Best Crockpot Red Beans and Rice Recipe (2024)

Posted: · Updated: · By Chrysa

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Celebrate Mardi Gras or just make a delicious and easy weeknight dinner with this slow cooker Red Beans and Rice with Sausage recipe.

Best Crockpot Red Beans and Rice Recipe (1)

In honor of Mardi Gras, I’m sharing this recipe for Crockpot Red Beans and Rice. This is a hearty, inexpensive meal that feeds a crowd or is great for leftovers!

And a big plus is that this recipe is super easy to make, so you don’t just need to wait for a special occasion, it’s perfect for dinner any night of the week.

Just set up the slow cooker in the morning and you’ll have a hot and delicious meal when you get home in the evening.

Best Crockpot Red Beans and Rice Recipe (2)

There are a lot of “optionals” in this recipe. If you don’t want to add all of the individual spices I have listed, you can replace them all with 2 Tbsp of cajun or creole seasoning. You can use a packaged seasoning or use our recipe for homemade Cajun seasoning!

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Also, you can reduce or omit the cayenne pepper if you don’t want it spicy, or add more cayenne along with red pepper flakes if you want it really spicy.

Also, sautéing the sausage and veggies before adding them to the Crockpot is totally optional – I just like the browning.

Another option for this slow cooker red beans and rice with sausage dish is using chicken stock in place of some of the water for a more rich flavor. It’s a very versatile recipe!

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You might want to consider using aslow cooker liner for this dish. We all know how hard it can be to clean up anything that has been cooking all day! You can find them here.

Once you are done cooking and serving, just pull the liner of the pot and throw away. You’ll be left with a totally clean slow cooker with nothing to wash!

Best Crockpot Red Beans and Rice Recipe (5)Crock-Pot 20-Ounce Lunch Crock Food WarmerBest Crockpot Red Beans and Rice Recipe (6)

One more tip is that this meal makes DELICIOUS leftovers. They’re perfect for packing to bring to work for lunch. An easy way to do this is packing the leftovers in this Crock-Pot Lunch Crock Food Warmer. You can leave the warming base at work and use the removable food container to transport your lunch from home.

The warming base will keep your food warm or heat your foods over time. It’s a good way to avoid standing in line to use the office microwave (which is usually pretty filthy inside anyway!) My husband loves this thing at the office!

Crockpot Red Beans and Rice

1 pound dry read beans
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups hot water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
4 cups cooked white rice

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How to make crockpot red beans and rice:

  • Soak beans overnight. In the morning, drain off the water and rinse. Add to crockpot.
  • In a frying pan, sautee sausage, pepper and onion in olive oil until starting to brown. During the last 30 seconds, add in the garlic.
  • Move contents of frying pan to Crockpot. Add in all remaining ingredients except for the salt and cooked rice.
  • Cook for two hours on high, then turn Crockpotto low and continue cooking 4-5 hours or until beans are tender.
  • Add salt at the end or during the last hour or two of cooking. (Adding at the beginning can make the beans tough.)
  • To thicken sauce, smash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the slow cooker. If you want it even thicker, turn Crockpot to high and leave off cover to reduce the liquid. Or mix 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp of hot water and stir into beans before letting it cook another 20 minutes.
  • Remove bay leaves before serving over the cooked rice.

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Best Crockpot Red Beans and Rice Recipe (9)

Crockpot Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

Chrysa

Celebrate Mardi Gras or just make a delicious and easy weeknight dinner with this slow cooker Red Beans and Rice with Sausage recipe.

4.42 from 41 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 5 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course Slow Cooker

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Servings

Calories 269 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry read beans
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 pound andouille sausage sliced
  • 1/2 green pepper diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 cups hot water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 cups cooked white rice

Instructions

  • Soak beans overnight. In the morning, drain off the water and rinse. Add to crockpot.

  • In a frying pan, sautee sausage, pepper and onion in olive oil until starting to brown. During the last 30 seconds, add in the garlic.

  • Move contents of frying pan to Crockpot. Add in all remaining ingredients except for the salt.

  • Cook for two hours on high, then turnCrockpotto low and continue cooking 4-5 hours or until beans are tender.

