Gullah Red Rice

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

This Gullah red rice is one of Charleston's best dishes, and brought over by enslaved Africans to the Lowcountry region of coastal South Carolina.

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 smoked sausage links, sliced
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (such as Hunt's®)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato paste (such as Hunt's®)
1 cup water
2 cups uncooked parboiled (converted) rice
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1 Place bacon in a pot and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add bell pepper and onion to bacon grease and sauté over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook and stir until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove mixture from the pan to a bowl.
2 Pour tomato sauce and tomato paste into the same pot, along with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; add rice, sugar, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Bring back to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4 Transfer rice mixture to a 9x13-inch baking pan. Cover with foil.
5 Bake in the preheated oven until liquid has evaporated and rice is tender, about 25 minutes.