Alabama-style Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice is a Cajun inspired dish with an Alabama twist. The traditional recipe for Red Beans and Rice uses andouille sausage, a Cajun ingredient. I opted for Conecuh Sausage, an Alabama ingredient. Based out of Evergreen, AL, Conecuh Sausage is the best commercial smoked sausage I’ve ever tasted. Alabama-style Red Beans and Rice is one of my husband’s favorite dishes.
Small red beans, historically used in the recipe, either fell out of favor or became hard to find. Kidney beans are used most now. I was thrilled to find a package of small red beans at my grocery store. REAL red beans. They’re smaller than kidney beans and taste more like pinto beans than kidney beans. I was happy to have an authentic ingredient.
Dried beans were served on Monday, historically. That’s because Monday was typically the day the laundry was done and it took all day. After the prep work was done, the beans were set on the stove on low heat and required minimal oversight outside of an occasional stir and care that the water didn’t cook out.
Cooking these beans in a slow cooker frees you up to do all sorts of things. And, you don’t even have to monitor the level of the chicken stock.
So, if you get behind on your laundry, here’s your menu: Alabama-style Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice with Conecuh Sausage.
Are red beans and kidney beans the same?
No, they’re different. Red beans are smaller and taste more like pinto beans than kidney beans. You can substitute kidney beans if you can’t find red beans.
Can I use andouille sausage instead of smoked sausage?
Absolutely. It’s strictly a taste preference.
-
- 1.
-
- 2.
-
- 3.
-
- 4.
-
- 5
-
- 6
-
- 7
-
- 8.
-
- 9.
-
- 10.
-
- 11.
- Cover beans with cold water and soak overnight.
- The next morning, drain and rinse beans. Add to slow cooker.
- Cut sausage into 1 inch pieces. Brown in an iron skillet over medium heat.
- Drain sausage and remove from skillet. Add to slow cooker. Pour grease from skillet. Add back two tablespoons.
- Chop onions, celery and bell pepper.
- Add chopped vegetables to skillet.
- Cook over medium heat until soften. Add chopped garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add cooked vegetables to slow cooker.
- Add chicken broth, bay leaves, and seasoned salt to slow-cooker.
- Cook on high 4 to 5 hours or until beans are tender. With a large spoon, mash some of the beans against the side of the slow cooker for a creamy texture.
- Serve over cooked rice.
Alabama-style Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried small red beans or kidney beans
- 1 pound Conecuh smoked sausage
- 2 medium sweet onions chopped
- 2 to3 stalks celery including leaves chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper chopped
- 3 to 4 cloves of garlic finely minced
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 to 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt I use Season-all
- cooked rice
Instructions
- Soak beans in water overnight. The next day, drain and rinse beans and add to slow cooker. Cut sausage in 1 inch pieces and brown over medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Remove sausage. Drain grease and add 2 tablespoons back to skillet. Add sausage to slow-cooker.
- Add onions, celery and bell pepper to skillet. Cook on medium heat 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Add vegetables to slow cooker along with stock, bay leaves and seasoned salt.
- Cook on high 4 - 5 hours or until the beans are tender.
- With a large spoon, mash some of the beans against the side of the slow-cooker for a creamy texture.
- Serve over rice.
Mary at Deep South Dish says
Interesting bean Jackie! They are so tiny. I’ve never seen those used for red beans & rice, not even when I lived in New Orleans, but I do wonder why. Do you think the switch happened when somebody tasted the red kidneys & found them better or maybe the larger beans were more filling. We love Camellia brand the most but my MIL once gave me a bag of Winn Dixie brand kidney beans and they made a great pot of beans.
I am a big fan of Conecuh but I also love Savoie’s, and Manda, but honestly sometimes even for me the andouilles are a bit much, so good ole HIllshire works too. Course my husband loves the hotter sausages – go figure! I’m just happy to be right between Alabama and Louisiana & have such a wide selection available!
