Popeyes Red Beans and Rice
When I was a child, my Grandmother would often prepare red beans and rice. She made it because we liked it, but also because the ingredients were inexpensive and easy to purchase in bulk. Money was tight and it was a great way to stretch the dollar. It’s a simple dish, and it’s filling. As Grandpa said so often - it sticks to your ribs.
Popeyes version of this classic is not as tasty as what Grandma used to make, but it’s still pretty good. Long grain rice is cooked and seasoned with salt, onion, garlic and paprika. It’s smothered with red kidney beans and a sauce made with pork-fat that’s been cured with (among other things) brown sugar and natural smoke flavors.
In my experience, the rice is always cooked right, firm on the outside and tender on the inside. The beans are plump and hearty, but sometimes there’s not as many ‘whole’ beans as I’d prefer. The sauce is thick and has a good smokey flavor, but unlike many of Popeyes items it’s not spicy at all. Those with a preference for the hotter side of the menu will likely find this rather bland. That’s just the nature of the dish.
For instance, one time I ate several pieces of their spicy chicken beforehand, after which the beans and rice barely made an impact on my taste buds. Again, this is not Popeyes fault, it’s the dish itself. If you really want to get the most enjoyment from this, I suggest not eating anything spicy with it. Allow yourself to appreciate the soft and subtle flavors on their own. A big bowl will make a wholesome satisfying meal.
If I had one request, it would be for some cornbread to go with it. That’s the way I grew up eating. We would dunk it, and sometimes just break it up and mix it all together. But alas, Popeyes does not have cornbread on the menu. Their buttermilk biscuits are very good, and do a decent job as a substitute, but it’s not the same. If you’ve ever had beans and rice with cornbread, you know it’s a match made in heaven.
Popeyes Red Beans and Rice has a pleasant mellow flavor, and does a fairly good job of recreating the taste I loved growing up in the South. If you’re like me, and you ate the same (basic) dish for years, it will make you feel right at home. But if you’ve never been satisfied by such simple food, it’s unlikely to impress or change your mind.
Price: $1.99 and $3.99 / Website: Popeyes.com
Fast Food Critic Score: B
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Nutrition Facts - Popeyes Red Beans and Rice (regular).
Calories - 320
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 19 grams
Carbs - 31 grams
Saturated Fat - 6 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 20 milligrams
Sodium - 710 milligrams
Protein - 10 grams
I have always equated red beans and rice with “Cajun” and, thus, assumed it had some sort of Tabasco or other hot sauce additive. Eductate me.
I like their red beans and rice a lot. They are as good as anything I got in the French Quarter last time I visited N.O. (pre-Katrina), and a lot cheaper. The food there has really gone downhill since I first visited in 1983.
Re the spice, red beans and rice can be a meal in itself, and a darned good one, but it has to be seasoned right. Not “make your eyes water” seasoned, but enough to really want to shovel another fork full into your mouth and lick the plate afterwards.
Looks yummy but how can they take something as healthy as rice and beans, and jack it up with 19 grams fat, 6 grams saturated? That’s a shame, because it looks really good..
I agree Popeyes beans and rice are good but in my opinion they are too plain and bland alone. We bring home a box of their fried chicken along with the large side order of beans and rice and we get out a bottle of hot sauce on the kitchen table for anybody who wants to add some more flavor. A few drops of Tabasco then it tastes like real cajun eats. I don’t understand why Popeyes doesn’t offer hot sauce as an option. Maybe they do and we never saw it?
Wow, I’m not really a fan of these sorts of foods or how this dish actually looked but after reading the review, I actually was up to trying this dish.
Mmm Popeye’s! I haven’t had their red beans and rice in years, but I have fond memories of the smoky flavor.
Loved my ex-bf’s version that cut 2/3rd of the lard from the store’s recipe w/o very much change in flavor. I felt better about eating it as well.
Bojangles used to do cajun pintos that were very good.
Popeye’s red beans and rice are great. I agree they should be spicier, but that is easily achieved with a couple of packets of the Louisiana hot sauce they have there–then they are totally awesome.