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Save money and learn Slow Cooker Black Beans. It is super easy and takes hardly any effort with only 3 ingredients.
One of our biggest money saving tips is to cook your own beans instead of buying them already canned. Not only do canned beans have extra sodium, but they are double the cost.
Crock Pot Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili is a favorite around here and it is so handy having black beans in the freezer ready to use. They are also delicious in this Skillet Beef Burrito Recipe with rice and beans.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
Making homemade black beans in the slow cooker is easy and the slow cooker does all the work. Black beans can be served as a side dish or mixed into soups. They taste better than the canned black beans and are better for you.
If you love to meal prep like I do, add black beans to the list to stock your freezer.
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.
Seasoning Ideas
Feel free to add seasoning of you choice while cooking the Black Beans. These are some of our favorites.
- Onion – Use yellow or white onion to add a ton of flavor.
- Garlic Powder – Fresh mince garlic cloves or garlic powder are great options
- Broth – You can substitute half the water for a vegetable broth or chicken broth.
- Other Spices – Ground cumin, chili powder and oregano is another delicious option.
How to Cook Black Beans in the Crock Pot
- Step 1 – Rinse your dried beans and place them in the crockpot (you do not have to presoak your beans).
- Step 2 – Top with the salt and water.
- Step 3 – Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Step 4 – Separate into freezer friendly containers or freezer bags.
Freezer Tips
Once the black beans have cooked and cooled to room temperature they are ready to store. If you want the black beans to last longer than a few days, we recommend freezing them.
These hands free bag holders are seriously a life saver. They keep your bags open so you can just dump your ingredients inside. You can snag them very inexpensively on Amazon and even though they are not required, I highly recommend them when you make these healthy slow cooker meals.
Evenly divide the black beans in small servings so you can use them in multiple recipes. They will stay fresh for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
After preparing black beans they make a delicious side dish to any Mexican Recipes. We love to serving with Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas, Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe or Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos. Serve the black beans topped with diced avocado, bell peppers, fresh lime juice and slice jalapeno pepper.
You can even toss these black beans in Crockpot Taco Soup Recipe or make Crockpot Black Bean Soup with Cilantro.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no need to soak the beans prior to putting in the slow cooker.
Yes, we like to wash the beans to remove any debris or damaged beans prior to putting in the slow cooker. Dried beans have not been washed prior to packaging.
Cooking time will vary depending your slow cooker. So it could be that you need to cook the black beans longer. Make sure to also use fresh beans when cooking. If using expired beans they may not cook as well.
Store the leftover black beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftovers will last about 5 days.
More Easy Bean Recipes
Easy Slow Cooker
Easy Ranch Style Beans Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker
Easy Crockpot Refried Beans Recipe
Freezer Meal
How to Freeze Beans
Easy Slow Cooker
Crock Pot Pinto Beans
If you make Crockpot Black Beans, please let us know how they turn out. We love hearing from you.
Slow Cooker Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound Dried Black Beans
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse your dried beans and place them in the crockpot (you do not have to presoak your beans).
- Top with the salt and water.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Separate into freezer friendly containers or freezer bags.
- Allow to cool completely before placing in the freezer.
- How to reheat:
- Take straight from freezer and place directly in crockpot if you are using them in a crockpot recipe (like a soup). You can cook them on low (directly from freezer) in a medium size pot until thawed and heated through.
- You can also thaw them in the fridge the night before you plan to use them.
I don’t drain them before freezing them.
I did not notice if this was mentioned. Does one drain the beans before freezing?
Love this! So easy. Almost like plug n play for food.
The only thing I do different is the east I freeze. I keep several plastic ice trays on hand to help with the freezing part. I fill each square with black beans and put the trays in the freezer. When they are completely frozen into cube shapes, they will easily pop right out into freezer bags. This size and shape of the frozen beans makes it easier to calculate how much I’m getting out to use later on. Much leads waste for me and so easy to get them,they don’t stick together. I also like to do the same with spaghetti sauces,one cube of sauce Is the perfect amount for a marinara dip for one person. Also seems to be a space saver in my small freezer because I can shake the bags and adjust them to get them in a tight spot. I just run the ice trays through the dishwasher the next time I use it.
Huge time & money saver! Thanks for the idea!
Yummy – I love black beans!
oh we love doing it for Pinto beans too! We even make our own Refried beans that way!
I cook my pinto beans in th crock all night and the next day on low. They are sooo good. Thank you for the tip on the black beans.
Yes it does!! It works perfectly with other beans.
have you tried this with other beans? think it would work the same way?