This slow cooker red beans and rice recipe brings you creamy, New Orleans style beans the easy way!
I grew up eating two different kinds of red beans and rice. My mom made her own slow cooker version with canned large red kidney beans and tomatoes, which had whole beans and a thin broth. At Southern restaurants and the good ol’ Mississippi State cafeteria (loved that place), I had the thick, creamy version with mostly mashed beans.
Both versions were delicious, but I only knew how to make my mom’s kind until I tried Emeril’s recipe for New Orleans Red Beans and Rice. That recipe is spot on for the cafeteria-style dish I remember, but I wondered if I could make creamy red beans in the slow cooker.
Originally, I wrote this as a no-soak recipe meaning I rinsed and sorted the dry beans and put them right into the slow cooker without soaking or pre-cooking them at all. A reader pointed out to me that uncooked red beans contain a toxin called phytohaemagglutinin, which can cause severe GI upset. It turns out that undercooked red beans are somehow even higher in this toxin than the dried beans. Yikes! (You can read more about this here.)
Truth be told, I’ve made this recipe a bunch of times without soaking the beans, and as far as I know no one has ever gotten sick from it. The problem is, if those beans don’t get cooked for at least 10 minutes at 212 degrees F or hotter, there can be enough of the toxin left to cause illness.
I for sure don’t want any of you (or me!) to get sick from my recipe, so here’s what we’re going to do:
- Soak the dried beans overnight. The next morning, put them in a pot on the stove, and cover them with a couple inches of water. Bring the pot to a boil, and boil them for 10-30 minutes. Carefully drain them, and then put them in the slow cooker. You could do the boiling while you dice up your other ingredients, so it hardly adds much work or time.
- OR, You can use drained, canned red beans. I’d say about 6 cans. You can put those right in the slow cooker and make the recipe as written. You’ll only need to cook it 6-8 hours, and you’ll want to cut back on the added salt since the beans might be salty on their own. Just salt to taste at the end.
- OR, You can follow this recipe except cook it on the stove. I’ve done it that way before, but it takes a few hours and more monitoring since you can’t really leave a pot on the stove unattended all day. I vote for one of the previous two options.
Who knew these harmless looking beans could make us sick??
The good news about soaking and pre-boiling the beans is that the recipe can be ready faster. With the no-soak method (besides the potential poisoning), sometimes it would take 10-12 hours for the beans to be completely tender. Soaking them ahead of time or using canned beans will definitely speed up the process. You really want soft, mashable beans for this version of crockpot red beans and rice so you can get that wonderfully creamy texture.
Once the beans are soft, you can get busy with your potato masher, mashing about half or more. Yes, you will mash some of the sausage while you’re at it, but that’s OK. Let it cook another hour or two, and you will have creamy, wonderful red beans to ladle over your rice!
I hope your whole family enjoys this slow cooker red beans and rice recipe as much as mine does!
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice These creamy New Orleans style red beans and rice are almost effortless thanks to your crockpot! © The Weary Chef 2013-2018 Author: Click here to see your meal plan and grocery list! | |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 8 hours | 8 hours |
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| Servings: | Units: |
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- 1 pound dried small red beans, rinsed and sorted
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 ribs celery, chopped
- 7 oz. smoked boneless pork chops, diced into ½-inch cubes
- 12 ounces andouille sausage, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into ½” thick slices, I use chicken sausage
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 4 c. cooked rice
Prepping the Beans
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Slow Cooker Instructions
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- Adapted from Emeril's New Orleans Red Beans and Rice.
- Note: This recipe used to call for unsoaked beans. I have since learned that it is important to soak and pre-cook the beans, so please follow these instructions as written. If you don't have time to soak the beans, you may substitute drained canned beans.
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CRCR says
I’ve used your recipe before the recently added soak the beans recommendation and I havent made anyone sick yet luckily. I have also done the recipe with soaking the beans and I think The amount of water/stock may need to be reduced as the beans absorb so much of the soaking water. The red beans seem to come out too runny when I added the 6-7 cups of liquid, maybe the added water soaked up by the beans during the overnight soak caused this? Just a thought. Thanks for the recipe!
Donna says
That is what I’m worried about, it seems to be to much water in the crock pot. I hope it comes out good, I’ve never cooked red beans before.
Amy says
I made this last weekend. Using the amount of water the recipe called for, it came out way too watery.I did mash half of the beans as instructed.
Also, I would think a stock would add more flavor rather than using water. It turned out quite bland and soupy. I will not be making this again.
Denise says
Instead of pork chops, would it be ok the substitute for chicken?
