Charleston Red Rice
An iconic dish in the Lowcountry region, Charleston Red Rice is a heavily seasoned baked rice recipe that gets its color from tomato paste. Make a batch soon - it's delicious!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 508kcal
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- 16 oz. smoked sausage finely diced, can substitute Andouille sausage
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 1 tsp minced garlic cloves
- 2 cups uncooked Carolina gold rice can use long-grain rice instead
- 2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
- 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- {for garnish} fresh Italian parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick spray; set aside.
- Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until crispy. (Note: I used a 12” cast iron skillet.)
- Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Leave bacon drippings in skillet.
- Using the same pan, add diced sausage, onions, bell peppers and celery; sauté, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
- Add garlic; stir and continue sautéing for 1 more minute.
- Rinse rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Add rice to the skillet; stir and continue cooking for 1 minute.
- Crumble the cooked bacon and add to the skillet along with the tomato paste, chicken broth, hot sauce, kosher salt, Cajun seasoning, black pepper, sugar and cayenne pepper. Stir until well combined.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Transfer mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes without uncovering.
- Remove dish from oven, fluff the rice with a fork and continue baking (covered with foil) for 10-12 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 508kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 1349mg | Potassium: 751mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 871IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 3mg
