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Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice makes a delicious dinner... and this recipe is SO simple! This well-loved Louisiana entree, which calls for dried red beans, Andouille sausage, green bell pepper, onion and spices, is the perfect meal year-round. This recipe, which is perfect for Mardi Gras festivities, football tailgates and while hosting a party, because it requires little hands-on time, cooks unassisted in the slow cooker and feeds a crowd.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
9 hrs
Total Time
9 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 392 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cajun

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. dried red beans
  • 1 lb. andouille sausage
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or less, if feeding kids
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 32 oz. unsalted chicken broth
  • cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Sort the beans. Remove any broken ones, as well as any plant bits or rocks. Give them a rinse.
  2. Place the beans in the basin of the slow cooker.
  3. Chop the onion and bell pepper. Mince the garlic. Sprinkle them on top of the red beans in the slow cooker.
  4. Season with the red pepper flakes and kosher salt.
  5. Slice the (smoked) Andouille sausage*, and place on top of the other ingredients in the slow cooker.
  6. Give the ingredients a stir to combine them, then pour in the chicken stock.
  7. Cover, and cook on HIGH for 5-6 hours (on LOW for 9-10 hours), or until the red beans are extremely soft.
  8. Serve warm over rice!

Notes

  • Please do NOT use canned red beans for this recipe. They will become mush by the end of cooking time, and no one wants mushy red beans.
  • My original recipe calls for soaking the beans overnight. I updated it in June 2022 to omit this step, as I've found that the beans will cook for long enough to not require an overnight soak.
  • All andouille sausages are a little different. Some have more heat than others while others are more flavorful without the added punch of heat. You're going to have to do some legwork and discover the brands that work for you and yours because they are all so different.
  • Fresh pork andouille sausage at the Whole Foods meat counter here in Dallas has been both flavorful and a little heat. Central Market's fresh andouille sausage is also good, though we found it to have very little heat.
  • Silva Naturals Smoked Andouille Sausage* (affiliate link) is also delicious. It's less spicy, but it has a ton of flavor.
  • If you're sensitive to heat, omit the red pepper flakes. We normally leave it out if we're sharing this recipe with our kids. The andouille sausage will provide more than enough flavor without the added heat unless you want it.
  • Andouille sausage is a popular sausage in South Louisiana. It comes in both smoked and fresh varieties, and depending on where you live, you might not be able to find it or might only be able to find one variety. We prefer the smoked andouille sausage because it slices up easily before you cook the red beans and rice. However, you can use fresh andouille sausage. Add them to the slow cooker whole and slice after the cooking is done.
  • If you cannot find andouille sausage, you can use hot Italian sausage instead.
  • If you do not eat pork, some brands sell chicken andouille sausage, and that can be used in this recipe. We've found these to be spicier than the pork variety, for whatever reason.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 392kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 30g (10%) Protein 18g (36%) Fat 22g (34%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 12g Cholesterol 50mg (17%) Sodium 871mg (36%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 3g (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 392

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 392kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 30g 10%
Protein 18g 36%
Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 12g 71%
Cholesterol 50mg 17%
Sodium 871mg 36%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 3g 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.