Emily says
Do you think this would be able to fit inside a 4 quart crockpot? Trying to decide if I should cut the recipe in half or not. I am a college student/student teacher and meal prep my meals via crockpot every week! This looks divine and would definitely spice up my lunch aside from the boring ole pb&j! Thanks! :)
Cynthia says
Unfortunately this was a dud for me. After 7 hours, I tried to mash the beans but I found the onions & celery still crunchy. And the water wasn’t absorbed. The beans were crunchy.we tried to eat some of but am throwing it out. Not certain if only one thing was off or if it was several things. Any suggestions for improvement?
Tammi says
First make sure you soak your beans overnight. Also, fry in canola oil and saute the onions and celery then add to crock pot I always cook my beans on high for 2 hours then low the rest of the day.
Ashley says
I found this recipe awhile back when you didn’t have on to soak them. I have made it several times without issues. I was kinda shocked when I pulled it up this morning and noticed the change. I still didn’t soak my beans so I guess we will risk it this time. Kinda sounds like worst case is we might get a stomach ache. In the future I will soak and boil but today we are living on the wild side. Also the house smells great right now thanks for the recipe.
Andi Gleeson says
Hi! I hope you are feeling good after eating your dangerously unsoaked beans tonight ;) Honestly, I’ve made this recipe a bunch of times without ever soaking the beans either, and nothing bad has happened! My slow cooker does cook pretty hot though and eventually boils the food even on low. It might be more of a worry if you have a lower temp slow cooker. Anyway, let’s soak/boil our beans next time just to be safe, but I think the old way is probably fine 99.5% of the time ;)
Denise says
Instead of pork chops, would it be ok the substitute for chicken?
Jean Gaye says
Funny to think that half of New Orleans would be wiped out if that were true. Maybe a little gas or stomach ache, especially if you ate too much. But a health danger, I think not.
dekacsmp says
This is why I still soak beans, especially kidney beans. What do you think?
Crockpots, Slow Cooking Dried Beans & Phytohaemagglutinin
Reader question… “A neighbor told me this morning that I shouldn’t be using my crockpot to cook dried beans. She says anything cooked in a crockpot doesn’t get hot enough to get rid of the natural toxins in the beans but I keep seeing recipes for cooking beans in a crockpot. Have you heard of this?” –Audrey J.
Your neighbor is talking about a toxin called phytohaemagglutinin, also known as kidney bean lectin, that is found in many types of beans. Kidney beans contain especially large amounts of this toxin, and amazingly, eating just four or five raw or improperly cooked kidney beans can make a person extremely ill. Ingesting larger amounts can actually cause death. Other beans, including white kidney beans, broad beans and lima beans, contain the same toxin in smaller but still dangerous amounts.
Raw beans naturally contain dangerous levels of this toxin, but when beans are cooked in a crockpot at the usual slow-cooking temperature, the level of toxin in the beans will actually INCREASE. Your neighbor is correct… many dried beans, including kidney beans, should never be cooked solely in a crockpot or slow cooker because they will never reach a high enough temperature for a long enough period of time to destroy enough of the phytohaemagglutinin to make the beans safe to eat. It is also not safe to eat these beans raw or sprouted or ground into flour because of the high levels of toxin.
Livestrong.com agrees: “Cooking red kidney beans in crock pots or slow cookers may not heat them enough to destroy the toxin and may actually potentiate it. Heating to a temperature of 176 degrees Fahrenheit may increase the toxin levels by as much as five times. Crock pots often don’t reach temperatures greater than 167. Using dry heat to cook the beans does not appear to inactivate the toxin. In reported cases, 100 percent of people who ate the beans developed symptoms; age and sex don’t appear to affect the symptoms, which vary in intensity according to how many beans were ingested, according to the FDA.”
So are beans cooked in a crockpot or slow cooker safe to eat? Yes… if the beans are properly soaked and cooked. The university extension services recommend the following steps to destroy these toxins and make the slow cooking process safe.
Soak the dried beans in water for at least five hours (some recommend soaking the beans for at least twelve hours)
Discard the soaking water which will contain leached out toxins
Rinse the beans and cover them with fresh water
Boil the beans (rapid boil) for at least ten minutes
It is then safe to add the beans to the slow cooker and proceed with the recipe
Written by Shirley Filed Under: Cooking & Baking from Scratch, How To’s & General Information, Reader Questions
From: http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/crockpots-slow-cooking-dried-beans-phytohaemagglutinin/
Andi Gleeson says
I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this! After reading more about it, I don’t feel good about my no-soak recipe anymore. I’m going to update this entire post, and I appreciate you bringing it to my attention!
