I had never tried Red Beans & Rice before I moved to Louisiana many years ago. I’ve eaten a lot of the dish since, and everyone has their own “way” of doing it. This is my version–red beans from a Utah girl living in the South and learning from the best! This slow cooker dinner recipe is comforting, flavorful, and simple.
Ingredients Needed
- Red Kidney Beans – if you’re at a higher elevation, it’s important to soak these overnight (or for at least 5 hours) before proceeding with the recipe; raw or undercooked beans are high in lectin content, which can lead to stomach upset.
- Chicken Broth – you can get yours from a carton or can at the store, or make your own.
- Smoked Sausage – we recommend Andouille sausage for this recipe, if you can find it. A large, meaty ham bone works well too.
- Onion – a sharp knife, well ventilated area, and chilling the onion beforehand will result in less tears while cutting.
- Garlic – we recommend using freshly minced garlic for this recipe, not jarred.
- Cajun or Creole seasoning – Tony Chachere’s is the best! If you’re using Andouille sausage, omit this ingredient.
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Oregano
- Cinnamon – not a typo; you definitely don’t want to leave this out!
- Smoked paprika – or liquid smoke to taste
How to Make Red Beans & Rice
- Soak the beans overnight (or for at least 5 hours), if you are at a higher elevation. If you don’t have time for soaking beforehand, you could also cook the beans longer in the slow cooker; just be sure to adjust your timeline accordingly and start earlier in the day.
- Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker, and cook for 4 – 5 hours.
- When beans are tender, mash most of them while still in the slow cooker.
- Cook rice and serve. Most people in the South put their rice on the bottom with beans on top, but you can put in your beans first too. This recipe makes 8 1-cup servings of beans, and 8 1/2 cup servings of rice.
Tips
- If you’re looking for a really good quality smoked sausage, try a local butcher. Quality sausage makes a world of difference in this recipe!
- For leftover storage, store the red beans and rice separately from each other.
- When re-heating rice, always add 1 – 2 tablespoons of water per cup of leftover rice. Heat in 30 second intervals until it’s piping hot. Due to food safety concerns, it’s recommended to reheat leftover rice only once. Take out only what you need, or reheat it all together and discard any remainder.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re close to sea level, yes, just please ensure they are rinsed and sorted first. If you’re at a higher elevation, we recommend soaking the beans for 5+ hours (or overnight), or, plan on a longer cooking time in the slow cooker.
Yes! Just note, the flavor might not be as rich and as complex with canned beans. Keep in mind, you’ll just have to get around 8 cups of mashed beans and liquid (you want it semi-soupy, not thick like canned refried beans). You will probably want to cut down on the amount of water used, and include some of the liquid from the beans. We have never personally tried it this way, so we can not offer any guarantees on the outcome.
Yes! Although the classic Red Beans and Rice calls for – you guessed it, red beans – this method makes any variety of bean taste delicious. Black, white, or pinto will all taste great with the same technique.
Sorting and rinsing beans means to comb through the dry beans carefully, and remove any stones, damaged beans, or other debris. Then, rinse under cold water to remove dust and dirt. It’s surprising what can end up in dry beans, so taking a moment to complete this step is vital.
Yes! Freezer meal instructions can be found at the bottom of the recipe card.
Red Beans and Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
Beans
- 1 pound red kidney beans, dry rinsed and sorted
- 6 cups chicken broth
- ⅓-½ pound smoked sausage, or 1 large, meaty ham bone Andouille sausage recommended
- 1 onion chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning Tony Chachere’s is the best; omit this if using Andouille sausage
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- ¾ teaspoon coriander
- ¾ teaspoon oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon not a typo; you definitely want this in there!
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or liquid smoke to taste
Rice
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 cups white rice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low all day, or you can start on high until it starts to simmer and then switch it to low. If you're at a high elevation, the beans will need to cook longer and/or you need to soak them overnight before you start cooking them in the morning.
- When beans are tender, mash about 85-90% of them against the side of the crock pot. Give them a taste and add any extra seasonings if you need to, particularly more Tony’s or salt and pepper. Replace lid and set heat to “low", or "off".
- In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, and 2 cups of white rice to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and steam for 20 minutes.
- Serve beans with rice.
Questions & Reviews
This is a family favorite in our household. It is so easy for me to throw together before going to work or to have in the slow cooker on busy weekends. Thank you so much for making this a staple in our home. We always keep red beans in our pantry and the sausage in our freezer to make it anytime.
This was really, really good! I wasn’t sure about the cinnamon–I was prepared to be upset, but I actually couldn’t taste it. Even my pickiest eater liked this!
This is a family favorite. We make it at least twice a month. My entire family loves it and is thrilled when it is on the docket.
Hi Kate! Have you tried making these in the instant pot? I have made dried blackbeans in the instant pot and all I did was cook them on high for 28 minutes so I think I could do the same here, probably just add a few minutes so that the beans are a little more mashable?
I have tried and tried, but I cannot get kidney/red beans to work in an instant pot (and I’m at a low elevation). I imagine if I soak them, it might help, but then that takes the “instant” out of the scenario, haha. If I cook them for longer, they just burn on the outside, but they’re not done in the middle. I think this is one where you might just have to kick it old school.
Made this today in my Instapot and it was amazing. Southern comfort food at its finest. Thank you for sharing.
This is a GREAT recipe, but I want to share a few modifications that have worked well for me.
Traditional Red Beans & Rice should really be made with Tasso ‘ham.’ It is a sweet ham, but if you don’t live in the deep south, it is extremely expensive.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasso_ham
I have used smoked sausage and Andouille sausage, but I have not been satisfied with the flavor they give to the dish. DO NOT use Chorizo… Also, DO NOT add the meat at the beginning – wait until the last 30 minutes, after you have smashed the beans and thickened the solution.
I tried using a ‘Maple-cured Ham’ in the recipe today with very good results. The sweetness of the ham more closely represents the ‘Tasso’ that belongs in it, and I believe it pairs well with the cinnamon in the recipe. I used a cinnamon/sugar mix, and it was great.
I also threw in a diced jalapeno from my garden.
Red Beans & Rice does not need to be a dull dish. Done right, it will be savory and full of flavor.
I have never cooked rice with vinegar in the water. Do you taste the vinegar in the finished product? If not, what does the vinegar do? (Sorry if this is a silly question.)
Nope! 🙂
Any tips for cooking it in the pressure cooker?
I haven’t tried it yet, but I will soon and let you know!:)