  • Add salt at the end or during the last hour or two of cooking. (Adding at the beginning can make the beans tough.)

  • To thicken sauce, smash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the slow cooker. If you want it even thicker, turnCrockpotto high and leave off cover to reduce the liquid. Or mix 1 Tbsp corn starch with 2 Tbsp of hot water and stir into beans before letting it cook another 20 minutes.

  • Remove bay leaves before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 9gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 729mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6g

I am not a nutritionist. These values were calculated automatically with the Spoonacular Food API.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Best Crockpot Red Beans and Rice Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you make red beans and rice in a crockpot? ›

The slow cooker is the easiest way to make red beans and rice because the crock pot does all the work! Tender and creamy red beans are slow cooked to perfection with seasonings, smoked sausage and leftover holiday ham for rich and savory dinner!

Is it safe to cook red beans in a slow cooker? ›

PHA is present in red kidney beans that are still partially raw from undercooking, or haven't been heated to a safe temperature to destroy the toxin. The low temperatures of a slow cooker may not heat them sufficiently.

What thickens red beans and rice? ›

If your red beans and rice is on the thinner side, you can either add a roux or a simple slurry to help thicken it. Use a simple ratio of 1 part cornstarch to 2 parts water to make the slurry add about a ¼ cup of it and gently whisk it into the red beans.

Why add butter to red beans and rice? ›

A delicious fat for your red beans

For many, it's butter — with its rich, creamy dairy flavor, it feels good in your mouth and makes other flavors taste better, too.

Why do you want to soak rice and beans before cooking them? ›

The idea behind soaking dried beans is that it makes the beans cook more quickly and evenly. It's also been posited that soaking beans breaks down some of their complex sugars, making them easier to digest.

How do you make red beans and rice less gassy? ›

But most people can enjoy more beans with less gas with the help of these tips: Soak beans overnight in water, then drain, rinse and cook in fresh water. This decreases the oligosaccharide content. Cooking the beans in a pressure cooker may reduce the oligosaccharides even further.

Why add vinegar to red beans? ›

Vinegar Makes Red Beans Taste Great!

Vinegar is an acidic liquid produced through fermentation and used in cooking as a flavoring agent and preservative. Its acid content and tangy flavor make it a standard in marinades.

How to get the creamiest red beans? ›

The consistency of the beans should thicken up and become creamy the longer it simmers. If they become too dry, add 1-2 cups of more water. Optional step: add ½-stick of non-salted butter, or 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, about 5 minutes before serving. This will make the beans extra creamy and rich in flavor.

What if red beans and rice have too much liquid? ›

If there's too much liquid in the pot, raise the heat back up to a rolling boil to burn off some of the liquid.

What does red beans and rice do to your body? ›

Rice and Beans Are Protein-Packed Foods

These winning sides contain amino acids that blend together to make complete proteins. Most people do not get enough complete protein in their diets. When you eat plenty of rice and beans, you can easily get lean protein.

Why aren't my red beans creamy? ›

Some recipes suggest that you can cook the beans straight from dried without an overnight soak. You can, but it extends the actual cooking time by several hours, and I found that the results were not quite as creamy or evenly cooked. For the best results, soak the dried beans overnight in salted water.

Is a slow cooker good for beans? ›

The key to tender, not-mushy beans is to cook them at the barest simmer, which means they're perfect candidates for the slow cooker.

Can you cook raw beans in a rice cooker? ›

Rinse beans. (I just cut the top of the sack off, poke a hole in the bottom, and fill it with water.). Place beans and water in rice cooker, switch to on. Check occasionally to see if additional water is needed, or to see if your rice cooker has switched to 'warm' mode too early.

Can you put canned red kidney beans in a slow cooker? ›

Fully cooked or canned beans are always safe to eat. But undercooking can actually raise lectin activity. That's why it's best to use canned or fully pre-cooked kidney beans in crock pot recipes that call for beans.

Can I make red beans and rice without soaking beans overnight? ›

Do I Have to Soak the Red Beans Overnight? No, there are other options. There are two other “quick soak” methods, but both still take an hour or more. To read more about other methods of soaking your beans, read How to Soak Your Beans from Camellia Beans.

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