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    The BEST Copycat Popeyes Red Beans and Rice Recipe (5 Minutes To Prep)

    by Brendan Cunningham 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This easy Popeyes red beans and rice recipe combines tender red beans, long grain rice, smoky ham hocks, and the perfect balance of spices to make the ultimate side dish. For being so simple, the results are oh-so flavorful. Plus, the best part is that this whole recipe comes together with just 5 minutes of prep work and in only a few simple steps!

    A black serving dish with Popeyes beans and rice in it. There's a set of silverware in the serving dish.

    Table of Contents

    • The Best Popeyes Red Beans and Rice Recipe
      • Ingredients
        • Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions
          • Use Different Beans
          • Experiment With Add Ons
      • How To Make Popeyes Red Beans And Rice
        • Step 1: Cook The Beans And Ham
        • Step 2: Make The Bean Mixture
        • Step 3: Serve The Red Beans and Rice
      • How To Store Popeyes Red Beans And Rice
        • How To Reheat Popeyes Red Beans And Rice
      • FAQs About This Popeyes Red Beans and Rice Recipe
        • What is Popeyes red beans and rice made of?
        • Is there meat in Popeyes red beans and rice?
        • Is Popeyes red beans and rice healthy?
      • Wrapping It Up
    • More Copycat Recipes
    • The BEST Copycat Popeyes Red Beans And Rice Recipe (5 Min. To Prep)
      • Ingredients
      • Instructions
      • Nutrition
      • Did you make this recipe?

    The Best Popeyes Red Beans and Rice Recipe

    If you've ever had Popeye's red beans and rice before, then you know it's one of the hidden gems on the menu. For what it's worth, it's easily one of my favorite things to get from the popular restaurant chain, hence the inspiration to recreate it.

    And, I'll be honest, I think I did a pretty good job. I mean, this red beans and rice recipe is loaded with tons of flavor from the ham hocks, spices, and melted butter, and it tastes just like the one from the restaurant. In fact, it might even be better.

    Plus, in addition to tasting great, this copycat Popeyes recipe is so easy to whip up. All you have to do is cook the ham hocks until they're fall off the bone tender, then blend 'em up with the beans and top 'em off with some fluffy white rice. It's seriously that easy.

    Oh, and my favorite part about this recipe is it's basically all passive cooking. So, while the red beans and rice are simmering on the stovetop, you can whip up something to go with them, like these copycat Popeyes biscuits. That way, you get the full restaurant experience.

    A black serving dish with Popeyes beans and rice in it. There's a set of silverware in the serving dish.

    Ingredients

    The cool thing about this copycat Popeye's red beans and rice recipe is that aside from the ham hock, the rest of the ingredients are all kitchen and pantry staples. In fact, you probably have most - if not all - of them on hand already.

    Anyway, here's what you'll need to make it:

    • 20oz. canned red beans
    • 0.5lb. smoked ham hock (or 4 strips bacon)
    • 1 cup water
    • ½ tsp onion powder
    • ½ tsp garlic powder
    • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
    • 2 tbsp butter or lard
    • Salt, and pepper, to taste
    • 2 cups cooked long-grain rice, for serving

    Pretty simple stuff, right?

    By the way, if you have any ham hocks left over, then I definitely suggest you make these butter beans or these Great Northern beans next! They're two more of my favorite bean recipes.

    An assortment of ingredients including a ham hock on parchment paper and bowls of red beans and spices.

    Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

    While I think this copycat Popeye's red beans and rice recipe turns out best when it's made with the ingredients listed above, there's definitely room to switch up some of the ingredients. With that said, I'll go over some different things you can do with this recipe.

    Use Different Beans

    This recipe calls for red beans since that's the way they do it at Popeye's - and that's what will stay "true" to the recipe. But if you're in a pinch any beans will do. I've made this recipe with red kidney beans, pinto beans, and even black beans before, and the recipe still turns out great every time.

    Experiment With Add Ons

    If you want to amp up the flavor of these Popeyes red beans and rice, then you can play around with adding additional ingredients. I recommend using a little liquid smoke or even a bit of garlic salt to change up the flavor.

