Slow-Cooker Pinto Beans

A bit of hands-on work, a lot of hands-off time and a few herbs and spices that you probably have in the kitchen can lead to the tastiest beans you’ve ever had. These slow-cooker pinto beans will be a delight, whether served as a side during a multi-course feast, as part of a tortilla soup or enjoyed with nothing but a bowl of rice.

Flavorful, tender and nutritious, pinto beans belong on the menu in a regular rotation. And once you’ve prepared them following this pinto beans Crockpot recipe, you just may be inspired to try your own original take on things, adding extra spice, tossing in other ingredients and, of course, coming up with more and more ways to use crockpot pinto beans in meals you and your family will love.

Ingredients for Slow-Cooker Pinto Beans

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• Dried pinto beans: The main event here, pinto beans are low in fat, high in protein and rich in fiber. They also have plenty of vitamins and minerals, and they taste great too.
• Onions: Make sure the onions are finely sliced; they will cook for so long they all but disappear into the dish, but their flavor certainly doesn’t.
• Garlic: You’ll need just one clove of garlic, and make sure it’s truly minced well. You want that flavor really getting into the dish.
• Chicken bouillon granules: The chicken bouillon adds a nice salty, savory flavor, but you can substitute a veggie bouillon and make this a vegan-friendly dish.
• Cumin: A little cumin goes a long way. In this case, a teaspoon is all it takes to define the flavor profile of these slow-cooker pinto beans.
• Thyme: Thyme is another powerful flavoring agent, especially when it’s dried. This recipe calls for an optional addition of fresh thyme sprigs at the end too. Yes, those are partially for looks, but the dried thyme is all about taste.
• Marjoram: This is a spice that is easy to overdo—grab that measuring spoon and make sure you are actually adding just 1/4 teaspoon.
• Coriander: Many people love the taste of coriander, especially when it’s used alongside cumin. If you’re not one of those people, then you can, by all means, leave it out.

Directions

Step 1: Rinse and soak the beans

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First rinse and sort the beans, discarding any broken bits or pieces of plant debris. Place the beans in a large saucepan, add enough water to cover them by a good 2 inches, then let them soak, covered, overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse them, discarding the liquid.

Step 2: Boil the beans

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Return the rinsed beans to the saucepan; again add enough water to cover them by 2 inches, then bring the heat under the pan up to medium-high. Bring the beans to a boil and let them cook, at a boil, for 15 minutes. Then drain and rinse them, again discarding the liquid.

Step 3: Add all ingredients to the slow cooker

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Grease the slow cooker with oil or spray, then add everything—beans, water and all those herbs and spices—into the trusty appliance. Stir briefly to combine, then set the Crockpot to high, cover it and let it cook for two hours.

Step 4: Reduce the heat and keep cooking

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After two hours, reduce the heat on the slow cooker to low, and let the beans cook for another six to seven hours, depending on how tender and moist you want them to be.

Step 5: Serve the beans

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After the allotted time has passed, serve the beans! You can transfer them to a bowl or serve them directly from the slow cooker using a slotted spoon. Add fresh thyme sprigs atop each dish if you wish.

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Recipe Variations

• Go vegetarian: As noted, the chicken bouillon adds a welcome salty, savory flavor, but you can achieve the same flavor profile with vegetable bouillon or by using a bit more onion and salt. You can also replace several cups of water with a broth, be it chicken or veggie.
• Make it a bean soup base: These beans make a great anchor for a delightful soup, and you can all but prepare the soup right there in the crockpot. Just add extra water and some broth in the last hour of cooking, and toss in the other ingredients you want, such as rice, sliced peppers and diced tomatoes. Serve your soup with tortilla chip strips.
• Try a drier take: If you prefer drier cooked pinto beans, leave the lid off the slow cooker for the last hour of cooking. Drier beans can go better as a side with rice, salad and your favorite protein, be it chicken, fish, tofu or whatever sounds great beside these flavorful beans.

How to Store Cooked Pinto Beans

Cooked pinto beans will remain flavorful and safe to eat for three to four days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. After that, they can become quite pungent, though, so don’t push things.

Can you freeze cooked pinto beans?

Yes, you can! You can store cooked pinto beans in the freezer for up to three months in proper freezer-safe packaging; just try to remove as much air as possible from the packaging before you put them in the freezer. And if you’re going to freeze them, do so on day one or two, not day four.

Slow-Cooker Pinto Bean Tips

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Do you need to soak pinto beans before cooking them in a slow cooker?

While an overnight soak is best practice, you can skip it if need be. Using the “low-and-slow method,” you can just add more time to the cooking part of this crockpot pinto beans recipe. They’ll soften plenty while cooking if you add an hour or two to the low-cook stage; just give them a good rinse before throwing them in the slow cooker, and let them sit for at least a minute in deep water, checking for floating beans.

Why do I need to sort the pinto beans at the start of the recipe?

The initial soak is as much about removing unwanted “ingredients” as it is about softening the beans. You may spot bits of unwanted plant matter, dirt and even rocks (these will sink to the bottom of the pot, of course) left over from the harvest process. Also, any beans that float during the soak are likely bad and should be discarded.

What other kinds of beans can you use instead of pinto beans?

You can cook many other types of beans in your slow cooker following this exact recipe. Black beans, great northern beans and navy beans work well and will be great for Mexican and Mexican-inspired dishes. You can also switch up the herbs and spices for other flavor profiles while using the same cooking steps.

How do you serve pinto beans?

Serve these slow-cooker pinto beans with authentic Mexican dishes, such as beef birria tacos, in a tortilla soup, alongside steak and eggs or with nothing but Mexican rice. You can also use them in dips.