This spicy rice recipe is a classic Southern side dish served at our favorite beach restaurants under the name Charleston red rice or Savannah red rice. Filled with savory bacon and veggies, it goes great with grilled fish or chicken and is so easy to make at home.
PREP TIME 20 minutesminutes
COOK TIME 35 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME 55 minutesminutes
YIELD 6servings
Ingredients
7bacon slices
1large oniondiced
3stalks of celerydiced
1(15 oz) can of tomato sauce
3/4cupchicken broth
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonblack pepper
1/2teaspooncayenne pepper
1/4teaspoonhot pepper sauce
2cupslong-grain rice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium until crisp. Drain the bacon on a plate with a few paper towels to remove some of the grease. Pour out the bacon fat from the skillet into a measuring cup. Return just 1/4 cup of the bacon fat back to the skillet.
Add the onion and celery to the skillet with the bacon fat. Cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and the celery is tender, about 6 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, dry seasonings, and hot sauce to the skillet and stir to combine. Stir in the rice and transfer the entire mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake the rice for 35 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Crumble the reserved bacon strips and sprinkle over the top before serving.
Recipe Notes
Make-Ahead Tips:
This dish is best served fresh after baking. If you want to save prep time, you can prepare the recipe right up to the point before you add the rice. Store the tomato mixture in the fridge up to one day in advance. Then, simply stir in the rice and add it to the baking dish just before baking.