Cathy says
Is the pork supposed to be cooked before it goes in the crockpot?
Andi Gleeson says
Hi! Nope, it’s pre-cooked if you get the smoked pork chops. If you can’t find those, you could use a thick ham steak instead.
Jean Gaye says
Smoked pork chops may be okay, but a more original recipe uses pickle meat. Pickle meat is fresh pork, pickled of course. I would be more doubtful of putting pickle meat into a slow cooker. Seems some things aren’t meant to be used in a slow cooker.
Bobby says
You can use a stick of butter in the crock pot to make it creamy as well without having to smash the beans . They will come out creamy also I like to cook the sausage in a skillet to get that cooked flavor and then I add them to the pot
Jean Gaye says
I believe butter changes the flavor. My dad would put a couple cans of Blue Runner Creole Cream Style Red Beans into his finished cooked red bean pot to give it that creamy look and taste.
Mary says
Hi Andi- Quick question about the smoked boneless pork chops. Is this the name of the ingredient, or do the pork chops need to be smoked prior to adding them into the slow cooker? I’m not familiar with this type of pork, and noticed some other comments saying they couldn’t find it in the grocery store. If the smoked pork chop isn’t available, do you have any other suggestions for a comparable substitution? Looking forward to making this later. Thanks!
Andi Gleeson says
Hi! It is the name of the ingredient. They are packaged and sold near the ham and sausages at the grocery store. If you can’t find them, you could use a diced ham steak instead :)
Anna-Marie Nickels says
I’m from Starkville! I know the exact dish you are talking about. Love it!!
Andi Gleeson says
Oh what a small world! It’s nice to hear from you :)
Eulalie A Wynne says
Making the Sausage and Red Beans and Rice today and I am looking forward to it. I am from Mississippi and I grew up eating this.
Mesha says
I’ve made this recipe several times now and my family loves it. The hubby wanted andouille sausage instead. We also use 2lbs of sausage, he’s a meat eater.
Andi Gleeson says
Thank you so much, Mesha! I’m a meat lover too :) Your way sounds delicious!
Audrey says
I made this dish yesterday and let me tell you… it was absolutely PHENOMENAL. I grew up going to Louisiana for the holidays and eating all of the Cajun dishes you can think of. This red beans and rice recipe is some of the best I’ve ever had. I left out the smoked pork chops because I couldn’t find them in my local grocery store and it was still amazing. I left the veggies in bigger chunks so they wouldn’t totally disintegrate during the long cooking time. So creamy. So delicious. So full of flavor!
Andi Gleeson says
This makes my day, Audrey. Thank you!!
Susan Sommers Bergman says
trying red beans and rice today-
Andi @ The Weary Chef says
I hope you enjoy it, Susan!!
Kara eagleson says
the beans – are these soaked overnight or just rinsed straight out of the bag? I am used to soaking beans before cooking them
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Kara! That’s one of the things that makes this recipe so easy: You don’t have to pre-soak the beans! I linked to an article about it, but it really works to cook them all day without soaking them overnight. Thanks for asking :)
nancy says
Hi Andi,
This is the 1st time that I’ve made my Red Beans and Rice in my slow cooker. loved your recipe. Added green pepper too. It turned out delicious. Can’t wait to make it again.
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Nancy! Thanks so much for your comment. I’m so happy to hear that you liked it!
CHARMAGNE says
Made this overnight and it was a HIT! My grocery store didn’t have smoked pork chops so I substituted smoked ham hocks. Also substituted stock for water. Turned out great! Husband and I love it and I will definitely be making this again in the future. The leftovers from this large batch will be quick, hearty dinners this week.
Andi Gleeson says
Thank you so much, Charmagne. I’m so happy to hear that it turned out well for you. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Denver says
Is this recipe really spicy? My boyfriend has requested red beans & rice which I have never made but since it says New Orleans in the name of the recipe I’m afraid it’s hot. And I have a sensitive palate to spicy. It does sound delicious though.
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Denver. No, it’s not that spicy! If I were you, I would leave out the cayenne pepper completely and then just add cayenne or hot sauce to taste when you serve it. It’s way easier to make food spicier than cool it down :) Thank you for asking!
Kristie says
Is there a substitute for the andouille sausage? Or another type used while adding the extra spices into the dish?
I adore southern food but the problem is that I live about 20 miles from the Canadian border as the crow flies. Pretty much the center, measuring east to west. Add in a small rural community and you have the recipe that makes it hard to find some things. Our local butcher does make very small batches of andouille sausage, but not that often, and you never know when. Other than by going in and seeing it in their freezer. Which is why I ask.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Kristie! You could use whatever kind of smoked sausage you like. If something like kielbasa or Italian sausage is easier to find, then try that. You can add cayenne pepper for heat if it’s not spicy enough for you. Thanks for asking!
