I am a big fan of slow cooking beans in the crock pot. There are plenty of ways to make beans. You can soak them overnight and simmer on the stove for hours or attempt your hand at perfectly guessing the water and time ratios to pressure cook them. But my favorite way to cook beans is in the crock pot and today, I'm endeavoring to make slow cooker pinto beans.
I prefer to use the crock pot to cook my beans because this means that you can skip soaking them for 12 hours and then babying them slowly simmering the stove for hours. I do tend to do this quite a bit, particularly with black beans because the more than 14 hour process really does soften them much more and may even give a greater depth of flavor.
But with pinto beans? And black beans where I want a little bit more of a bite?
I am quite fond of tossing absolutely everything into a slow cooker and coming back after work to cooked beans!
With either method? They're absolutely better than processed metalic-tasting beans of the canned variety.
It should be noted that kidney beans should not be cooked in any of the ways that I have described here. Kidney beans contain incredibly high levels of Lectin and need to be BOILED. Not simmered, not slow cooked, but boiled. This is not the case with the vast majority of beans that you typically find in the grocery store. Most of these are perfectly fine being slow cooked, simmered, or pressure cooked. It is something worth noting, though. And it is the reason that you sometimes see people warning against cooking beans altogether at home. Although home cooked beans have a far superior flavor and are well worth the effort! And perfectly safe with pinto beans and black beans alike.
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Variations of Slow Cooker Pinto Beans
Slow cooker pinto beans aren't the only things to do with beans. Beans of all different varieties are incredibly versatile. You can cook them over the stove, mash them for no-fry refried beans, and make hummus.
Slow cooker pinto beans are by far the simplest way to cook dried beans. Just toss garlic, onion, lime juice, olive oil, bay leaves, and spices into a crock pot. Let cook for 8 hours while you're at work or while you're asleep and come back to perfectly cooked beans every time. It takes all of the guess work and hassle of soaking the beans and slowly simmering them for hours over the stove out of the equation.
Add all of the ingredients to the crock pot. It doesn't matter what order you put them in.
Cook on the low setting for 8 hours.
If you want to make these 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 puree entirely, if you want a smoother consistency.This might require more water. If there is any left in the pot, that's usually all that you need. Otherwise, just add more tap water until you've reached the desired consistency.
Adjust seasoning to taste and serve immediately or refrigerate for later use.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
That's pretty much it! This is a very hands off process. Most crock pots have an automatic timer and will switch to "keep warm" mode after the desired cook time. I tend to start them in the morning before going to work or at night before going to bed. That way you come home or wake up to freshly cooked beans.
You may want to watch the water level, as cooking out too quickly or sitting in the pot on warm for too long can cause some dry spots and potential burning around the edges.
Alternatively, if you have extra water in the pot, you can either drain and reserve the liquid or simmer out the remainder of the water.
You can alternatively make beans by slowly simmering on the stove for about 2 hours. I have an article on The Fundamentals of Stovetop Black Beans. Pinto beans sometimes take a little less time to cook, but the same basic principle applies. You will also need to soak them for 12 hours ahead of time to achieve a cook this quickly. Unsoaked beans tend to at least double the cooking time.
I've also done this same recipe in the Instant Pot for about 45 minutes. Although the amount of water needed and cook time varies quite a bit from batch to batch. It is possible in a pinch, but it's not my preferred method for cooking beans!
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