Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
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Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice is chock full of smoky sausage (add chicken or ham too), delicious creole cajun spices, veggies and healthy red beans. Perfect for Mardi Gras, or anytime you need some delicious comfort food! Vegetarian option too!
I am all about easy, healthy, filling meals; especially with two teenage boys in the house! I love fast foods, no, not the golden arches type; I’m talking easy meals you can make or assemble lickety-split!
You will also love this Crockpot London Broil, Outback Potato Soup Recipe (Slow Cooker or Stovetop), these tender Cheesesteak Sandwich or a hearty Sloppy Joes Recipe.
I adore slow cooked meals or crockpot meals; there is something about walking in the house after being gone all day and smelling dinner ready and waiting as you walk in the door.
Red beans and rice in a crock pot IS that meal! Don’t misread anything here, I love my Instant Pot, am infatuated with 30 minute meals, but I am not about to throw out my crockpot!
Authentic Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
Are these authentic red beans and rice? Honestly, I have no idea, I have never lived in the south, but I sure have a lot of friends who do and besides; my family really, really likes this meal. So does it really matter if it’s not purely authentic?
Substitutions in Red Beans and Rice in a Crock Pot
I am all about customizing flavors, spices, meats to what our family will eat! Our tagline is Make It Yours! For instance, the original recipe from Kylee Cooks, calls for smoked boneless pork chops and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
I wouldn’t even know where to start looking for smoked pork chops (though you can replace with ham) and I am way too big of a spice wimp to use an entire teaspoon of cayenne pepper! Her recipe is great, probably much more authentic, but that’s what I am saying! Make it yours!
Key Ingredients and Suggestions
Below are the main ingredients, you can of course get the entire ingredient list, quantities and how to make this delicious Red Beans and Rice by printing the recipe at the bottom of the post.
- Yellow Onions | I typically buy sweet onions, but use whatever you have!
- Celery | adds a bit of flavor and nutrition when caramelized with the onions.
- Garlic | Fresh is best, minced for great flavor, but in a pinch you could use jarred minced garlic.
- Dried red beans | rinsed and sorted* (dried kidney beans, adzuki, pink or even black beans may be substituted, see FAQ below for how to incorporate as well as using canned beans)
- Smoked Sausage | andouille, kielbasa or other smoked sausage works great!), sliced into ½” slices (I use organic kielbasa or smoked sausage and usually double the amount cause everyone fights over the sausage)
- Smoked ham chunks | or other smoked meat (optional)
- Chicken breasts | whole (optional), you can add these towards the end of cooking then shred and mix in.
- Creole or cajun seasoning | now this is what gives this the authentic red beans and rice vibe!
- Bay leaves | these little jewels add so much flavor!
- Dried thyme & Cayenne pepper to taste, up to 1 teaspoon (I do a couple shakes)
- Cooked rice (white or brown) | to serve with the red beans.
What does it mean to sort and rinse beans?
Rinsing we’ve got! Dump dry beans into a sieve and rinse with water! But the sorting, even the back of the package just says “sort”. So I did some research and here’s what I discovered with regard to sorting beans.
Fresh Tips for Sorting Dried Beans
- During the packaging, debris can find its way into the beans, remove any sticks, rocks, dust or other debris, obviously!
- But also be on the lookout for funny smells (probably moldy), mold, shriveled beans, broken pieces, weevils (ew!), etc. If only some shriveled and broken beans they should be fine, just toss (sort) those out.
- If you smell something off, find something crawling or see any fuzzy beans, throw out (or return) the entire package.
- Once I have rinsed my beans, I toss onto a sheet pan and “sort” them.
How to Make Slow Cooker Beans and Rice
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil (or if you have a slow cooker to stove insert, do this in your insert)
Saute onions, celery until translucent and slightly golden, toss in garlic for the last minute until fragrant.
Add spices to onion mixture, stir for a minute to bloom the spices.
You may skip the sautéing step and toss the raw onions, celery, garlic and spices directly in the crockpot, but for me it’s worth the time, as it blooms the flavors and adds depth to the dish.
Place all ingredients (except rice) into crockpot (slow cooker).
Pour about 6 cups water, enough to cover everything by about ½ inch.
Stir to mix everything, cover and set slow cooker on high between 6-8 hours or on low between 8-10 hours.
If making red beans and rice with chicken, add chicken breasts to crockpot about 4 hours before serving.
How to Marinate Chicken in Liquid Smoke
If desired, soak boneless chicken breasts or thighs in a solution of water and 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (your flavor choice) for 1-4 hours in the fridge. It adds a wonderful, smokey flavor to the red beans and rice.
How to thicken red beans and rice in the slow cooker
To thicken, use a potato masher and mash some of the beans, stir and cook an hour longer or so. If you want it a lot thicker, combine 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch into equal amounts cold chicken broth or water. Slowly stir into the red beans and rice mixture, cover and cook an additional 30-60 minutes.
Taste before serving, adding additional sea salt and pepper, if needed. Remove bay leaves as you uncover them.
Serve red beans over bowls of cooked rice (white or brown).
What to serve with red beans and rice?
Classic sides to serve with red beans and rice are an ice cold beer and some corn bread, but there are some other delicious recipes you might consider that are part of Creole cuisine.
