Savannah Red Rice with Kielbasa and Crab | Lowcountry Comfort Food

Smoky kielbasa, sweet crab, and heirloom Carolina Gold rice come together in this comforting Savannah red rice — a Lowcountry classic perfect for a cold, windy Fall day. Warm, soulful, and deeply satisfying straight from the Dutch oven.

Lou LaMedica

Nov 7, 2025

Savannah Red Rice with Kielbasa and Crab | Lowcountry Comfort Food

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Savannah Red Rice with Kielbasa & Crab

More Great Options for Fall

Savannah Red Rice with Kielbasa & Crab

Comfort food for a cold, windy Fall day.

There’s something about cooking on a cold, windy day that feels like grounding yourself again. The house hums a little, windows rattle just enough to remind you of the weather, and that’s when I reach for a Dutch oven.

This dish—Savannah red rice—is Lowcountry soul food at its best. Deep, smoky, and tomato-rich, it’s a cousin to jambalaya but with its own rhythm. The Carolina Gold rice gives it a soft cling and nutty perfume, and the mix of kielbasa and sweet crab claw meat makes it special.

It’s the kind of meal you build slowly, with the smell of onions, garlic, and tomato paste caramelizing in the air while the wind does its thing outside.

🦐 Ingredients

Serves 4–6

2 cups Carolina Gold rice, rinsed well

1 lb kielbasa, sliced into ½-inch rounds

1 small onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

2–3 cups chicken stock, warm

1 bay leaf

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

Fresh cracked black pepper

1 lb crab claw meat, picked over for shells

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp chopped green onions or parsley, for garnish

👨‍🍳 Method

1. Brown the kielbasa.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium. Add the kielbasa and cook until browned and crisp around the edges. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat behind.

2. Build your base.

Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot. Sauté 5–6 minutes until softened and fragrant. Stir in garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

3. Caramelize the tomato paste.

Add tomato paste and let it fry for about a minute to deepen the flavor—it should darken slightly and smell sweet.

4. Add rice and tomatoes.

Stir in the rinsed rice so each grain gets coated with the tomato mixture. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.

5. Simmer low and slow.

Pour in 2 cups chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 18–20 minutes, checking halfway through to see if more liquid is needed (Carolina Gold can drink a lot).

6. Finish with seafood and soul.

When the rice is tender and the liquid mostly absorbed, gently fold the kielbasa back in along with the crab claw meat. Cover again for 5 minutes to let the flavors come together.

7. Stir in butter and serve.

Remove the bay leaf, stir in butter for gloss and richness, and top with chopped green onions or parsley.

🥘 Serving Notes

Serve it straight from the Dutch oven with a big spoon. It’s perfect on its own, but a square of cornbread on the side never hurts.

The smoky sausage, briny crab, and the deep tomato flavor remind you of coastal kitchens—Savannah, Charleston, New Orleans—where the pot always smells like something that’s been cooking all afternoon.

💭 Reflections

Every Fall, I seem to crave dishes like this—warm, slow-cooked, a little messy, deeply human. There’s comfort in stirring the pot, in knowing something is transforming quietly while the world outside blusters.

Cooking this red rice feels like permission to stop rushing. To let the day simmer. To trust that what you’re building, even if it’s just dinner, will come together with time and care.