Maggie says
This was very good!!!! I omitted the celery as I was out and added cajun seasoning since I was out of the cayenne. The andouille I used definitely had some heat to it but it added a lot of great flavor. Will definitely make this again and again!
Andi Gleeson says
Oh, thank you so much, Maggie! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Chae says
Hello, I love this recipe thank you so much for sharing I can’t quit eating it! By far the best red beans and rice recipe I have tried! Thank you so much for sharing!
Andi Gleeson says
Oh wow, that is such a compliment! Thank you so much, Chae!
teresita says
Can you give the recipe for smoked pork chops… I do not have a smoker so what other way would work?
Priscilla says
Hi there! I made this tonight and it was delicious!! Thank you for the recipe! By any chance, do you know what the calories or nutritional info for this recipe would be? I put it into a recipe calculator, but it’s showing 950 per serving… I don’t think that’s right. :)
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Priscilla! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! I just calculated the calories on My Fitness Pal and got 500 calories/per serving (with 6 servings total). A couple things that might have made you get a higher result is using pork andouille sausage instead of chicken or uncooked instead of cooked rice. Hope that helps! Thank you :)
Kathleen says
I’m wondering the reason you’re not soaking the beans. I have always heard that beans are toxic so soaking them releases the oligosaccharides that cause intestinal distress. I have always cooked beans in the crockpot but I do soak first. My beans are usually done in about 6 hours on low.
Andi Gleeson says
You definitely can soak them, Kathleen! I have heard that too that beans cause less gas if you soak them first, but I almost always forget to soak them ahead of time. I like having the option to just throw the dry beans in the morning I want to make the recipe. Thank you!
Lisa says
I’m so glad to find your slow cooker recipe! I have all the ingredients (was going by Emerils), my hubby has been waiting all week for me to make this. We are doing projects around the house 2mrw, so putting everything in slow cooker will be awesome! Can’t wait! Thanks!
Andi Gleeson says
I’m glad you found it too, Lisa :) Let me know how you like it!
Rebekkah P says
I had soaked some beans the night before knowing I was making beans. I ended up closing out the original recipe on my phone and I couidnt find it again, but I’m honestly glad I did. I used your recipe instead and oh my gosh they came out to good. My only problem was that I had soaked them already and not thinking I still added the entire 7 cups of water to my crock so they didn’t absorb as much as they should have. Luckily I was able to mash them and I added a pack of brown gravy as a last minute effort to thicken them up. I ended up having to make a quick flour/water mixture to add in. After that though they were perfect. I let them summer until my man got home from work and they were so creamy and delicious. I may even let them go for the full 12 hours next time!
Andi says
Hi, Rebekkah! I’m glad you found my recipe instead, and I love how you got creative to work with the extra water. So happy this recipe was a hit at your house. Thank you!
Andrewe tonight says
Just tried this tonight for the first time. My wife and I have an aversion to using dry beans in the slow cooker (after getting VERY sick once) so we used canned kidney beans instead of the dry beans. We used 4 15-oz cans and 2 cups of water, with all else being normal. It came out really great! I can’t compare to how it’s supposed to be, but we definitely enjoyed it.
Andi says
I’m so glad you liked it, Andrew! Now you’ve got me worried about eating and recommending dry beans in the slow cooker! Yikes! Canned beans are definitely a safe bet. Thank you!
Charlene V Soriano says
Not sure you’ll see this, but did you add 2 cups of water PLUS the 7 cups?
Danielle says
Holy cow, this is delicious! Added some Cajun seasoning to the cut up (I used regular) pork to marinate overnight and some more Cajun seasoning to it before it started cooking.
Andi says
You can never go wrong with more Cajun seasoning. Thanks so much for your note, Danielle. I’m glad you liked it!
Jessica says
Putting this in my crock pot now! I live in Texas and it’s in the 40’s today, which is freezing for us. Perfect weather to try out this yummy sounding , and easy (even for me) recipe. Thank you!
Andi says
I hope you liked it, Jessica! I bet you’re freezing in the 40s in Texas! We Southerners aren’t cut out for the cold weather ;) Now that I moved out west I’m a wimp about hot weather too, though. I’m just all around spoiled!
marilyn says
since I don’t eat any meat what else can I use in this
Andi says
Hi, Marilyn! I’m sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I have never made this without meat, so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. I did find this vegan red beans and rice recipe, and maybe you could combine the two: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/02/vegan-red-beans-rice/. Hope that helps!
