Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice Recipe
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This delicious Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice recipe is a traditional Creole red beans and rice favorite made easy in the slow cooker! Freezes well for meal prepping too!
Red Beans and Rice is definitely a favorite meal at my house. It’s so comforting and delicious. The ingredients for this satisfying meal are inexpensive, readily available in the grocery store, and usually found in most stocked pantries.
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice Recipe
When I was growing up, my Mama would make Red Beans and Rice when she knew she would be home all day so that she could tend to it on the stove. Now, I just take about 5 minutes to toss the ingredients into the slow cooker, set the timer, and smell the deliciousness as it cooks. There is no need to babysit the pot or hover around the kitchen, which makes this remake of a family favorite super simple to make and a winner in my book!
How to Make Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice Recipe
To make this dish, you’ll need the following ingredients and a slow cooker.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- beans – You will need three (15-ounce) cans of red kidney beans. You’ll drain two cans and leave one undrained for this recipe.
- sausage – Use your preference of a mild smoked sausage or a spicy andouille sausage for more spice.
- celery – chopped
- green bell pepper – chopped
- onion – chopped
- garlic cloves – I also love to use Stone House Seasoning in place of the salt and garlic in this recipe. If using instead of the garlic cloves and salt, use 1 1/2 teaspoons.
- seasoning – Use Worcestershire sauce (or coconut aminos), salt, and chili powder. If using Stone House Seasoning in place of the garlic cloves, omit the salt.
- long grain rice – cooked according to package instructions
- optional garnish: green onions and/ or fresh parsley
Step by Step Instructions
Prep. Add red beans (2 cans drained, 1 can undrained), smoked sausage, celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic (or Stone House Seasoning), Worcestershire sauce (or coconut aminos), salt, and chili powder to a 6-quart slow cooker.
Cook. Stir all of the ingredients together so that they are well combined. Place 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, the aroma coming from the slow cooker is out of this world!
Cook rice. As the red beans are finishing, cook your favorite rice according to the package directions.
Serve. Once both beans and rice are done, add rice to each serving bowl. Top each bowl of rice with a serving of the red beans. To garnish, top your red beans and rice with chopped green onions and chopped fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy!
How to Store Red Beans and Rice
This recipe is perfect to make ahead and it freezes well.
Refrigerator
Once cooled, place cooked and cooled red beans in an air-tight container(s) and do the same for the cooled rice. It will last 5-6 days in the refrigerator.
Freezer
To freeze, allow the red beans and the rice to cool completely. Portion each into a 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.
More Slow Cooker Favorites
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
Equipment
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 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, or coconut aminos
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 4 cups uncooked long grain rice
Optional Garnish
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Originally published September 2017.
Needs more spice, Although the Andouille sausage had a bit of kick to it the beans themselves were very bland.
Love that we didn’t need to presoak the beans. Will make it again with additional spices. Thanks!
Thanks, Michelle! I didn’t make this recipe very spicy since so many people don’t like really spicy food. I thought everyone who wanted a more spicy dish could add more. So glad you liked it! xo
You are so right-it is dangerous having these just hanging out in the crock pot waiting for supper!! I can’t stop eating them straight from the pot and it’s still an hour ‘til we actually eat!! These are sooooooo yummy!!! Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
Thanks, Jill!
I just wanted to let you know I have made this recipe SO many times. My family absolutely loves it. We use kielbasa sausage, omit the bell pepper and use a bit less celery and it’s perfect.
I have also used both dried and canned beans (3 cans per an earlier commenter) on different occasions and the spice ratio is the same for either. When using canned beans I find the quantity is enough for our family of 4 plus lunch the next day, but when you use dry you can easily put half in a freezer and still have enough for leftovers. That being said, this freezes beautifully! Thank you so much for sharing this. It has been part of our family’s dinner rotation for many months!
Thanks, Gaylin. I always like to hear when someone loves one of my recipes. Also, love the information you gave on how you make it for your family and then store the leftovers. xo
I wasn’t thrilled with the way this came out but only because of my personal preferences. The recipe itself is awesome. I should have used a spicier sausage and less green pepper. For some reason anything I make with green pepper, it ends up with it being all I can taste. So next time the only change I’ll make is to use a spicy andouille sausage and only a half of a green pepper. Otherwise yum!!
Hi Lani Lin,
I’m sorry this was not spicy enough for you. We love it with a spicier andouille sausage sometimes, too. I hope you like it better next time with the changes. Thanks!
I made this in my dutch oven due to lack of time. It came out amazing! Next time I would add more sausage.
Made this recipe tonight, and it’s a keeper. The only thing I did different was to make a roux, and mix it in at the end. Made it just a little thicker. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Glad you enjoyed it Lyn! xo
This has been my go to red beans and rice recipe! I just use canned beans and add a can of Rotel tomatoes for some added flavor. Delicious! This is from a true Cajun too.
Thanks Cat! xo
Great recipe. Very delicious. I did add a few whole bay leaves and a 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper, and used a quart of vegetable stock in place of 4 Quarts of the water. I did soak the beans and rinsed them before use. This really helps for eliminating the bean flatulence problem. I also preheated the cooker liner by filling it with really hot tap water and dumping it before use to speed things up and heated up the vegetable stock in a saucepan before adding. Then boiled the remaining 3 qts of water before adding and sautéed the vegetables in olive oil (softened but not browned) before adding. I realize these extra steps are not really necessary but they do get things cooking faster. I will make this recipe again, it is a keeper. Thank you.
Thanks Peter!
Hello!
I live in California and unfortunately never had “real” RB&R before. Tried a few other recipes, but yours by far has been the best, but I’m not an expert. I like my food REALLY spicy so next time I think I’m going to go with andouille sausage.
Glad you liked it Chris! Thanks!
Made this recipe, love cooking in my slow cooker. Easy using dry beans. I did use 1 lb. of spicy sausage. Delicious!
Thanks Alyson!