Charleston Red Rice is a staple side dish in the lowcountry regions of South Carolina and Georgia. It combines long grain white rice with crisp bacon, onions, celery, bell pepper, and tomatoes into a tasty dish that is a little spicy, smoky, and sweet.
If you have never tried Charleston red rice, you are in for a treat. This easy baked rice dish lends so much flavor to everything it is served with. You are going to love it. I like serving it with smothered chicken, pan-fried pork chops, chicken fried chicken, or popcorn shrimp.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Bacon: You can substitute andouille sauce or any smoked sausage.
- Bell pepper: green or red
- Long-grain rice: I use jasmine or basmati rice because I love how well they cook, but you can use any long-grain white rice.
- Chicken broth: preferably low-sodium
- Seasonings: freshly ground black pepper and salt. Though not traditional, I like to add a little Cajun or Creole seasoning for flavor depth.
- Fresh herbs: fresh chopped parsley or thyme
- Hot sauce: like Frank’s hot sauce
How to Cook Red Rice
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
First, cook the chopped bacon over medium-low heat in a Dutch oven until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to move the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain. Leave about a tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot. Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper and saute over medium-low heat until the onions and celery are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for a minute while stirring.
Stir in the rice, chicken broth, tomato paste, sugar, Cajun seasoning, salt, black pepper, and cooked bacon. Scrape the bottom of the pot to get up all those delicious brown bits. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and simmer for about 5 minutes, uncovered. Cover the dish and place it in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the lid and fluff the rice several times while it is baking.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Use a Dutch oven for this recipe. I use my 3.5 quart, but a 2.5 or 3 quart Dutch oven would work as well. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a saucepan and transfer it to a 2.5 quart casserole baking dish with a lid.
- Fluff the rice a couple of times while it is baking. This can be easily done while the rice is on the oven rack. Just remember that the pot will be hot, including the lid and its handle.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power with a dampened paper towel over the dish.
Serving Suggestions
Try this delicious rice with grilled shrimp, marinated grilled chicken, shrimp creole, or Cajun chicken. Other favorites include corn fritters, blackened mahi mahi, and country-style ribs.
More Rice Recipes
Charleston Red Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 slices uncooked smoked bacon
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 1 red or green bell pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic mincd
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (6 ounc) can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- fresh chopped parsley
- 1-2 dashes hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the chopped bacon over medium low heat in a Dutch oven until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to move the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper and saute over medium low heat until the onions and celery are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring.
- Stir in the rice, chicken broth, tomato paste, sugar, Cajun seasoning, salt, black pepper, and cooked bacon. Scrape the bottom of the pot to get up all those delicious brown bits. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and simmer for about 5 minutes uncovered.
- Cover the dish and place it in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the lid and fluff the rice several times while it is baking.
- Top with chopped fresh parsley and serve with hot sauce.
Notes
- Use a Dutch oven for this recipe. I use my 3.5 quart but a 2.5 or 3 quart Dutch oven would work as well. If you don’t have a Dutch oven use a saucepan and transfer and tranfer it to a 2.5 quart casserole dish with a lid.
- Fluff the rice a couple of times while it is baking. This can be easily done while the rice is on the oven rack. Just remember that the pot will be hot including the lid and its handle.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power with a damped paper towel over the dish.
Leave a Reply