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 adds so much flavor to everything you serve with it. 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 on the recipe card below.
- 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 depth of flavor.
- 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.
- Cook the chopped bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crispy. Move the bacon to paper towels to drain.
- 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, cook for a minute while stirring.
- Stir in the rice, chicken broth, tomato paste, sugar, Cajun seasoning, salt, black pepper, and cooked bacon. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Cover the dish and bake it in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Use a Dutch oven for this recipe. I use my 3.5-quart Dutch oven, but a 2.5 to 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 in the oven. 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
Charleston Red Rice is a staple side dish from the lowcountry regions of South Carolina and Georgia that combines long grain white rice with crispy bacon, onions, celery, bell pepper, and tomatoes.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 230kcal
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
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 204IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @smalltownwomanfoodnut or tag #smalltownwomanfoodnut!
Mahy
It is probably once rice type that I have never tried before. I know, weird, but at least I am excited now to give this recipe a go. Yum!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Mahy! Enjoy!
Karen
IThe Charleston red rice was so delicious and moist, exactly how I like my rice…So good. Thanks for the recipe!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Karen!
Jaylee
I love a rice dish and this is something that I haven’t tried out yet. I am a fan of all of the ingredients so I am very much looking forward to making this for the family to test out!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jaylee! Enjoy!
Claire
This red rice dish is absolutely delicious! I can imagine it with a bbq on a hot summers day. Amazing. This will be on regular rotation at our house!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Claire! So glad that you liked it.
Karletta
This is the perfect dish to add to my summer bbq menu. Something new and fresh for my guests to try. We love it!
Clarice
My husband would love this! He’s really into spicy food, and this sounds easy to make. I agree with you that adding little Cajun can add more depth to the flavor. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Can’t wait to try this.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Clarice! Enjoy!
Jennifer Passmore
Rice is one of my staple foods that I eat, because I can’t eat a lot of other foods. This sounds incredible! I would love to “spice up my rice,” so to speak, and this seems like a great way to do it! Thanks for the great recipe!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Jennifer!
Ana
This was a real winner! It was a hearty and comforting side dish that went great with our pan fried chicken. I’ll definitely be making this again for family dinners.
Tara
We all loved this. Had it with some creamy baked chicken and the flavors were perfect. What a great variation from the typical dirty rice.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Tara! I am so glad that you liked it!