Stacey says
I’m a novice cook but this one looked easy enough for me and not having to stand over a stove is great too. I have it in my slow cooker as we speak. Excited to see how it turns out.
Andi says
I hope you enjoy it, Stacey. Thank you!
Aja says
Watching Saints football and was looking for something easy and local (live in New Orleans) and came across your recipe, it’s in the pot now! Added andouille and Cajun seasoning! Can’t wait to wake up :)
Andi says
I hope it turned out great, Aja! Thank you :)
Sarah says
Where in the supermarket can I find smoked boneless pork chops? I’ve never seen them before, although I’ve never had a reason to look… :) This recipe looks soooooo delicious and I plan on forcing my non-bean loving husband to eat it anyways. :)
Thanks!
Andi says
Ha, I hope you are able to convert your husband to be a bean lover :) You can usually find the pork chops near the ham in the meat department (not with deli sliced ham but more like ham steaks). It’s usually in the neighborhood of bacon if that helps. I usually find Hormel brand in a black package. Thank you!
Heather says
Wish there were a veggie version because my down-home Georgia Peach hubby would love this but I don’t do pork.
Andi says
Hi, Heather! I’m not sure how to make this a completely vegetarian dish, but if it’s just the pork that is a problem you could leave out the ham and just use more chicken andouille sausage. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Jean Gaye says
The original thought about red beans and rice did not have meat. This was a dish of the early 1900’s. The dish was meant to stretch the budget. If meat was served it was on the side, when you had it. Only within 50 years or so, or if extra money could be found meat was added. BTW, red beans and rice was always a Monday dish. Even today in New Orleans restaurants still have it on their menu on Mondays. My grandmother would put dry beans in a glass bowl with a dish towel over it on the unlit stove overnight on Saturday. Sunday after dinner dishes she would start on making the red beans. Always without meat. Finishing cooking around 5pm, she would refrigerate them, after cooling down a bit, for Monday evening. It was always made on Sunday because Monday was clothes washing day. All day to wash and hang clothes, iron ,with starch from a Coke bottle with a cork spout plug! Monday’s supper was just reheated.
It was always said beans taste better on the second day.
Lindsay says
I think this looks amazing! I’m trying to find new recipe’s I can try right now since I am pregnant and its hard to catch my eye on foods right now as I’m being picky but actually want to try this. Hoping with it cooking and smelling it all day I don’t mind. Would it be okay to leave out the pork? Not sure If I want that in there but don’t want to ruin the taste.
Andi says
Hi, Lindsay! It is definitely hard to find appealing foods during the early months of pregnancy, so I’m happy if this one works for you! You could definitely leave out the pork, but you may need to add a bit more salt at the end. I hope you like it!
(P.S. Sorry I was slow to respond. We were out of town for a week, and I’m still catching up!)
Kelly says
We love red beans and rice – especially my lil guy:) I love that this is made in the slow cooker without having to soak the beans – it looks awesome and I can’t wait to make it – pinning!
Andi says
That is nice that your little one loves red beans and rice! My boys are not very adventurous, but I know it’s because I didn’t start them early enough eating “real” food. Hopefully they will change their minds before long! Thanks for stopping by, Kelly!
Ashlyn says
Andi, I absolutely love red beans and rice and I’m so excited that your recipe uses the slow cooker! Pinning, can’t wait to make it. :)
Andi says
Thanks, Ashlyn! I hope you love it!
Faye says
So glad I found this recipe on Pinterest! The photo caught my eye but I love that the recipe is made in a slow cooker without having to soak the beans even more!! I am definitely trying this. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Andi says
Thank you, Faye! I’m glad you found it too :) I hope it turns out well for you, and I think you will really like it. Please come back to let me know how it goes. Have a great week!
Gloria // Simply Gloria says
Beans are my favorite food! And, especially from scratch. Loving this recipe, Andi! :)
Andi says
Thanks, Gloria! I didn’t know you were such a bean lover. I’ll dedicate my next bean recipe to you :)
Gloria // Simply Gloria says
Yay! Can’t wait to see what kind it is! Now you’ve inspired me to put up one of my bean recipes. xo
Andi says
Now I’m excited to see YOURS!
Tiffany says
Hi! Was just wandering if you could use regular boneless pork chops ? And do you cook them before putting them in the crockpot ? Thanks
Andi Gleeson says
Hi! You could use regular pork chops, but yes, you would need to cook them first and add the diced, cooked meat. It could be a good way to use up leftover pork chops! Thanks for asking, Tiffany :)