Crockpot Red Beans and Rice
If there’s one dish that really says “Cajun,” it’s red beans and rice. This hearty mix of red beans, meat, veggies, and spice is like the taste equivalent of Mardi Gras – a zesty explosion of flavors with all the heat of a Louisiana summer.
The traditional way to make this dish involves several steps. You soak the beans overnight, brown the meat and veggies together, add the beans and all the other seasonings, and then simmer it on the stove for a couple of hours. Oh, and shortly before serving it, you mash up some of the beans to give it a creamier texture.
But who has time for all that? It’s much easier – and just as delicious – to start with canned beans and just toss them in the Crockpot, along with most the other ingredients. Four hours on high or six on low will soften the beans just enough to give them that craveable creamy texture, while giving all the other flavors plenty of time to blend. Then just toss in the sausage and fix some fluffy white rice to go with it.
Note that to make this truly authentic, Louisiana style, you should really use Andouille sausage if you can get your hands on some. But honestly, any kind of smoked sausage will work – and I promise not to tell.
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RECIPE TIPS:
Is there a way to make this this crockpot red beans and rice vegetarian?
Sure, that’s easy. Just leave out the ham and the sausage, adding a dash of Liquid Smoke to supply the missing smoky flavor. It might also need a little salt, depending on how much there is in your canned beans. This version is not just vegetarian but vegan, good for even the strictest herbivores. And with the combination of rice and beans, it still has plenty of protein.
Can I add more veggies to the dish?
Sure! You can bump up the amounts of onion, celery, and bell pepper, or you can add chopped tomatoes, summer squash, corn — pretty much anything that appeals to you.
Can I freeze my leftover?
Yes you can. Combine the beans and rice in one container and let them cool down to room temperature, then put them in a zip-top freezer bag. Using a straw to suck out as much of the air as possible helps prevent freezer burn.
What’s the best way to reheat red beans and rice?
If they’ve been frozen, the easiest way to reheat them is to put the whole block in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and warm it up on low heat, stirring it to break up any clumps. If they’re just chilled, zap them for one minute at a time in the microwave, stirring after each minute. It helps to put a cup of water in the microwave next to the beans so they don’t dry out too much.
How To Make Crockpot Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients you will need:
- cubed fully cooked ham
- onion
- garlic cloves
- celery
- red beans
- dried bay leaf
- tomato sauce
- hot sauce
- bell pepper
- Cajun seasoning
- fully cooked smoked sausage
- cooked white rice
- Place ham, onion, garlic, celery into your slow cooker.
- Top with, beans, bay leaf, tomato sauce, pepper sauce, bell pepper and cajun seasoning.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
- When time is up, remove bay leave and add in sausage. Increase heat setting to high. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until sausage is heated through.
- Serve over white rice and garnish with thinly sliced green onions.
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TOOLS USED FOR THIS CROCKPOT RED BEANS AND RICE
Slow Cooker: Here is one of my favorite crockpots!
Slow Cooker Liners: Do you love easy clean-up jobs? Give these liners a try.
Crockpot Red Beans and Rice
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
- 1/3 cup onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 can 15oz red beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 can 15oz tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 medium bell pepper chopped (1 cup)
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 lb fully cooked smoked sausage sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 3 cups prepared white rice
Instructions
- Place ham, onion, garlic, celery, beans, bay leaf, tomato sauce, hot sauce
- Top with onion, beans, bay leaf, tomato sauce, pepper sauce, bell
- pepper and cajun seasoning.
- Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
- When time is up, remove bay leave and add in sausage. Increase heat setting to
- high. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until sausage is heated through.
- Serve over white rice and garnish with thinly sliced green onions.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals 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.
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- Crockpot Detox Soup – a super healthy meal
I was wondering if this could be made in an instant pot? If so, cooked for how long? Also, I have a granddaughter that is not into “spicy” meals, is this pretty spicy? If so, I will just cut some of the spices a little.
P.S. I have been looking for a good Red Beans and Rice recipe for a long time. Thank you for sharing this one. I am planning to make it on Monday.
I haven’t tried this one in the instant pot yet Bianca. But I will be testing a recipe for that soon!
Made this tonight. As the young kids would say, “This was bomb.” Love it and will def add to my book of recipes.
Great recipe! I made it in a Ninja slow cooker. No need to soak the beans!