Slow cooker red beans and rice is a hearty dinner full of big, bold Cajun flavors. With limited prep, you can throw this red beans and rice recipe in your slow cooker in the morning and come home to a cozy dinner ready and waiting.

I love my crock pot.

It’s definitely the MVP of my kitchen, particularly on busy days when I don’t have lots of time to make an involved meal.

Being able to just throw a few ingredients into the slow cooker and then walk away until dinner time is key to my sanity.

Aside from saving my sanity, it helps me avoid making unnecessary drive thru runs to get dinner on the table.

And let’s be honest, I’d rather eat a delicious bowl of this slow cooker red beans and rice than takeout anything any day of the week!

Loaded with bold Louisiana flavors and oh so hearty, it’s comfort food jazzed up with jalapenos, Cajun or Creole seasoning, and sausage for a stick to your ribs kind of dinner.

What is red beans and rice and where did it come from?

Red beans and rice is a meal you’d find traditionally in Louisiana in Creole cooking.

The dish evolved from the practical cooking habits of Creole households since where beans and rice were inexpensive, filling staples that could feed large families.

In this dish red kidney beans simmer slowly with aromatics, spices, and whatever meat scraps were available, often ham bones or sausage since Sunday dinner often featured a whole ham or sausage to feed the family.

Mondays had much less fanfare, as it was was laundry day in New Orleans.

Since washing clothes took hours, cooks needed a meal that could simmer unattended on the stove while chores were done.

And red beans and rice is one of those meals perfect for leaving unattended while you something else.

You can easily be prepare it in the morning and then slowly simmer on the stove top all day long, while using up the leftovers from Sunday dinner.

Nowadays, the meal is for both every day occasions like a Monday and special occasions.

Ingredients

To make this you’ll need:

Red beans– Dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight in water. You can use light or dark red, depending on your personal preference.
Water
Sausage– Andouille sausage sliced into rounds, or smoked beef sausage
Veggies– Chopped onion, chopped green bell pepper, sliced celery, and seeded and chopped jalapeno
Garlic– Chopped or pressed
Seasoning– Black pepper and Creole seasoning. If you can’t find Creole seasoning, use Cajun Seasoning.
Cooked Rice– Steamed white rice, preferably, for serving

How to Make

Slow cooker red beans and rice is pretty easy!

Just rinse the soaked red beans and add them to the bottom of a slow cooker.

Cover the red beans with the water, sausage, onions, peppers, celery, jalapeno (if using), garlic and pepper.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook it on HIGH for 8 hours or until the texture of the bean is creamy when you bite into it.

Mash about 1/3 of the beans with a potato masher.

Season with the Creole seasoning and serve over cooked rice.

Enjoy!

Storing

Store the stew portion of red beans separately from the rice.

You can store the stew in the covered bowl of the slow cooker for up to 4 days.

Reheat it in your slow cooker until warm and serve over warm rice.

You could also reheat individual portions in the microwave over rice.

What to Serve with Cajun Red Beans and Rice

This Cajun red beans and rice recipe is a meal on its own.

A lot of people like to serve this dish with cornbread crumbled in it and eaten together, or as a tasty tool for sopping up any leftover juices.

It also pairs well with:

Tips and Tricks

Skip the jalapeno if you don’t like spicy food. Not including the jalapeno will lower the spice level significantly. If you really don’t like spicy food, only add a tsp of creole seasoning and go easy on the black pepper.
Use andouille sausage for the best flavor, but a simple smoked sausage like kielbasa will work in its place. Smoked sausage is also a much milder flavored meat if you are concerned about heat levels.
For a vegetarian version of this, skip adding sausage. It will still be delicious.
Looking for an extra meaty version? Add pieces of ham or crumbled bacon in addition to the sausage.

Other Southern Soul Food

Slow cooker red beans and rice is a hearty, stick to your ribs kind of meal full of bold Creole flavors.

Make it and enjoy!

Looking for other Southern soul food?

Try these:

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