Popeye’s Red Beans and Rice

This was wonderful!

Where do you get lard these days? What can be substituted for it?

It is actually sold in most grocery stores where the shortening and oils are. You could use bacon grease, for enhanced flavor. Adding another oil isn’t going to give you the flavors that the lard or bacon grease would.

u can get lard from any mexican grocery store, or any ethnic stores…american stores dont really sell lard anymore

Lard is often sold by processed pork products (ham, hotdogs, bacon) in a refrigerated case.

This bean and rice side dish is veryyy
good. I have to search for the recepy.
and found your website. Thanks

What a simple recipe. I cant believe I waited so long to make RBnR. Popeyes closed down in our town and I had been craving some. Thanks so much!

It’s best to make your own lard as commercial lard is hydrogenated. I save the fat trimmings from pork butts when curing bacon or other uncooked pork and then make lard a few times a year.
Is it a lot of work to make your own lard? ~stephanie

Tried this recipe yesterday and it was very good. I liked the effect of the processed ham hock meat and the second cooking. We will make it as a side on Thanksgiving and include some cornbread. Thanks.

Thanks for that , useful stuff. I get bored of plain rice recipes but i’m not very skilled when it comes to cooking. There’s a lot of good ideas at this rice recipes homepage I found that you might be interested in too.

THANK YOU SOSO MUCH -THIS DISH IS AWESOME I WAS GLAD I GOT THE RECIPE!!

OK, so I thought Popeye’s beans are vegetarian! There are no meat bits in it—any suggestions?

Their ingredients are listed at http://www.popeyes.com/ingredients.pdf The beans are listed with the following:
Red Beans and Rice
RICE: ENRICHED PRECOOKED LONG GRAIN RICE (RICE, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE
MONONITRATE, FOLIC ACID)
SEASONING: SALT, SEASONING [DRIED ONION, DRIED GARLIC], SPICES INCLUDING PAPRIKA.
DRESSING: SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, SALT, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL,
MONOGLYCERIDES, AND SOYBEAN LECITHIN. SODIUM BENZOATE ADDED AS A
PRESERVATIVE. LACTIC ACID ADDED TO HELP PROTECT FLAVOR. ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.
CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA ADDED AS A PRESERVATIVE. COLORED WITH BETA CAROTENE.
VITAMIN A PALMITATE ADDED. CONTAINS: SOY
RED BEANS SAUCE: WATER, PORK FAT [CURED WITH WATER, SALT, NATURAL SMOKE
FLAVORS (PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL AND NATURAL WOOD SMOKE FLAVORS),
SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SUGAR, BROWN SUGAR, SODIUM NITRITE], RED KIDNEY BEANS, RED
BEAN SEASONING MIX (DRIED ONIONS, SALT, SPICES INCLUDING PAPRIKA AND PARSLEY,
DRIED GARLIC, AND MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE]. MAY CONTAIN MODIFIED FOOD STARCH.
CONTAINS: SOYBEAN OIL, MSG

I used the ham hocks for the pork fat, and the smoke flavor, you can remove the ham hock before serving if you desire.

I just made a veggie version – came out great.
Mike’s Pressure Cooker Red Beans & Rice
Rinse, then soak 2# Red Kidney Beans overnight
Saute in 2 Tbsp olive oil:
• 5 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 Large Chopped onions
• 2 chopped green peppers
• 4 stalks chopped celery
• 1 #Gimme Lean® Sausage
• 1 Tsp onion powder
• 1 Tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tsp white pepper
• 1 Tsp Franks hot sauce
Add 1 cup water, then pressure for 5 minutes
Do a quick release
Drain and add Beans, 2 bay leafs and 5 cups of stock
Pressure for 30 minutes
Do a natural release
Mash a few beans for desired thickness
Serve over your choice of rice

This recipe taste ok, BUT it is NOT anywhere close to Popeyes red beans and rice. This recipe is a lot thicker than theirs. If you taste their red beans without the rice and with a clean palat you can taste a spicy vinegar taste to it. I added the juice from a jar of tobasco peppers and it helped some but not enough. The rice is also not just plain steamed white rice it is seasoned.

You should always use blue runner red beans in creole sauce.

Stephanie, Thank You So Much! This takes the guess work out of everything.

I use a Pinto Bean seasoning that Fiesta spices makes.It comes in a large 20oz container at good price.I used it in Texas but could not find it here up north so I ordered it online.Tells you how much to use.3 Tbsp to 1 pound beans with smoked ham hock and water.It is awesome and is close to Popeye’s taste.I also throw in a chicken boullion cube or 2.You can add this seasoning to canned beans also.I can’t remember the website address but did a search for Fiesta seasonings.This is as close to their [Popeye's]taste as I can get.

No they aren’t but KFC’s are, actually says ‘vegetarian’ on the side of the can

Thanks so much, Stephanie! You have a better idea about Popeye’s RB&R than the author of this page lol! The above recipe is missing paprika (I’d use smoked paprika), which is a critical component in it’s flavor, as is liquid smoke. Although the above recipe does have the right idea about pureeing the beans, meat & seasonings to get the right consistency…because as you notice, Popeye’s RB&R consistency is thick and I have yet to ever bitten into a whole bean. It looks like a chunky bean stew, nothing like the picture in the recipe above…I’ve never seen whole beans in their RB&R. Anyone else? Or is that just me? Though when it comes down to cooking, I’m an old fashioned chick. I HATE shortcuts if I can avoid them (boxed mixes, biscuits in a can, etc.). I enjoy the process of preparing the beans the old fashioned way instead of buying cans of cooked ones by preparing them in a slow cooker until the meat of the hocks or neck bone falls off. I would venture to guess that cumin, tumeric are some of the “spices” listed in the bean spice blend. Parsley’s in it? Really? Wow, it must be parsley dust! LOL! Though I don’t like the sight of all those preservatives listed in the ingredient list one bit (MSG, nitrites, hydrogenated oil, etc.). All the more reason to cook Popeye’s RB&R yourself, it seems!

Thanks so much, Stephanie! You have a better idea about Popeye’s RB&R than the author of this page lol! The above recipe is missing paprika (I’d use smoked paprika), which is a critical component in it’s flavor, as is liquid smoke. Although the above recipe does have the right idea about pureeing the beans, meat & seasonings to get the right consistency…because as you notice, Popeye’s RB&R consistency is thick and I have yet to ever bitten into a whole bean. It looks like a chunky bean stew, nothing like the picture in the recipe above…I’ve never seen whole beans in their RB&R. Anyone else? Or is that just me? Though when it comes down to cooking, I’m an old fashioned chick. I HATE shortcuts if I can avoid them (boxed mixes, biscuits in a can, etc.). I enjoy the process of preparing the beans the old fashioned way instead of buying cans of cooked ones by preparing them in a slow cooker until the meat of the hocks or neck bone falls off. I would venture to guess that cumin, tumeric are some of the “spices” listed in the bean spice blend. Parsley’s in it? Really? Wow, it must be parsley dust! LOL! Though I don’t like the sight of all those preservatives listed in the ingredient list one bit (MSG, nitrites, hydrogenated oil, etc.). All the more reason to cook Popeye’s RB&R yourself, it seems!

What could be used in place of Lard? I am Vegan!

What could be used in place of Lard? I am Vegan!

I would use whatever type of fat that you typically use. For example, vegetable shortening should work.

Fiesta brand is a division of Bolner’s spices.

Fiesta brand is a division of Bolner’s spices.

Fiesta brand is a division of Bolner’s spices.