Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

I'm a Louisiana native and I've made a similar recipe for 20 years.  Here are some tweaks.  It is probably best to cook the beans for 8 hours (on HIGH) so they are really soft.  You only need one bell pepper, not 2, which may be why some people are experiencing watery beans.  You can also go down to 2 stalks of celery instead of 3.   Tony's Creole Seasoning - 1 rounded Tbsp - must be used - no substitutes.  I use Butterball smoked turkey sausage because it has the best texture in a slow-cooker recipe.  Add the sausage near the end or after the beans have cooked the full 8 hours.  If you do the later, it doesn't take long for the turkey sausage (which is pre-cooked) to absorb the heat.   If you want a creamier texture, some people in Louisiana add a can of Blue Runner red beans to their home-made red beans.  If you can't find them in the grocery store (and you probably can't if you don't live in Louisiana), you can also purchase Blue Runner red beans online. We always add a good dash of Tabasco to our individual bowls, some of us more than others!  

It is SO easy (important on busy nights). I used minute rice...even easier. I added extra garlic and extra garlic powder.  I bought an off brand cajun seasoning and we sprinkled more on individual portions and we loved it! 

Pretty bland - not very tasty.

Very bland. Also the turkey sausage really got over cooked after spending 7 hours in the slow cooker on high.

This recipe is easy to doctor up. I used chicken stock, added bay leaf and a fresh jalapeno. As long as cooked on high until cooked all the way any toxin in any bean is taken care of.

we love this recipe - make sure you use a creole spice blend that includes salt, and sub stock for water. helps with a lots of the blandness in other reviews. i also add sausage later in cooking.

Needs more seasoning, as others' have said...very bland

I followed the recipe to a T and unfortunately did not read the comments before making it, I ran into the same problem as most and it was very bland and just not great, I started this dish at 1am yesterday in the crockpot because I wanted it for a football party today, I tried it around 10AM and it was bland. After reading the comments I started to play with it, I added 3 bay leaves, sprinkled some Cayenne pepper and it was still bland. I was starting to get frustrated, I went to the store and got Andouille sausage and sliced it up added it to the pot, let it simmer for about another hour and Bam, that did it! So my advice is skip the smoked turkey sausage, add the Andouille, bay leaves and cayenne. Hope this helps others.

My husband and I both enjoyed this dish. I might try a cajun chicken sausage next time, rather than the smoked turkey sausage. We did add a touch of salt and some pepper once served, but that doesn't bother me, since everyone can season to taste.

We've made this many times and always enjoy it. It is better the next day. I don't use canned beans anymore; slow cooking my own beans; garbanzos, red beans, kidney beans, black eyed peas and freezing them works wonderfully and saves money and the salt. I've never heard about this toxin; will research it. This recipe calls for red beans, not kidney beans; there is a difference.

This is not an authentic red beans and rice dish. Not enough richness. I would not make again.

I really wanted this recipe to work but it fell way short. I programmed my slow cooker to cook on High for 7 hours, and then switch over to the Warm setting for the remainder of the day while I was at work. When I got home everything on top was blackened, and looked rather unappetizing. The beans on the bottom looked ok, but the smoked turkey sausage was charred throughout the dish. 7 hours on high is just too long for my crockpot I guess. Also, and maybe MOST IMPORTANTLY, a quick internet search shows that red kidney beans should never be cooked in the slow cooker, even on the highest setting, they can release a poisonous toxin that can cause serious illness. FDA recommendations state that "dried red kidney beans should be soaked for at least 5 hours, discard the water, and boil in fresh, clean water for at least 10 minutes, before using a slow cooker." I would have thought a reliable source like Southern Living would know this important detail.

This was so good! We ate it with corn tortillas, and put the leftover beans over quinoa. If it seems a bit bland the hot sauce does wonders! We used Louisiana hot sauce which added a lot of flavor in addition to spice.

Watery and bland. Tired to cook off the water and add more seasoning, however it was still bland and overcooked. I ate a hotdog instead.

Good recipe. I needed to add salt. Besides that it was great. I'd alslo add the sausage half way through do it won't over cook.

This recipe was bland (even though I added two fresh habanero peppers). The vegetables in it lacked flavor. Were I to do this recipe again I'd saute the veggies before putting them in the crockpot, use chicken broth instead of water, and add a bay leaf or two.

This is a solid recipe. I wouldn't stay it stands out as a killer that has to be made all the time, but my 10-year-old daughter went to this dish for days after I made it whenever she was hungry. I didn't use hot sauce.

I gave this one star because I would not make again. Very bland....not good.

Cooked this for seven hours, and it still had a lot of liquid in it. I then took the cover off, and let it cook down for about another hour, and it thickened into a really nice sauce. Adjusted flavor by adding some salt, a little more creole seasoning, and a healthy shake of hot sauce. Used Hillshire Farm chicken smoked sausage for the meat. Served with freshly cooked apples and corn bread. Really enjoyed this.

I made this last night and the whole family really enjoyed it. My somewhat picky 4-year-old even ate 2 bowls! I love finding crockpot recipes that taste good because there is nothing better than not having a lot of clean-up or prep late in the day. I doubled the garlic because we love it and used 1 cup of chicken broth instead of all water. At first I was afraid it would be to watery, but the liquid thickened to a super tasty 'gravy'. I don't know that I would make this particular dish for a "special occasion", but I would definitely serve it to company for a relaxed get-together.

Very tasty- made it with fresh andouille- but was waaay too hot. So much for being creative. Making it this week with turkey smoked sausage- and looking forward to it. The taste was great and filling!

This recipe definetly feeds a crowd. I made it for my hubbie and I four nightd ago and we just finished left overs! It was even tastier as the days went by. That said I loved the recipe, it reminded me of my Granny's red beans and rice but with more veggies etc. Will be making this again when we have a party or will freeze half of it right away.

Easy, delicious and healthy!! We liked it best without the purple onion on top, just to eliminate the crunch. We also added a little more tabasco, because we like it spicy! I served it with brown rice for my diabetic dad and it worked great. Everyone gave it a thumbs up!

This is a delicious meal, served it over brown rice. I used Italian chicken sausage instead of smoked, added one can of diced tomatoes and reduced water to 6 cups. Would definitely make this again. I didn't have creole seasoning so made my own ( 1/2 tsp ea. of salt, black pepper, oregano, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder mixed together = 1 tablespoon) Packed the perfect punch for a great meal on a snowy winter night.

Very, very easy and delicious. I served over rice. I will definitely make it again. The only changes I made [since I don't eat spicy food] was used 1/2 seasoning and added about 1 tsp of smoky seasoning.