CopyCat Popeyes Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

For the Beans:
16 oz Dried Red Beans
4 Bacon slices cut into 1” pieces
1 Heaping Tablespoon of Chicken Stock Concentrate.
4 Tbs Bacon Fat see notes
1 Tbs Onion Powder
1 Tbs Garlic Powder
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbs Hot Sauce a Good quality one like Tolulas or a Sriracha sauce
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbs Liquid Smoke
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Rice:
2 Cups of Long Grain White Rice
4 Cups Chicken Broth
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 Tbs butter

Directions

For the Beans:
Pour the red beans into a large stock pot and cover with cool water, slosh around to wash. Remove any bad beans you find. Do this several times until the beans are free of any dirt, bad beans, half beans, etc.

Put the beans back into the stockpot and cover with 2 inches of cool water. Place on the stove and heat over high heat until boiling, then reduce heat to medium for a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to precook.

After precook, pour the beans into a colander and rinse with cool water. Rinse the stockpot as well.

In the stockpot you just used for the beans, cook 4 slices of bacon cut into 1” pieces until crispy. Then, leaving the bacon in place, replace the washed beans into the stockpot and cover with enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Set on the stove over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Reduce the heat to keep the liquid at this low simmer. Do Not allow it to come to a full rolling boil.

Add the other ingredients EXCEPT the liquid smoke. Simmer until the beans are soft and like you like them. Once they are like you like them, cut the heat to low, remove about ⅓ of the beans and lightly smash with a potato masher and then replace it into the saucepan.

Add the liquid smoke and stir well after each tbs added. Allow to heat for 5 minutes to give time for the liquid smoke to absorb into the beans. Taste to see if you need to add salt or pepper. Serve hot over a bed of rice.

For the Rice:
Rinse the rice well in cool water and repeat this 2-3 times.
Place the washed rice into a sauce pan, cover with chicken stock by 1 inch.

Add the salt, pepper, and butter and give it a good stir.

Bring the sauce pan up to a simmer over medium heat, reduce to a simmer, place the lid on the pan and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and use as a bed for the red beans.