Oftentimes I go grocery shopping without quite knowing what I'm getting. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this because it usually leads to additional grocery shopping for produce that you didn't know that you didn't have yet. But I do quite enjoy wandering into the fruits and vegetables and letting something that looks good speak to me. Today, I did that with margarita glasses, though. I was at Costco and saw them in another person's cart. I decided to track them down in the culinary supplies isle and ended up coming across a pair of cast iron fajita skillets with wooden bases and silicone handles. This isn't sponsored. But, if you know me, you know that I love a good deal. And enjoy dramatic inspiration. So, of course I was going to make fajitas. And very quickly switched gears to make sure that I have everything for Slow Cooker Black Beans.
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Variations of Slow Cooker Black Beans
I don't always make black beans in the crockpot. Occasionally I make them on the stovetop and painstakingly simmer them for hours until softened. There's something meditative about the painstaking process. Actually, it's not that painstaking. I'm being melodramatic. Although it is simpler to toss everything into a crockpot and come back 8 hours later to freshly cooked beans! It also takes the need to soak the beans ahead of time.
Plus, if you want "refried beans," it's incredibly simple to just grab a potato masher. As long as there's still a little bit of liquid remaining at the end of the cooking process, just mash the potatoes up a little bit and you essentially have no-fry refried beans. Although you can do this with pinto beans or really any kind of bean.
These Slow Cooker Black Beans consist of black beans, tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic, bay leaves, freshly squeezed lime juice, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, and a dash of salt and pepper. Although you can mix and match in your own fruits, vegetables, and spices to make black beans to your liking. This is a great recipe to make your own!
Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the desired consistency is reached. I like to start the beans in the morning and then come back to then after work or before bed to wake up to freshly cooked beans.The beans should retain their shape during the cooking process (and not start to break apart), but should be soft enough to pinch between your fingers or a fork. It's much like the consistency of a baked potato, where you could theoretically turn it into mashed potatoes, but it also stands on its own.There may still be some residual water left in the crock pot after 8 hours. If the beans aren't fully cooked, simply continue to cook until the water cooks in and the beans are the right tenderness. If the beans are fully cooked, you can drain the water or quickly simmer the remainder of it out on the stove. Depending on how old your beans are, they may require slightly different amounts of water to re-hydrate. Older beans will take more water and time, while fresher beans will cook in less time with less water.
Remove the bay before serving or storing.The bay leaves are for flavor and not everyone wants to eat an entire leaf! So, take note of how many you put in and make sure to remove them after cooking. You can pull them out later. But, if you refrigerate the beans, they'll solidify more when chilled and the bay leaves will be harder to find. It's easier to do this while they're still warm and you can easily sift through them!
If you want to make no-fry refried beans or more of a bean dip, remove the bay leaves and mash with a potato masher. You can also pulse in a food processor or purée entirely.This process might require more water. So, if you do have additional water left in the crock pot after cooking, you may want to reserve it and add back in if necessary to create a smoother no-fry refried bean consistency.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
I also have an entire article on The Fundamentals of Slow Cooker Black Beans. Which has additional tips and tricks along with the rationale for not pre-soaking or rinsing beans and bean substitutions if you want to cook with pinto or other bean varieties.
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