This post may include affiliate links. Please read my disclaimer.
My Cajun smothered green beans with sausage is an unforgettably delicious main meal or sassy side dish, y'all. The Cajun trinity of chopped onion, green bell pepper, and celery brown down in the skillet along with sausage and minced garlic. Then, green beans, broth, seasonings, and a heaping serving of butter are stirred into the pan. And finally, it all simmers down into rich, comforting deliciousness that food hugs you all the way down to your bones. Yep and yay...
Want this recipe for deliciousness delivered to your inbox?
I'll email it to you so you can save it for later, and send you updates when I publish new recipes.
Jump to:
I Have Many Years of Experience Cooking This Dish, Y'all...
Cajun smothered green beans are a classic south Louisiana dish that includes slow-cooking the beans with trinity veggies, a medley of seasonings, and the cook's choice of meat. It's a beloved traditional home-cooked meal around here. And, you will often see smothered green beans on restaurant menus and buffet tables throughout this area, as well.
We're pretty serious about Cajun green beans down here in the boot, and we all have a different way of making it our very own, too.
As a connoisseur of green beans, I started working on my original version of this dish more than 15 years ago. I believe that it was sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s.
This dish was one of my labor of love recipe development processes that spanned over several years. I've made Cajun smothered green beans at least 100 times in my life.
So, I can say with full confidence that I think you are going to be blown away by this recipe. Over the years, a great many people have told me that it was love at first bite for them. They always ask for the recipe. And some of them also want me to call them the next time it goes down on my dinner table!!
Yep. Cajun smothered green beans with sausage features layered flavors and textures that 'pop' right off of the tongue. It's one of those recipes that everyone loves. And since it's super easy to make, with the hands-on time giving way to a slow simmer that all you have to do is stir to finish off.
Ingredient Essentials
- I always, always use frozen green beans. Frozen beans are packaged when they are young and tender. So, I know that when they thaw out in my pot I'm getting dozens of beans that are all going to have the same shape and texture. This is an extremely important part of the recipe that fresh green beans just can't pull off as consistently as their frozen counterparts. Trust me on this, y'all. I know my green beans. And once you make this Cajun smothered green bean recipe for the first time, you'll know it, too.
- The Cajun trinity veggies of onion, green bell pepper, and celery bring earthy notes to the dish. So, it's just not the same without them. Same for the garlic, y'all. So definitely take the time to include them in the recipe so that you prepare and enjoy it in its optimal flavor and texture capacity.
- I use beef or chicken sausage in this recipe. Most people use andouille sausage, but I can't eat pork so it's not for me. So, use whatever sausage that you like, too. Just make sure that it's fresh and that it doesn't fall apart too much when sliced.
- The rest of the ingredients, including dried seasonings, broth, oil, and butter are all common items that you should be able to find easily at any grocery store.
How to Make Cajun Smothered Green Beans with Sausage
Start by pouring the oil and the Cajun trinity veggies into a skillet. For best results, cover the skillet partially with a clear lid to speed up the browning time while still being able to see everything that's going on in the pot.
Add the sliced sausage when the veggies are about ¾ of the way browned.
Then, when the sausage is browned, add the minced garlic. Cook for one more minute.
Finally, add the remaining ingredients to the skillet or Dutch oven. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer for an hour or so until done.
And that's it, y'all.
The first thing that you notice about these Cajun smothered green beans with sausage is how the entire spoonful feels like it's 'one' to you. Then, you notice that the individual flavors and textures seems to dance on your tongue for a few seconds on their own before forming back into unison for the finish.
Finally, when you're done, you just can't believe how uniformly soft all of the green beans were on your plate. This is how you know for sure that using the frozen beans was the right call after all.
Share these Cajun smothered green beans with sausage with those who always save their very best for you. Much food love, and see y'all on the yum side...
Cajun Smothered Green Beans with Sausage Storage
Store the leftover Cajun green beans covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Top Tip
Chop the vegetables and the sausage the night before, then tuck them into the fridge overnight. This will shave at least 15 minutes off of the total next-day recipe time.
Other Cajun Side Dish Recipes
Check out some of my other New Orleans-style side dishes.
Similar Recipes
Here are some other Cajun main dishes that can also double as side dishes like this one.
Pairings
Here are a few recipes that pair very well with Cajun smothered green beans with sausage.
NOTE: This post was originally published on March 2, 2017, and updated and republished with new content and pictures on September 28, 2023.
Cajun Smothered Green Beans With Sausage
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium-sized green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 ribs celery, trimmed and chopped
- 12 ounces sausage, sliced then cut in half-circles I use Bryan beef smoked sausage
- 1 cup chicken broth Swanson is gluten free
- 1 stick butter either salted or unsalted
- 24 ounces frozen green beans
- 5 minced garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a 12-inch cast iron skillet for just about 1 minute.
- Pour the Cajun trinity of chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery into the skillet, and cook down for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until almost browned. (Speed up the browning process by covering the skillet partially with a clear glass lid, if desired, see post.)
- Add the chopped sausage pieces to the pan, and cook until slightly browned, for about 5 more minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Pour the remaining ingredients to the skillet, then stir until well-combined.
- Cover, and cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours, stirring often, or until the green beans soften and darken in color, and most of the liquid cooks out.
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by a third-party, online computer-generated nutrition calculator, not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods and individual portion sizes, along with other factors.
See our full nutrition disclaimer here.
I don't eat birds or animals and I don't need to eat gluten free but your recipes look great. I'm a fan.
Aww, thanks sooo much!! ? That's super sweet of you to say...?
This recipe looks amazing! I do not like frozen green beans. They taste weird to me, but I see why you use them in this recipe. Cooking them this long, do they still have that frozen taste or do they come across as fresh snapped? I'm just wondering about using fresh beans.
Hey Lori,
Thanks so much! This recipe really is amazing, and I understand your concern about using frozen green beans.
Here's the truth: This is my oldest self-developed recipe, and I've literally made it over 100 times. Every single time I make it for a new group of people, someone always says 'These beans must be super fresh to taste this good."
So, they do come across as fresh snapped. I use the Great Value frozen beans from Walmart, and they have never, ever failed me.
I've used fresh beans that I've snapped myself twice for this recipe. The first time I used fresh beans, they turned out fine. But, the second time they were too stringy, almost separating, and I was greatly disappointed.
So, I have to stand by the frozen beans at this point. I promise this recipe will work for you if you follow the instructions exactly.
Please let me know if you need any more help. 🙂
How many carbs
Approximately 25g when broken into four servings, but those are big servings and the recipe does yield about 6 smaller side-dish servings.
This is a fantastic recipe and I’ve made it probably a dozen times. The only thing I change up is how much cayenne I add depending on the diets of those who will be eating. I do have one question, however, and that is that the recipe calls for 3 stalks of celery. Unfortunately I get a bit vapor locked on that one. Some think stalk is a bunch, some thing a rib. I usually just use 3 ribs as 3 stalks would appear to be overkill. Can you tell me if you use 3 ribs or 3 bunches?
Hi Chris,
Well, thank you so much.😊 It took me years to perfect this recipe so it makes me super happy that you've made it so many times.🥰
It's definitely 3 ribs, not bunches. Sorry about that, I'm in the process of updating the post so it will definitely be corrected.
What do you serve with the smothered green beans? I've served it with just about every protein I can think of, but I think I like it with chicken the best. How about you?