Jackie Garvin says
Miss Mary,
The red beans are a mystery to me. I’ve looked them up and found some references to them in cooking Red Beans and Rice but I haven’t found any explanation as to why kidney beans took their place in that dish. I was looking for a bag of kidney beans and just happen to spot them at Publix. I’ll be cooking up a pot of chili with the leftover tomorrow. The mystery of the small red beans continues………
Ann says
I like the smaller ones too – looks yummy – I always have trouble when I do beans in the crockpot – they are always too runny and I have to take them out and cook them down some so the juice is thicker – am I using too much water?? I made homemade chili yesterday for the ballgame (Roll Tide) and jalapeno cornbread – it was yummy and spicy – even though it is still hot as blazes here!
Jackie Garvin says
Ann,
I think the thickness of the broth depends on the type of bean. I find white beans (navy, limas) create a thicker broth than darker beans like pinto and red beans. The broth for these beans never got very thick and I only added a quart of water which is what I felt I needed. They weren’t even completely covered. Chili’s coming up tomorrow for us. Thanks heavens for air conditioning! <3
Wayne Brossett says
My dad was from a little town in Louisiana and he always used kidney beans. Probably because that was what they had on hand. If they sauce is a little thin, don’t be afraid to had a little flour to thicken it up–especially if you use a crock pot. Sausage depends on taste. The hot talks back the older I get. Use what you like. You can always have one on the side and one in the pot. Imagination is the best recipe.
Jackie Garvin says
Wayne,
Thanks for stopping by! There are many variations to this recipe. You should use what tastes good to you, for sure.
I hope you visit again! 🙂
Sandra Davis says
My neighborhood grocery store had small red beans, so I bought them! I’m soaking them tonight and getting out the slow cooker tomorrow morning. Should be real good, I’m using linguisa portuguese sausage. Mmmmmm!
Jackie Garvin says
Sandra,
Red beans will be so good with the Portuguese sausage! 🙂
Marcie Smith says
…so since you mentioned Pintos…. I don’t like kidney beans one bit… I bet the pintos will work just find…and am going to use some smoked chorizo since I have no access to the sausage u mention….basmati rice is luscious!… See… I love cooking… inspiration from someone with a good recipe…. add your own little touches and it becomes YOURS… I am new to your blog and really like it!! THANKS, Marcie!
Jackie Garvin says
Welcome to Syrup and Biscuits, Marcie! Your adaptations to this recipe sound marvelous! Enjoy. 🙂
Rebecca in Alabama says
Your recipe is almost exactly like mine, except that I add a little brown sugar to my beans. Conecuh sausage is the BEST! If any of you have never tried it, you must!
Jackie Garvin says
Rebecca,
I never thought about adding some sweetness but that would round out the flavors nicely. I agree with your thoughts about Conecuh sausage. It is the BEST!
Gina F. says
I tackled this Red Beans and Rice recipe on this hot summer day because I had all the ingredients. Boy, what a delicious meal it was. I’ve already added it to the meal plan for the day after Thanksgiving when I always make a crock pot meal. (My only change to the recipe was to add a little cornstarch slurry at the end.)
Michele Harper Morring says
Jackie… How could I do this recipe without using the crock pot… Cook it like a typical after work prepared meal?
Jackie Garvin says
Michele,
Yes. Soak your beans all day while you’re at work. The beans will probably take 45 minutes to an hour to cook. You might need to add more liquid cooking on the stove top as opposed to a slow cooker because you’ll lose more heat to steam plus a crock pot generates a good bit of condensation.
Jennifer Parrish says
This is very similar to my red beans recipe. I use yellow, orange and red bell pepper., more celery, leaves too, and occasionally a carrot or two, helps get more veggies into everyone. I season with a little Cajun spice too. The thing that brings the flavor is the Canecuh Sausage. I use it in lots of dishes .
Jackie Garvin says
Hi Jennifer,
Conecuh sausage is so flavorful. We love it! Thanks for stopping by!
Deb says
With firmer beans I use a potato masher and mash them a little. Makes juice thicker. 10 minutes before serving.
Jackie Garvin says
That’s a great tip.