- Best Sweet Cornbread Recipe {Buttermilk Cornbread}
- Make a big green salad and serve with some Beer Bread or these easy cheesy Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
- Andouille sausage is actually cooked right in our red beans and rice, but if you preferred you could grill some in a pan and serve it on the side.
- Fried Chicken would be delicious, of course!
- Collard Greens or
- Fried Okra would be traditional southern side dishes.
- Creamy Corn Pudding Casserole would be amazing.
- Dill Pickle Coleslaw mmmm good!
- Baked Pork Chops
- Southern-Style Green Beans with Bacon
- Wash it all down with this New Orleans Bloody Mary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, rinse and sort just like the red beans, and cook as planned for a delicious version of Slow Cooker black beans and rice!
Of course, drain and rinse your preferred beans. Try canned black beans, kidney beans, or if you can find them, canned red beans. Reduce crock pot time to 6-8 hours.
The beauty of cooking beans in a slow cooker is you don’t need to soak the beans beforehand. Rinse and sort the beans as per directions. Red kidney beans are the exception here. For dried red kidney beans, always soak first and then boil for 20 minutes before preparing in the slow cooker, this makes them more digestible, or just use canned kidney beans! 🙂
My thickening method just requires a potato masher, get in there and mash some of those red beans, then allow it to slow cook an hour longer. If that’s still not thick enough for you, combine 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch into equal amounts cold chicken broth or water, slowly stir into the red beans and rice in the crock pot, and cook for another hour.
Vegan or Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice in Slow Cooker
This is a super simple recipe to adjust to be vegetarian!
- Replace half or all the water with vegetable broth — try my crazy good Magic Mineral Broth for healthy, great flavor.
- Omit chicken, sausage kielbasa and ham.
And if you happen to be looking for other fun, Creole types of meals for Mardi Gras coming up, then this meal would be perfect or this Instant Pot (or Stovetop) Jambalaya! Both guaranteed to please! And be sure to serve with these easy Mini King Cakes!
More Creole or Louisiana Inspired Recipes
- How about this amazing Seafood Gumbo
- Homemade Creole Seasoning Recipe
- Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Classic Louisiana Shrimp Etouffe
- Black Eyed Peas and Ham
I hope you loved this recipe for slow cooker red beans and rice — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
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Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3-4 ribs celery, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced or diced
- 1 lb dried red beans, rinsed and sorted* (kidney beans or black beans may be substituted)
- 14-20 oz smoked sausage, andouille, kielbasa or other smoked sausage works great!, sliced into ½” slices
- 7 oz ham chunks, or other smoked meat (optional)
- 2 chicken breasts, whole (optional)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons creole or cajun seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Cayenne pepper to taste, up to 1 teaspoon (I do a couple shakes)
- 6 cups water
- 4 cups cooked rice, white or brown
Instructions
- Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil (or if you have a slow cooker to stove insert, do this in your insert). Rinse and sort* dried beans, set aside.
- Saute onions, celery until translucent and slightly golden, toss in garlic for the last minute until fragrant. Stir in spices to coat onion, celery, garlic mixture and stir for a minute to bloom the spices. Place all ingredients into crockpot – slow cooker (except rice). Pour about 6 cups water, enough to cover everything by about ½ inch. Stir to mix everything, cover and set slow cooker on high between 6-8 hours or on low between 8-10 hours.
- If using chicken breasts, add to crockpot about 4 hours before serving and shred before serving.
- To thicken, use a potato masher and mash some of the beans, stir and cook an hour longer or so. Taste before serving, adding additional sea salt and pepper, if needed. Remove bay leaves. Serve red beans over bowls of cooked rice (white or brown)
Video
✱ Kathleen’s Tips
- Stay Southern, serve with collard greens, Cream Biscuits or cornbread.
- Make a nice big crisp green salad and serve with a loaf of warm French bread or Beer bread.
- We are kind of crazy about naan in this house, which is delicious to sop up all of the juice!
- You could also try baking some delicious, hearty rolls like these Copycat Outback Molasses Brown Bread Rolls.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Fresh Cooky is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Kathleen Pope
Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer
Hi, I’m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Read more about Kathleen here.
Delicious can’t wait for hubby to come home and devour it ! Thanks for sharing
Hope he loved it too! Thanks for your kind comment!
This looks like delicious slow cooker beans and rice dish!
Thanks Linda, it really is, my kids love it!
I made this to celebrate Mardi Gras this week and it was delicious! Super easy, big flavors, and a huge fit with my family!
Excellent, loved the combination of flavors. This was a big hit!!
We loved this recipe. I let it could while I was at work and it tasted like I slaved over the stove all day long.
I am a believer in Kismet! I think I have everything I need to make this on this rainy day. Thanks
I love it! Me too! Love when I have all the ingreds!!
This made the house smell amazing! Was great to come home to on a cold night. We didn’t add the ham or the chicken; likely will add chicken next time just for variety. Makes a lot!
The slow cooker is like my favorite way to cook, and this rice dish was a delicious way to use it. Thanks for the recipe.
One of mine too! Something about knowing that dinner is going to ready without much effort!
This is our kind of comfort food! This reminds me of my husband’s late aunt. She loved serving this dish and we never got the recipe. We’re all set now. Thank you!
I love coming home to the yummy smells of a slow cooker meal too! I’m pinning this one for the day that the little bugs will eat a meal like this.
HAH! Yes, I hear you!