Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice With Andouille Sausage

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 08/18/22
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 8 hrs
Total: 8 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Spicy andouille sausage jazzes up this basic crock pot red beans and rice recipe. If you like meatier red beans and rice, add a ham bone, ham hocks, diced ham, or some bacon to the beans.

Red beans and rice is a traditional Louisiana dish. You'll find similar dishes in many regions. Hoppin' John is a Southern dish made with black-eyed peas and rice, and "Moors and Christians," or black beans and rice, is a traditional Cuban dish.

Limpin' Susan is another bean and rice dish similar to Hoppin' John, but it's made with okra and bacon, and it doesn't always include beans. Some versions include black-eyed peas or red beans.

Some people have no problem adding salt and other acidic ingredients to dry beans, and others say the age of the beans or water hardness can cause problems. Because salt and acidity—for some people—can keep the beans from becoming tender, add the salt and sausage after the beans have become tender. 

Crock pot red beans and rice recipe

The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried small red beans, or kidney beans

  • 1 1/2 quarts water

  • 3 stalks celery, diced or sliced, about 1 heaping cup

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more, to taste

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 pound spicy andouille sausage, diced

  • 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

  • 2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt, or more, to taste

  • 2 cups long-grain rice

  • Freshly baked cornbread, for serving, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for crock pot red beans recipe gathered

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  2. Put the dried beans in a bowl of cold water and swish them around to rinse. Discard floating beans.

    Put dried beans in a bowl

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  3. Drain the beans in a colander and pick them over, looking for any small stones or malformed beans.

    Drain beans

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  4. Put the beans in the crockery insert of a slow cooker.

    Put beans in crock pot

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  5. Add 1 1/2 quarts of water to the beans along with the celery, onion, ​garlic, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper flakes.

    Add water to the beans

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  6. Cover the slow cooker and cook the beans on low for about 6 to 7 hours, or until the beans are tender. Or cook them for about 3 1/2 to 5 hours on high. 

    Slow cook

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  7. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced andouille sausage and cook, stirring, until the sausage is nicely browned.

    Browned sausage in skillet

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  8. Add the sausage and bell pepper to the beans. Taste and add 2 to 3 teaspoons of kosher salt, or to taste. 

    Add sausage and bell pepper to crock pot

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  9. Cover and continue cooking on low for about 1 hour longer.

    Cook red beans and rice with sausage

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  10. Meanwhile, cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop following package directions. 

    Cook the rice

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  11. Mound the rice on a plate or in a bowl, ladle the beans over the rice, and serve with freshly baked bread or cornbread if desired.

    Serve red beans and rice with sausage

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Recipe Variations

  • Use diced kielbasa or another type of smoked sausage in place of the andouille.
  • Add 1 chopped carrot along with the onion and celery.
  • Substitute canned red kidney beans for dry ones. If you decide to do this, reduce the cooking time by at least two hours.

How to Store and Freeze

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.
  • To freeze leftovers, chill the cooked red beans and sausage and pack into freezer containers. Leave about 1/2-inch headspace to allow for expansion.


Nutrition Facts (per serving)
327 Calories
18g Fat
28g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 327
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 5g 27%
Cholesterol 35mg 12%
Sodium 962mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 9mg 45%
Calcium 48mg 4%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 603mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)