    If you want to add a little spice, some hot sauce, creole seasoning, or smoked paprika are all great additions.

    And for added protein, you can add cooked bacon to the dish right before serving. If you cook the bacon, I suggest adding a little of the bacon grease to the food processor when you mix everything together for a meatier flavor.

    A grey saucepan filled with beans with a ham hock on top of the beans.

    How To Make Popeyes Red Beans And Rice

    Now it's time for the fun part - it's time to make some homemade red beans and rice!

    As I said before, making this recipe is about as quick and easy as it gets. And if you want to save some time, you can even make your rice the day before since you'll need cooked rice for this recipe.

    Anyway, with that said, let's stop wasting time and get cooking!

    A food processor filled with cooked ham, spices, and beans. The ingredients have not yet been mixed together.

    Step 1: Cook The Beans And Ham

    First, you'll begin by placing the beans into a large saucepot with the ham hock and water. Oh, and make sure to reserve 4 ounces of your canned red beans to use later.

    Anyway, once you've added the beans, ham, and water to the pot, simmer it on medium heat for about an hour or until the meat loosens from the bone.

    After the hour is up and the meat starts to easily pull away from the bone, take the ham hock out of the pot of beans and carefully remove all of the meat from the bone.

    A food processor with a bean mixture that has been fully blended. A serving of unblended beans is piled on top of the blended bean mixture.

    Step 2: Make The Bean Mixture

    Now that the meat is good to go, you can transfer it to a food processor along with the cooked beans. Then, you can follow this up by adding onion powder, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to the food processor.

    Next, you'll want to turn on the food processor for only about 3-4 seconds, just enough to pulse the ingredients and combine everything. Then you can add the remaining 4 ounces of beans that you set aside earlier and process for another 2 seconds.

    Alternatively, if you don't have a food processor, a potato masher will do the job pretty well. Just add all of your ingredients to your pot and mash 'em up until combined but not smooth. You want some chunks to replicate the classic texture in this copycat Popeye's red beans and rice recipe

    A skillet with a red handle that is filled with a blended bean mixture.

    Step 3: Serve The Red Beans and Rice

    Once the bean mixture is combined, you can place the bean mixture back into the pot and cook on low until it's fully warmed through. Then finally, serve your red beans warm with a bed of cooked fluffy white rice on top.

    Enjoy!

    A hand scooping a bite of beans and rice with a fork from a black bowl filled with beans and rice.

    How To Store Popeyes Red Beans And Rice

    This recipe for Popeyes red beans and rice makes 4 servings, so it should be just enough for a big family dinner. However, if you end up with leftovers, then consider yourself lucky because this red beans and rice dish tastes great the next day.

    You can technically store the cooked beans and rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. With that said, five days is on the upper end of when cooked ham and cooked rice are good for, so you'll want to eat your leftovers within a few days.

    A black serving dish with Popeyes beans and rice in it. There's a set of silverware next to the serving dish.

    How To Reheat Popeyes Red Beans And Rice

    When you're ready to enjoy your leftover Popeyes red beans and rice again, you'll definitely want to reheat 'em first.

    So, to reheat your cooked beans and rice, I recommend using your stovetop. Simply transfer everything to a saucepot over medium heat and let the beans and rice simmer for a few minutes - stirring occasionally -until everything reaches your desired temperature.

    Alternatively, to warm them up even quicker, you can use your microwave. Just reheat the two together in 30-second intervals.

    A black serving dish with Popeyes beans and rice in it. There's a set of silverware next to the serving dish.

    FAQs About This Popeyes Red Beans and Rice Recipe

    What is Popeyes red beans and rice made of?

    Popeyes red beans and rice is typically made of red beans cooked in pork fat, spices, and smokey flavors. The beans are then pulsed with all of the ingredients until chunky and served with fresh white rice.

    Is there meat in Popeyes red beans and rice?

    While the original Popeyes red beans and rice recipe doesn't have meat in it, it does have bacon fat, so it's not considered vegetarian. My spin on this recipe is using ham hock as the meat since I think it really goes well with all of the other elements in this dish.

