6-Ingredient Crock Pot Sausage, Red Beans, And Rice
Crock Pot sausage, red beans, and rice is a Southern dish that has been around for generations. I’ve made this enough times; I’ve got it down to a science, so you can add it to the Crock Pot without worrying about mushy or undercooked rice. With a few simple steps, you can have this cooking in a few minutes and go about your day. My kids ask for this recipe all the time. And the best part? It’s only 6 ingredients, so it’s budget-friendly, too!
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Servings | Prep Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | 4 hours | 4-6 | Beginner + |
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
This is a true pantry-and-freezer kind of dinner. I keep smoked sausage in the fridge, beans and rice in the pantry, and that frozen pepper-and-onion mix in the freezer for days when I did not plan ahead (which is, um, often).
You get a thick, hearty pot of beans with smoky sausage bites and pops of pepper and onion, and then the rice soaks up that broth, turning the whole thing into a real Southern meal.
A Quick Note About The Beans
This recipe uses canned kidney beans, which are already cooked. That means you do not have to worry about the dried-bean slow cooker questions you may have seen floating around online. We’re not cooking raw beans from scratch here; we’re warming and flavoring canned beans and letting everything mingle and thicken.
How To Make Crock Pot Sausage, Red Beans, And Rice
I’ll walk you through it exactly how I do it.
Cut the smoked sausage into bite-sized slices. I like them about 1/2-inch thick, so you get a good piece in each spoonful. Add the sausage to the Crock Pot along with the frozen bell peppers and onion medley.
Open both cans of kidney beans and pour them in, liquid and all. That bean liquid matters here because it helps make the base creamy and a little thicker once it cooks, and keeps the beans from getting pasty and dry.
Pour in the chicken broth and sprinkle in the Creole seasoning. Give it a quick stir so the seasoning is moving around through the whole pot. Put the lid on and cook on low for 3.5 hours.
After the 3.5 hours, stir in the 2 cups of minute rice (instant rice). Put the lid back on and cook for another 30 minutes on low.
Once the rice is tender, give it a good stir, then let it sit for about 5 minutes with the lid off. It thickens up just a bit as it stands.
Tips For Getting The Texture Just Right
This is one of those recipes where the texture is the whole point: hearty, spoonable, and not soupy.
Don’t Add The Rice Early
Minute rice cooks fast. If it goes in at the beginning, it soaks up too much liquid and gets soft. Adding it at the end keeps the grains tender and gives you that perfect beans-and-rice consistency.
Want It Thicker?
Before you add the rice, you can mash a small scoop of the beans right against the side of the Crock Pot with a spoon, then stir it back in. That quick mash makes the pot a little creamier and thicker without adding anything extra.
Want It Soupier?
Add an extra splash of chicken broth at the end. Different brands of minute rice can soak up liquid a little differently, and it’s easy to adjust.
Spice Level Matters
Creole seasoning brands vary a lot. Some are saltier, some have more heat. If you’re cooking for kids who don’t love spice, start with 2 teaspoons, then taste after the 3.5 hours and add more if you want. You can always add seasoning, but you can’t take it back out.
Smoked Sausage Options (And What Changes)
I usually grab whatever smoked sausage is on sale, because this is supposed to be budget-friendly.
- Smoked sausage gives a mild, smoky flavor to the dish.
- Andouille sausage will give you more heat and a more Cajun-style bite. If you use it, you may want to start lighter on the Creole seasoning.
- Turkey smoked sausage works fine too, it’s just a little leaner, so the final pot won’t feel quite as rich.
No matter what you use, keep the cook time and instructions the same.
Serving Ideas
We usually eat this in big bowls, because it’s already beans, meat, and rice all in one. If I’m adding something on the side, here are a few easy ideas that make it feel like a complete Southern supper:
- A nice big slice of cornbread or bread with some melty butter.
- A simple side salad (something cold and crunchy is nice next to the warm beans).
- Sliced pickles or a quick vinegar slaw, if you like a little tang.
- And if you’ve got hot sauce people in your house, set it out and let everyone do their own thing.
Doubling The Recipe (Without A Mess)
You can double this, but Crock Pot size matters.
If you’re using a 6-quart slow cooker, the single batch fits comfortably and stirs easily once you add the rice. For a double batch, you will want an 8-quart slow cooker so it doesn’t get too full to stir properly.
Keep the cook time about the same on low. The biggest difference with a fuller slow cooker is it may take a little longer to come up to temperature, so if it seems a touch thin at 3.5 hours, give it another 20 to 30 minutes before adding the rice.
6-Ingredient Crock Pot Sausage, Red Beans, And Rice
Ingredients
- 14 ounce package smoked sausage sliced into coins
- 31 ounces cans red kidney beans, not drained I buy two 15.5-ounce cans
- 14.4 ounce bag frozen tri-colored pepper and onion medley
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 2 cups instant rice such as Minute rice
Instructions
- Add the frozen bell peppers and onions, and sliced sausage to the Crock Pot.
- Next, add the undrained red kidney beans. Sprinkle the Creole seasoning on top.
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine everything. Cook for 3.5 hours on low.
- Add the instant rice and stir to cover with liquid. Cook 30 more minutes or until the rice is tender.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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