Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice Recipe – A traditional Creole red beans and rice recipe that everyone loves made easy in the slow cooker!
Red beans and rice, it is definitely always a family favorite meal at my house and one that is comforting and delicious. I remember growing up that Mama would make it for special meals when she knew that she would be home all day so that she could tend to it on the stove, having to make sure that she kept plenty of liquid in the Dutch oven so it didn’t scorch.
Now, I just take about 5 minutes to toss everything for the red beans into the slow cooker, set the timer and walk away. No need to babysit the pot or hover around the kitchen. Talk about easy! This remake of a family favorite goes down as a definite win in my book!
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice Recipe
How to Make Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice Recipe
To make my easy slow cooker red beans and rice, I start using canned red kidney beans. I drain 2 cans of the beans and leave one can as is, undrained.
To the canned beans, I also add in my smoked sausage, celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and chili powder. For the smoked sausage, you can use a spicy andouille sausage or a milder version based on your preference. I will say that when I serve this to guests, I make sure to use a milder variety since the spiciness of andouille sausage might not work for everyone. If you aren’t sure, I would suggest going mild to begin with but trying it with the andouille at some point too!
Stir all of the ingredients together so that they are well combined, pop the lid onto your slow cooker and set the timer for 4 hours on high.
Once the beans and other vegetables are tender, give your red beans another stir to combine all of the flavors. I have to say, it is mighty hard to resist this big pot cooking away. The smell is out of this world!
As the red beans are finishing, cook your favorite rice according to the package directions.
Add rice to each serving bowl and top with a ladle filled with the red beans. Then, top your red beans and rice with green onions and parsley for serving and devour!
How to Freeze Red Beans and Rice Recipe
Once cooked, allow to cool completely and then portion into freezer-safe container(s). Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat and serve.
Here’s my Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice Recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 15-ounce cans red kidney beans, drained
- 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, undrained
- 1/2 pound smoked sausage thinly sliced (andouille or smoked)
- 3 celery ribs chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 4 cups uncooked long grain rice
- green onions chopped, for garnish
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Add red kidney beans, smoked sausage, celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and chili powder to a 6-quart slow cooker. Set on high setting and cook for 4 hours.
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Serve red beans over top of the cooked rice. Top with fresh green onions and parsley.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Liked this recipe but made a few changes. Soaked the beans overnight, used chicken broth instead of water, added a cup of chopped cabbage and a 1/4 tsp of caraway seeds. Cooked in the slow cooker for 8 hours and served over brown rice. Perfect after a day of snowmobiling!
how much liquid? 1 can of bean liquid does not seem like it is enough.
There was plenty of liquid with only one can undrained, Amy. It may vary with the brand of beans you use, though.
Other than doubling the sausage, I followed this recipe precisely and it was a HUGE hit. My family devoured it like they hadn’t eaten in days. When I first put everything in the crockpot, I wondered if there was enough liquid too, but it turned out to be more than enough. My Instacart shopper substituted the wrong beans on a recent trip, so I’ll be trying this recipe again next week with a bean trio (kidney, pinto and black). It won’t be traditional “red beans” but I think this recipe will work well with a variety of beans: simple yet flavorful. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
I’m so glad you liked this recipe. Thank you!
I’m confused. The ingredients say 2 cans 15 oz red kidney beans and the next line says 1 can 15 oz cans red kidney beans. So is it 2 cans, 1 can, or 3 cans total? Looking forward to clarification.
Cassie, the recipe ingredients are 2 cans drained and one can undrained, so a total of 3 cans. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Do you think vegan sausage would work?
I haven’t tried this with vegan sausage, Sara.