    Is Popeyes red beans and rice healthy?

    Popeyes red beans and rice recipe is loaded with protein and fiber, and the red beans are packed with nutrients. However, it's hard to call the dish "healthy" as it has over 15 grams of fat and 250 calories for a small serving. 

    A black serving dish with Popeyes beans and rice in it. There's a set of silverware next to the serving dish.

    Wrapping It Up

    Well, that's how to make Popeyes red beans and rice at home!

    I know I'm biased, but I really do think this recipe turned out just as good - dare I say better - than the real deal.

    I don't know if it's the balance of textures from the savory beans and fluffy rice or if it's the convenience that makes this recipe so, so good. I just know it's been a favorite in my family since I made it for the first time, so if your family loves Popeyes, I think they'll really like this recipe too.

    Anyway, I hope you enjoy this copycat red beans and rice recipe as much as I/we do.

    As always, if you give this recipe a try, be sure to leave a comment below and let us know how it went!

    More Copycat Recipes

    If you're looking for more easy copycat recipes from your favorite fast food restaurants, then we've got you covered! We have a ton more on the blog for you to check out next.

    Here are some of our most popular copycat recipes:

    • Chipotle cilantro lime rice
    • Chick Fil A mac and cheese
    • Chick-Fil-A nuggets
    • Wendy's chili
    • Texas Roadhouse rolls

    Oh, and as always, make sure to check us out on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram! We post new recipes on them every day.

    Print

    The BEST Copycat Popeyes Red Beans And Rice Recipe (5 Min. To Prep)

    A black serving dish with Popeyes beans and rice in it. There's a set of silverware in the serving dish.
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 4 reviews

    This easy Popeyes red beans and rice recipe combines tender red beans, long grain rice, smoky ham hocks, and the perfect balance of spices to make the ultimate side dish. For being so simple, the results are oh-so flavorful. Plus, the best part is that this whole recipe comes together with just 5 minutes of prep work and in only a few simple steps!

    • Author: Brendan Cunningham
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 1 hour
    • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    • Category: Side
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Popeyes

    Ingredients

    Scale

    20oz. canned red beans

    0.5lb. smoked ham hock (or 4 strips bacon)

    1 cup water

    ½ tsp onion powder

    ½ tsp garlic powder

    ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

    2 tbsp butter or lard

    Salt, and pepper, to taste

    2 cups cooked long-grain rice, for serving

    Instructions

    1. Place the beans (reserving 4oz for later) in a saucepot with ham hock and water. (If using bacon, cook bacon separately and then add to beans later)
    2. Simmer on medium heat for 1 hour or until the meat is loosened from the bone. Cook the rice during this time if you haven't done so already.
    3. Remove the ham hock and remove the meat from the bone.  
    4. Place the beans and ham meat (or cooked bacon) into a food processor along with onion powder, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. 
    5. Process for only 4 seconds. Add remaining beans and process just for 2 seconds. 
    6. Place everything into the pan and cook slowly until heated.
    7. Serve the beans with cooked white rice on top.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 serving
    • Calories: 269
    • Fat: 2
    • Carbohydrates: 47
    • Protein: 14

    Keywords: popeyes red beans and rice recipe, popeyes red beans and rice copycat recipe, popeyes red beans and rice, easy popeyes red beans and rice recipe, best popeyes red beans and rice recipe, copycat popeye's red beans and rice recipe, copycat red beans and rice, popeye's red beans and rice recipe, red beans and rice recipe, popeyes red beans and rice recipe ingredients

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag us @ImHungryForThat — we can't wait to see what you've made!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Liam

      March 13, 2023 at 9:59 am

      Delicious rice and beans! My favorite

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Drew

      March 14, 2023 at 5:59 pm

      Love me some beans and rice and this was great.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Erin C.

      March 15, 2023 at 10:33 am

      We skipped the ham and used bacon instead….turned out 🔥

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Donna Levin

      March 20, 2023 at 5:32 pm

      My family raves about this recipe.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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