Gullah Gold Red Rice
Red rice is the dish the Gullah Geechee people brought into the Lowcountry kitchens of coastal Georgia and the Carolinas, tomato-braised rice cooked with smoked meat until every grain absorbs everything in the pot. It's a side that acts like a main. Make it in cast iron if you have it.
Serves 6–8 · Prep 15 min · Cook 55 min · Total ~70 min
Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked (rinsed until water runs clear)
- 6 oz smoked sausage or bacon, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2½ cups chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp Gullah Gold Seasoning, divided
- 1 tsp sugar
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Green onions, sliced, to garnish
Directions
- 1
Render the meat. In a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the sausage or bacon until the fat renders and the edges caramelize, 5–6 min. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.
- 2
Build the base. In the drippings, sauté onion, celery, and bell pepper over medium heat until soft, 6–7 min. Add garlic and 1 Tbsp Gullah Gold Seasoning; stir and cook 1 min.
- 3
Add tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 min, stirring until it darkens slightly. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices, the sugar, and the cooked sausage. Stir to combine.
- 4
Add the rice. Pour in the rinsed rice and stir to coat every grain in the tomato base. Add the stock and stir. Taste the liquid, it should be seasoned well; adjust salt.
- 5
Cook the rice. Bring to a simmer, then cover tight and reduce to the lowest heat. Cook 20 min without lifting the lid. Remove from heat and let steam, still covered, 10 min more.
- 6
Finish. Uncover, stir in the remaining 1 Tbsp Gullah Gold Seasoning from the edges in, and fluff with a fork. Taste and adjust. Top with green onions and serve straight from the skillet.
Greer's Kitchen Notes
- Rinsing the rice is not optional here, the starch on the surface will make the pot gummy. Rinse until the water runs clear.
- Smoked sausage gives the richest base, but good-quality thick-cut bacon works too. The drippings season everything.
- The Gullah Geechee food tradition is one of the most significant in American culinary history. This recipe is made with deep respect for that legacy.
- Leftovers are excellent, reheat in a skillet with a small splash of water to re-steam, not a microwave.
Made with Gullah Gold Seasoning, our tribute to the Lowcountry table and the culture that built it.