Crock Pot Pinto Beans

Crock Pot Pinto Beans is a classic recipe that is always a family favorite. Making pinto beans from scratch is easy to do in the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans Recipe is easy to prepare and the perfect meal to prepare anytime of the year. It is a simple comfort food recipe that is made with easy ingredients.

The pinto beans cook easily in the slow cooker to get tender and flavorful for an easy weeknight meal. You can also learn how to make black beans for an easy side.

What are Pinto Beans?

Pinto Beans is a common bean that is used in chili or mashed and made into refried beans. These beans can be purchased dried or purchased cooked in a can.

Pinto beans can be cooked in a slow cooker or on the stove top.

Ingredients

• Dry Pinto Beans 
• Yellow Onion, finely diced 
• Salt 
• Minced Garlic 
• Bay Leaves 
• Ground Cumin 
• Dried Oregano 
• Water 
• Low Sodium Chicken Broth 

How to Cook Pinto Beans in the Crock Pot

Step 1 – Rinse the dry beans in a colander and remove any damaged beans or any debris from the package.  Then put the beans in a 6 quart crock pot. 

Step 2 – Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot.  Stir to combine all the ingredients. 

Step 3 – Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until the beans are tender. Each slow cooker runs differently so adjust the cook time based on your slow cooker. 

Step 4 – Remove the bay leaves from the crock pot. 

Step 5 – Serve warm with your favorite toppings and enjoy.

How Long to Cook Pinto Beans in a Crock Pot:

We recommend cooking the pinto beans on low for about 8-10 hours. Cooking time will vary based on your crock pot. It really does take that long to cook the beans tender.

Do you have to Soak Pinto Beans before Cooking in the Crockpot?

You do not have to soak these beans when cooking them in a crock pot. Growing up my mom would prepare a batch of beans by soaking them in a large pot of water overnight.

But now that I make pinto beans in the slow cooker there is no need to pre-soak the beans. Cooking the dry beans in the slow cooker is the easiest and best way to prepare tender and delicious pinto beans.

What water ratio is best?

Typically you will need 3 to 4 cups of water for every 1 cup of dried pinto beans.

How to Season Pinto Beans:

The great thing about pinto beans is the seasoning changed to what you have on hand. We used simple seasoning such as garlic, cumin and oregano.

• Sauted Jalapeno and Chopped Onions – For added flavor to the pinto beans, try sautéing jalapeno and onions before adding them to the slow cooker.
• Southwest Spices – Mix in seasoning such as cayenne pepper, cumin, and chili powder. This seasoning mixture bring so much flavor to the beans.
• Extra Seasoning- You can easily just season the pinto beans with salt and pepper. You can also add cloves of garlic, paprika, garlic powder, or onion powder.
• Leftover Ham or Bacon – pieces of leftover ham or chopped up bacon are great to cook with the pinto beans.
• Ham Hock – If we make a ham, we like to freeze the ham hock (or ham bone) to cook with slow cooker pinto beans. It adds so much flavor to the pinto beans.

Can I Make Instant Pot Refried Beans?

Yes, you can make Instant Pot Refried Beans. The refried beans turned out so good and they were so easy to make. The ingredients were simple and it saved me so much money.

They tasted so much better than the canned refried beans. This is a great recipe.

How to Store

Refrigerate the leftover beans in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Store in individual containers in the refrigerator for an easy lunch the next day. Reheat in the microwave in 30 seconds intervals to heated thoroughly.

How to Freeze Pinto Beans:

Freezing pinto beans is easy to do. This is great way to prep your pinto beans to mash and make refried beans.

• Cool Completely – After cooking the pinto beans, allow them to cool completely before storing.
• Place in Container – Separate the pinto beans in a freezer safe container or a zip lock bag. I like to store in small portions so that I can use as a side dish.
• Remove Air – If you storing in a zip lock bag, make sure to squeeze any air out before storing in the freezer.
• Freeze – If pinto are stored properly they will last up to 3 months. 

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Pinto Beans:

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans can easily be served as a main dish or as a side to your favorite Mexican recipes.

• Pan Fried Potatoes – There is just something about crispy fried potatoes that brings me back to my childhood. This is the perfect side to pinto beans.
• Over Nachos – Make a plate of nachos and spoon pinto beans over the top.
• Make Burrito or Tacos – Make your favorite taco meat and mix some cook pinto beans.
• Mix in Rice – Make a delicious budget friendly meal and mix beans and rice together.
• Chili – Make your favorite chili recipe and add pinto beans in the mix.
• Bake Potato – We like to make bake potatoes and spoon some pinto beans over the time. Filling and healthy meal idea.
• Refried Beans – Mash some cook pinto beans for easy refried beans.
• Soups – We love to make taco soups and adding fresh pinto beans to the batch makes for the best soup. That is why I like putting pinto beans in individual containers to easily add to soups and chili.

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes:

• Au Gratin Potatoes Slow Cooker Recipe
• Crock Pot Black Eye Peas Recipe
• Slow Cooker Red Potatoes Recipe