Charleston Red Rice – Rice gets a big-time upgrade in this exciting and flavorful Southern side dish! Tender, fluffy rice teams up with savory sausage, delectable seasonings, and robust chicken broth. The result is a staple side dish that’s slightly sweet with a hint of heat and smokiness. It can stand on its own as a weeknight meal or deliver a tasty addition to many main dishes!
Rice is a staple in our household. It’s one of those versatile foods you can pair with meat, vegetables, or seafood for a satisfying, tasty meal. It’s also easy to prepare and easy on the pocketbook.
This Charleston Red Rice recipe is one of my go-to side dishes. It’s bursting with flavor and aroma and easily customizable to your palate. It’s Southern comfort food at its finest!
What Is Charleston Red Rice?
Charleston Red Rice originated in Charleston, South Carolina, soon gaining popularity throughout the Lowcountry region. The West African-influenced dish is similar to jollof rice. Long-grain white rice slow-cooked in a tomato-based liquid, along with aromatics, seasonings, and smoky meat, has never been more delicious. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and a whole lot delicious!
Recipe Ingredients
- Meat – Bacon and andouille sausage add oodles of flavor and a hint of smokiness. Kielbasa or beef sausage are good substitutes for the andouille sausage.
- Vegetables – Onion and bell pepper are the key aromatics in this dish. You can also add some jalapeños for a spicier version of this rice.
- Seasonings – Layer on the flavor with garlic, thyme, paprika, black pepper, and Creole Cajun seasoning!
- Chicken Bouillon – An easy way to enhance the rice with a rich, meaty flavor. You can use beef or even vegetable bouillon. You can also omit it if you don’t want additives.
- Rice – Look for long-grain rice. Carolina Gold is an excellent choice for this recipe, but you could also use basmati.
- Tomato Puree and Paste – This veggie provides a robust tomatoey flavor and a beautiful deep red color.
- Sugar – Balances the acidity of the tomato paste for a pleasantly balanced dish.
- Chicken Broth – Amp the flavor with chicken broth instead of water!
How to Make Charleston Red Rice
- Prep – Preheat oven to 350°F (175℃). Rinse rice and drain.
- Meat – Fry the bacon in a large cast iron skillet (or Dutch oven) on medium heat until crisp, 7-8 minutes. Take the bacon out with a slotted spoon and drain it on a paper-towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan. Add the sliced sausage and cook it for 3-4 minutes. Take it out of the pan and set aside.
- Flavor – Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Then add the onion and saute, stirring until the onion softens (3-4 minutes). Add the garlic, thyme, bell pepper, paprika, black pepper, bouillon powder or salt, sugar, and Creole seasoning and saute, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes.
- Toast the Rice – Stir in rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring so the rice is coated in the oil.
- Liquid – Stir in the tomato sauce and paste. Cook for 1 more minute. Add in your chicken broth or water and stir. Add bacon and sausage.
- Bake – At this point, you can cover the pot with a tight lid or foil paper (or transfer the mixture to a greased casserole dish) and bake for about 40-45 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Rest – Let it rest for 5-10 minutes for the flavors to meld and the rice grains to firm up.
Recipe Tips
- Rinsing the uncooked rice before making this dish removes the excess starch and ensures fluffier rice.
- If the liquid absorbs before the rice is done, add a little more water or broth to the pan.
- This dish makes a delicious, hearty main dish! For my meat lovers, I love adding leftover cooked chicken or turkey after cooking or topping it off with cooked shrimp.
- Amp up the veggies by sauteing diced carrots, celery, or corn kernels with the onion. Or you can throw in a handful of frozen peas at the end for extra texture and color.
- Remember to cover the rice tightly when it’s in the oven. This will prevent steam from escaping and allow the rice to cook uniformly.
FAQs
No, you don’t. 😉 While baking is the most fool-proof method of cooking red rice, you can totally do this on the stovetop. Simmer on low, tightly covered with a lid, until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbs. And don’t forget you can use your rice cooker.
Traditionally, okra goes with this deliciousness. Some pork chops and homemade biscuits or cornbread wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.
Jollof rice from West Africa inspired this goodness. Other names include Savannah red rice and Gullah red rice.
Fun Fact: Did you know that the Jollof Wars started in 2010, particularly between Nigeria and Ghana? It was a friendly war over who had the best Jollof recipe. Which one is your favorite? Please comment below.😍
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
For the tastiest results, I like to serve this dish hot and fresh from the oven after it’s had a few minutes to rest.
But you can partially cook your rice, then finish it for a fast side one-pot meal on a crazy weeknight. Bake it for about half the time (20-25 minutes), let it cool, and refrigerate or freeze it in an airtight container. When you’re ready to enjoy, put it in a casserole, cover it tightly, and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until it’s tender. You may need to add a splash of liquid to keep it from being dry.
Leftover cooked rice keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Stovetop: To reheat the rice on the stovetop, place the leftover Charleston red rice in a skillet with a splash of chicken broth and reheat over low.
- Oven: Place the rice with a splash of broth or water in an oven-safe baking dish and reheat at 300℉ (150℃) for about 20 minutes.
More Exceptional Rice Dishes
Charleston Red Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain rice
- 3 strips bacon
- 1 link andouille sausage (6-8 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon or sub with salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 14-ounce can tomato puree or sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups chicken broth or water
- Parsley for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175℃). Rinse rice and drain.
- Fry the bacon in a large cast iron skillet (or Dutch oven) on medium heat until crisp, 7-8 minutes. Take the bacon out with a slotted spoon and drain it on a paper-towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan.
- Add the sliced sausage and cook it for 3-4 minutes. Take it out of the pan and set aside.
- Add the butter to the same skillet, and turn up the heat to medium-high until the butter melts. Then add the onion and stir until it softens (3-4 minutes). Add the garlic, thyme, bell pepper, paprika, black pepper, bouillon powder or salt, sugar, and Creole seasoning and cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes.
- Add the rice, stir to coat it well in the oil, and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and paste. Cook for 1 more minute. Add in your chicken broth or water and stir.
- Add bacon and sausage. At this point, you can cover the pot with a tight lid or foil (or transfer the rice mixture to a greased baking dish or casserole) and bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Let it rest for 5-10 minutes for the flavors to meld and the rice grains to firm up.
Notes
- Rinsing the uncooked rice before making this dish removes the excess starch and ensures fluffier rice.
- If the liquid absorbs before the rice is done, add a little more water or broth to the pan.
- This dish makes a delicious, hearty main dish! For my meat lovers, I love adding leftover cooked chicken or turkey after cooking or topping it off with cooked shrimp.
- Amp up the veggies by sauteing diced carrots, celery, or corn kernels with the onion. Or you can throw in a handful of frozen peas at the end for extra texture and color.
- Remember to cover the rice tightly when it’s in the oven. This will prevent steam from escaping and allow the rice to cook uniformly.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.