre-chop peppers, onions, and celery. While you don’t want this to languish in your cooler for too long, there’s no reason why you can pre-chop the Holy Trinity a few days ahead of time. Combine them all together (as they go in at the same time) in a resealable container.

Top 4 can you cook rice in a dutch oven edited by Top Chef