Red Beans Crockpot Recipe with Sausage
These red beans crockpot recipes are a slow cooker take on the Louisiana Monday dinner. Dried kidney beans simmer with smoked sausage and the holy trinity until creamy, then get served over rice.
8
servings20
minutes9
hoursSoaked and boiled red beans cook slowly with smoked sausage and Cajun seasoning until they break down into a creamy gravy. Serve over white rice.
Ingredients
1 lb dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 lb smoked andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
4 cups cooked white rice, for serving
Sliced green onions, for topping
Directions
- Drain the soaked beans and place them in a saucepan. Cover with fresh water and boil hard for 10 minutes to neutralize the natural toxin in raw kidney beans.
- Drain the boiled beans and add them to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic on top of the beans.
- Stir in the broth, bay leaves, Cajun seasoning, thyme, cayenne, paprika and Worcestershire. Do not add salt yet.
- Brown the sausage rounds in a skillet for 4 minutes per side and add them to the pot.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or HIGH for 5 to 6 hours, until the beans are very soft.
- Remove the bay leaves. Mash about a cup of beans against the side of the pot with a spoon.
- Stir the mashed beans back in and season with the salt. Cook uncovered on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes to thicken.
- Taste and adjust with more cayenne or a splash of vinegar.
- Serve over hot rice and top with green onions.
Notes
- Always boil soaked kidney beans for 10 minutes before they go in the slow cooker. Salt added too early can keep beans firm. Use smoked turkey sausage for a lighter version, or a ham hock for deeper flavor. Leftovers keep 5 days and taste better the next day. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
Why red beans suit the slow cooker
Red beans and rice is a Monday dish in Louisiana for a reason. The pot sits on the stove all day while the beans go creamy and the sausage seasons the whole thing. A slow cooker copies that setup without a burner running for hours.
Slow, gentle heat is what makes the broth thick. The beans soften until some of them break down on their own, and mashing a cup of them at the end finishes the job. A pan cannot give you that texture without constant stirring. The result tastes like it took all day because it did, and you only chopped vegetables for twenty minutes.
Ingredient notes for red beans and sausage
Dried red kidney beans: Use dried, not canned, for the creamy texture. Soak them overnight, then boil them hard for 10 minutes before they go in the pot. Raw kidney beans carry a toxin that a slow cooker never gets hot enough to destroy.
Andouille sausage: This smoked, spicy pork sausage is the classic. Any smoked sausage works, and smoked turkey sausage is a lighter choice.
The trinity: Onion, bell pepper and celery are the base of Cajun cooking. Dice them about the same size so they soften together.
Cajun seasoning: Check the label for salt. Some blends are mostly salt, which matters since you season at the end.
Bay leaves and thyme: They give the pot its background flavor. Fish out the bay leaves before you mash the beans.
Hot cooked rice: Plain long-grain white rice soaks up the creamy broth better than anything else.
Tips for a creamy pot
Boil the beans first: The most common mistake with red beans in a slow cooker is skipping the 10 minute boil. It is a safety step, not an optional one, so do it every time.
Salt at the end: Salt added early can keep the bean skins firm. Add it once the beans are soft, when you can taste the broth properly.
Mash some beans: Pressing a cup of beans against the side of the pot and stirring them back in turns the liquid thick and creamy without adding flour or cream. Then taste it again just before serving, since the flavor changes a lot as the beans break down.
Swaps and variations
A smoked ham hock added with the broth gives a deeper, meatier flavor, and you can pull the meat off the bone at the end. Smoked turkey sausage lightens the dish. A splash of hot sauce or vinegar at the table brightens the pot.
Do not use canned beans in place of dried ones for this long a cook. They break down into mush in an hour or two, and the broth turns grainy instead of creamy. Brown the sausage first for the best flavor, because the rendered fat seasons the beans from the inside.
What to serve with it
Serve it over hot white rice in wide bowls, with sliced green onions on top. Cornbread or crusty bread is good for soaking up the broth, and a pile of sauteed greens or coleslaw adds something fresh. Keep the hot sauce on the table. Sliced green onions, a little chopped parsley and a few dashes of hot sauce on top finish each bowl.
Storing, freezing and reheating
Red beans taste better on day two. Refrigerate the cooled pot for up to 5 days in a covered container. They thicken as they sit, so add a splash of broth or water when you warm them.
They freeze very well. Portion into freezer bags, press out the air, and keep up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat slowly in a pot, stirring often.
Red Beans Crockpot Recipe with Sausage at a glance
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 9 hours
- Servings: 8 servings
- Ingredients: 16, led by dried red kidney beans, smoked andouille sausage, yellow onion, green bell pepper
Tips for Red Beans Crockpot Recipe with Sausage
Always boil soaked kidney beans for 10 minutes before they go in the slow cooker. Salt added too early can keep beans firm. Use smoked turkey sausage for a lighter version, or a ham hock for deeper flavor. Leftovers keep 5 days and taste better the next day. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
Red Beans Crockpot Recipe with Sausage FAQ
How long does Red Beans Crockpot Recipe with Sausage take?
Red Beans Crockpot Recipe with Sausage takes 9 hours of cooking after 20 minutes of prep.
How many people does Red Beans Crockpot Recipe with Sausage serve?
This recipe makes 8 servings.
What do I need to make Red Beans Crockpot Recipe with Sausage?
16 ingredients, led by dried red kidney beans, smoked andouille sausage, yellow onion, green bell pepper. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
