Red Beans and Rice with Hot Links are a little different than the traditional ones made with Andouille or Polska Kielbasa sausage. Hot Links are exactly what they sound like – smoked and spicy.
I wasn’t planning on making red beans and rice last week—but when I spotted a pack of Louisiana Hot Links on sale, the idea hit me like a bell pepper to the head. Why not swap out the traditional andouille or kielbasa for something a little bolder? These links were spicy, smoky, and just screaming to be nestled into a pot of tender red beans. The result? A deeply satisfying one-pot meal with rich flavor, balanced heat, and cozy comfort.
This recipe leans on the *Instant Pot for ease and speed, but finishes with the kind of stovetop simmer that brings everything together. You’ll get creamy beans, savory vegetables, and heat-packed sausage served over fluffy rice—with sour cream on the side to cool things down.
Louisiana Hot Links
What are Louisiana Hot Links?
Louisiana hot links are spicy, smoked sausages traditionally made with pork or beef and seasoned with cayenne, garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes. What sets them apart is their heat – they aren’t playing around – they are very hot.
Hot Links originated in the American South, where sausage-making traditions blended with African-American, Creole, and Cajun cuisines. In Louisiana’s boucherie culture—community hog butchering events—spicy sausages like these were a way to preserve meat and pack in flavor. Hot links have long been popular in soul food, barbecue joints, and dishes like jambalaya, dirty rice, and now, red beans and rice.
Today, you can find them nationally through brands like Bar-M, Evergood and Hillshire Farm. Look for hot links that come in their natural casing—those give you that satisfying, crisp bite when browned. Sausages in casings just cook up better, plain and simple. Bar-M makes their hot links from beef and they come in their natural casing.
Rice is Important
It’s important to use the right kind of rice. Traditionally, long grain white rice is used because of its neutral flavor. Long grain has less starch and you can cook it to be easily separate pieces. Short grain rice has a lot more starch and is sticky. You can use brown rice but it will be a lot more chewy and may take some of the attention away from the beans.
Red Beans
Although you can use other beans, red beans are preferred because they hold their shape better than other beans. Pinto beans, famous for Refried Beans, fall apart quickly and get mashed and lost. Black beans have their own dish, Moros y Cristianos, Moors and Christians, but it’s not Red Beans and Rice.
Making Red Beans and Rice with Hot Links
Why This Works
- Instant Pot for the beans cuts hours off your cook time
- Dutch oven for depth: sautéed aromatics + browned sausage = unbeatable flavor
- Rice on demand in the Instant Pot means you’re using your tools wisely
- Sour cream brings the heat down just enough to make it family-friendly
- Hot links add bold, smoky heat and a Southern touch that’s irresistible
Step 1: Start with the Beans
You’ll want to give your beans a head start using the Instant Pot. Red beans are traditionally simmered for hours, but with the Instant Pot, you get tender, creamy results in about 22 minutes (plus natural release). I throw in a clove of garlic, thyme, and a bay leaf to infuse flavor from the jump. Once done, set them aside—don’t toss the cooking liquid just yet, it might come in handy if your pot runs a little dry during the final simmer.
Step 2: Build Flavor in the Dutch Oven
This is where things get fun. In a Dutch oven, sauté onion until translucent, then add celery and green pepper—the classic Holy Trinity of Cajun cooking. A jalapeño adds background heat, and fresh garlic ties it all together.
Once your aromatics are soft and fragrant, it’s time for the hot links. I slice them into rounds and let them brown slightly with the vegetables before stirring in the cooked beans.
If you want, you can use the pot liquor from the beans you cooked in the Instant Pot. However, if you mistakenly throw it away, then use a mixture of hot water and vegetable base. Adding basil rounds out the seasoning and creates a wonderful broth. Turn the heat to low and let the beans absorb all those fantastic flavors.
Step 3: Cook Perfect Rice in the Instant Pot
While everything simmers, clean out your Instant Pot and put it to work again—this time for perfect rice. Did you know that the Instant Pot saves water? That’s right – because it’s a closed system, the water vapor cannot escape meaning you only need to use 1:1 ratio of liquid to rice, where stovetop usually uses 2:1 ration. Put rice, water, butter, and salt in the Instant Pot and set for 12 minutes on low. Fluff it just before serving and it’s ready to soak up all the good stuff.
Step 4: Serve with Sour Cream (Trust Me)
Louisiana hot links are no joke—they bring real heat. That’s why I recommend serving the dish with a dollop of sour cream on the side. It’s not traditional, but it adds a cool, creamy contrast that makes the dish more balanced and enjoyable, especially for guests who might be spice-sensitive.
This dish layers flavor like nobody’s business—cozy, spicy, satisfying, and even better the next day.
Red Beans and Rice with Hot Links Recipe
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Red Beans And Rice With Hot Links
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Ingredients
~~ For the Beans ~~
- 1 pound red beans
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove garlic
~~ For the Pot ~~
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 jalapeno
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces Louisiana Hot Links
- 2 cups hot water
- 2 teaspoons vegetable base
- 1 teaspoon basil, minced
~~ For the Rice ~~
- 2 cups rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Sour Cream, for garnish
Instructions
Beans
- Mise en Place
- 1 pound red beans, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 clove garlicBut the beans, garlic clove, bay leaf, and thyme in the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Cover with two to three times the amount of water. Seal the Instant Pot and set it for 22 minutes. Use natural release. Set the beans aside.
For the Pot
- Prepped Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 onionHeat a Dutch oven and add the oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent.
- 1 cup celeryAdd the celery and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
- 1 green pepperAdd the green pepper and sauté about 5 minutes.
- 1 jalapenoAdd the jalapeno and sauté
- 3 cloves garlicAdd the garlic and sauté
- By this time, the vegetables should nice and soft
- 8 ounces Louisiana Hot LinksAdd the sliced links and stir them around in the vegetables.
- Add the drained beans and stir.
- 2 cups hot water, 2 teaspoons vegetable base, 1 teaspoon basilMix the vegetable base with the hot water and the basil and add that to the pot.
- Let the mixture cook on low heat for about an hour
Make the Rice
- 2 cups rice, 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon saltClean the Instant Pot and add the rice, butter, salt and water. Cover and set on low for 12 minutes
- Fluff the rice before serving
- Sour CreamServe the red beans and rice with sour cream on the side because those sausage are spicy
