The BEST Slow Cooker New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipes

If you can’t go to New Orleans, celebrate Mardi Gras by making Slow Cooker New Orleans Red Beans and Rice at home! This is absolutely one of my all-time favorite slow cooker meals! 

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I know there’s a big football game tomorrow, but shortly after that it’s time for Mardi Gras! As soon as Mardi Gras season comes around every year I start craving New Orleans Red Beans and Rice, the iconic Creole dish that I first tasted when I went to New Orleans about 15 years ago.

I’ve made my long-time favorite Slow Cooker Louisiana-Style Red Beans and Rice many times through the years, and it’s a favorite with quite a few people in my extended family as well. So a few years ago I started wondering how many other food bloggers have made red beans and rice in the slow cooker.

I didn’t find a huge amount of recipes for Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, but the variety was impressive!  This post has slow cooker red beans and rice recipes with ham, bacon, sausage, and chicken sausage, and even a couple of vegan versions as well. Some bloggers start with dried red beans that cook all day in the slow cooker, and some use canned beans. And of course the seasonings are slightly different in each version.

I do want to share share a caution for anyone who’s considering dried red kidney beans for one of these recipes.  To be safe, red kidney beans should be pre-soaked, drained, and then boiled in fresh water for 10 minutes before cooking in the slow cooker.  Read more here and here about potential toxins from red kidney beans. This doesn’t apply to smaller varieties of red beans.  (Thanks to Stephanie from A Year of Slow Cooking for this tip.)

Below are some delicious-sounding variations on Slow Cooker New Orleans Red Beans and Rice; check them out and see which one sounds best to you (Photos are copyrighted to the blog that originally posted the recipe; click the recipe link below any photo to get the complete recipe on each site.)

This Slow Cooker Louisiana-Style Red Beans and Rice from Kalyn’s Kitchen is a favorite I’ve been making for years and years.  The recipe can be made with ham or sausage, take your pick.

Susan from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen grew up in Louisiana, so you can be sure her Vegan Slow Cooker Real Louisiana Red Beans and Rice will have authentic flavors.

Crock-Pot Red Beans and Rice from Gimme Some Oven has Andouille sausage and Creole Seasoning.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice from My Biscuits are Burning starts with bacon and uses canned red beans for a quicker version.

Slow Cooker New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice from The Weary Chef is adapted from Emeril’s recipe and Andi mashes some of the beans.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice from Foodie with Family started with dried red beans that cook all day.  Rebecca says she’s not sure how authentic this recipe is, but itsounds delicious.

Mel says this Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe was so delicious her husband could not stop talking about it!

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice from In the Kitchen with Kath can cook all day while you’re at work.  When you get home, add the sausage and cook some rice and dinner is ready!

Lighter CrockPot Red Beans and Rice from Iowa Girl Eats is a bit lower in fat and calories.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice from Slender Kitchen is Vegan and has Weight Watchers points.

And for a slightly different take on this dish, Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice Soup from Kalyn’s Kitchen is a soupier version of my original recipe that uses chicken Andouille sausage, but you can use other types of sausage if you can’t find that.

Want More Beans in the Slow Cooker?
Use the photo index for Beans and Legumes Recipes to see all the recipes with beans and legumes that have been featured on this site.

Have you made Red Beans and Rice in the slow cooker? Tell us about how that went for you!