Bring a little of Louisiana home with this Copycat Popeye’s red beans and rice recipe. Creamy, smoky red beans are topped with fluffy white rice to make this simple and delicious side dish or main dish that can be made in about 30 minutes.

Making copycat recipes at home is super easy and fun. There are lots of great ones to try like Wingstop fries and KFC Twister wraps.

This easy Popeye’s red beans and rice recipe is one of my favorite copycat recipes to make at home. These full flavor beans are so simple to make and are a wonderful warm, hearty dish. We like serving it with a side of cornbread for a filling meal.

Is there meat in Popeye’s red beans and rice?

The original Popeye’s red beans recipe does not have meat. It does have bacon grease so it’s not considered vegetarian. This copycat recipe uses chopped bacon to make bacon grease but feel free to use any leftover grease you might have sitting around.

If you want to replace the bacon grease for a vegetarian version, use olive oil or vegetable oil.

Ingredients needed

Red beans – I like using canned red beans instead of dry beans because it’s a little faster. Make sure to grab red beans not red kidney beans. Red beans are smaller and a little softer than kidney beans.

2 15-ounce cans of beans are used for this recipe. You will use the whole can, so no need to rinse.

Bacon – Used for the pork fat. For a vegetarian version, substitute bacon grease with 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Onion powder

Garlic salt

Creole seasoning – Use your favorite creole or Cajun seasoning blend. You can also substitute with 1/2 tablespoon of hot sauce.

Liquid smoke – Liquid smoke will give you that delicious smoky flavor. It can typically be found in the condiment section of the grocery store. This is strong so you will only need 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke.

Rice – Use your favorite white rice.

How to make Popeyes Red Beans and Rice

1. Rice: Start by cooking the rice. Follow the directions on the rice packaging. You can add a tablespoon of butter while it’s cooking for a little extra flavor.
2. Beans: Start by adding chopped bacon into a large, deep skillet or sauce pan. Cook until it starts to brown. ***At this point you can leave the bacon or remove the bacon pieces depending on how you like your beans. Make sure to leave the bacon grease in the pan.
3. Stir in both cans of red beans. Use a potato masher to smash some of the beans. You can leave some of the beans whole.
4. Stir in water, onion powder, garlic salt, creole seasoning, and liquid smoke into bean mixture.
5. Let simmer over medium low heat for about 15 minutes or until beans start to soften. Make sure to stir often.
6. Serve beans in a bowl and then place a scoop of cooked rice on top of the beans mixture.

How to store

Let the rice and beans completely cool. I would recommend storing the beans and rice in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.

Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until heated through. You might need to add a little extra water if the mixture is too thick.

Red beans and rice can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container.

Recipe tips

• The rice takes about the same time to cook as the beans so start the rice before cooking the beans.
• Mashing some of the red beans helps to thicken the mixture and make it creamy. You can mash them right in the pan but try leaving a few of the whole.
• Popeye’s version does not have meat so feel free to remove the chopped bacon. Just make sure to leave the grease in the pan.
• If you want to add a little extra heat, stir in a few splashes of hot sauce or 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
• Some recipes uses ham hocks to add smoky flavor.
• Feel free to use your favorite rice. You can even use brown rice or cauliflower rice. Just cook according to package instructions.

How to serve

This recipe is hearty enough to be served as a main dish but can also be used as a perfect side dish.

Try serving it alongside fried chicken, pork chops, corn bread, French bread, collard greens, salad and more.

More easy copycat recipes

• Papa John’s garlic sauce
• Taco Bell quesadilla sauce
• Taco Bell chicken quesadilla
• Texas Roadhouse chili
• Wendy’s apple pecan salad
• Subway Southwest chipotle sauce

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Did you try this creamy beans and rice dish? Let me know in the comments below.