Crock Pot Cajun Red Beans and Rice with Andouille

Crock Pot Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Red kidney beans and thick rounds of smoked andouille cook with onion, bell pepper, celery, and Cajun seasoning until the beans are tender. Mashing a small portion at the end turns the cooking liquid into a creamy, spoonable sauce while leaving most of the beans whole. Cook the white rice separately and spoon the beans over it to serve.

This is not a slow-cooker-only recipe: dried kidney beans must be soaked, then boiled vigorously on the stovetop for 30 minutes before they go into the cooker.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Cajun Red Beans and Rice

• 1 lb dried red kidney beans, sorted and rinsed (450g)
• 12 oz fully cooked smoked andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch rounds (340g)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 150g)
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced (about 150g)
• 2 celery ribs, diced (about 100g)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons salt-free Cajun seasoning
• 2 bay leaves
• About 3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed to just cover the beans
• 2 cups uncooked white rice (about 370g)

Optional for serving: hot sauce and 2 to 3 tablespoons sliced green onions. You will also need water for soaking and boiling the beans; discard that water before slow cooking.

Yield: 6 servings. Timing: About 20 minutes active prep, plus 8 to 12 hours soaking, a 30-minute rolling boil, and approximately 8 to 10 hours on LOW. Cook the rice near serving time.

How to Make Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

1. Soak the beans: Cover the sorted, rinsed beans generously with water in a large bowl. Soak for 8 to 12 hours, keeping them submerged. Drain and discard the soaking water.
2. Boil the beans: Put the soaked beans in a large pot and cover with fresh water. Bring to a vigorous rolling boil and maintain it for a full 30 minutes, not merely a simmer. Drain.
3. Fill the slow cooker: Add the drained beans, fully cooked sausage, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and bay leaves to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in about 3 1/2 cups broth, adding more only if needed to just cover the beans. Stir and keep the mixture below the cooker’s maximum-fill line.
4. Cook until tender: Cover and cook on LOW. Begin checking the beans and liquid level around 6 hours; they may need approximately 8 to 10 hours, but stop once several beans are tender all the way through, with no firm or chalky centers. If they are still firm, continue cooking and check periodically. Add hot water if the liquid falls enough to expose the beans or the cooker looks dry.
5. Thicken the sauce: Remove the bay leaves. Mash a small portion of the tender beans against the side of the cooker, then stir and let stand for a few minutes. The sauce should coat the mostly whole beans and sausage but still flow easily from a spoon. If it is thin, cook uncovered on HIGH briefly, watching closely. Taste before adding salt or hot sauce.
6. Cook the rice and serve: Prepare the rice separately according to its package directions, timing it to finish near the beans. Spoon the beans, sausage, and sauce over the hot rice.

Why the Kidney Beans Need a Stovetop Boil

Dried kidney beans require the vigorous boil before slow cooking; soaking and slow-cooker heat alone do not replace it. Use fresh water after soaking, keep the water at a rolling boil for the full 30 minutes, and drain the beans before adding them to the cooker. Do not start dried kidney beans directly in the slow cooker.

How to Keep the Beans Creamy and Spoonable

Wait until the beans are tender throughout before mashing any. Crushing just a small portion thickens the liquid without turning the pot into a paste. If the finished sauce is too thick, stir in a little hot water. If it remains watery after mashing, let it reduce briefly uncovered on HIGH.

Bean age and slow-cooker performance affect finishing time, so check tenderness rather than relying on the clock. Andouille also varies in salt and heat; the salt-free seasoning and reduced-sodium broth leave room to adjust the finished pot.

Serving and Sausage Options

Keep rice out of the slow cooker so it does not soften during the long bean cook. For a milder version, replace andouille with fully cooked mild smoked sausage or fully cooked smoked turkey sausage. Taste the finished beans before adjusting salt or heat. Canned kidney beans should not follow this full dried-bean cooking schedule.

How to Store and Reheat Beans and Rice

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate beans and rice in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days. Reheat each until thoroughly hot, adding a splash of water to the beans if the sauce has thickened. Do not leave cooked rice at room temperature for an extended period.

Freeze the cooled bean-and-sausage mixture without rice for up to 3 months. For another slow-cooker dinner, try slow cooker brisket.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving, including rice, based on 6 servings: 680 calories, 32g protein, 16g fat, and 102g carbohydrates. Approximate values per 100g of prepared food: 110 calories, 5g protein, 3g fat, and 16g carbohydrates. Values vary with the sausage, broth, cooked rice yield, and amount of liquid retained in the beans.