Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans is cooking 101. No matter if you love eating them just out of the slow cooker or are adding them to a soup, stew, or other tasty eats, getting the perfect pinto beans isn’t hard! Grab your slow cooker, and I’ll show you how to make the easiest and tastiest Slow Cooker Pinto Beans!

Slow cooker pinto beans in the crockpot

Simple and delicious is what these Crock Pot pinto beans are all about. And, if you’ve been following my recipes, you know that I’m a big fan of set-it-and-forget-it cooking. There’s nothing like putting a pot of these beans on to cook in the morning and then coming home to amazing aromas and a big bowlful of hearty, healthy, and delicious pinto beans.

The beauty of this recipe is that once you’ve soaked the beans overnight, everything goes into the slow cooker, and by the end of the day, it has worked its magic, and there’s a pot full of tasty eats ready for you.

It’s also an easy recipe to customize. You can make them meaty, spicy, vegetarian, and more! Be sure to scroll down and see all my suggestions below.

Do You Need To Soak Dried Beans Before Cooking?

Soaking beans overnight is an important step in making the best pinto beans. Giving them a good rinse will rinse off any dust and impurities, and then covering them with water and refrigerating them overnight gives them a chance to gently swell and release some of the gas. This will also help the beans hold their shape while cooking so that you have perfectly cooked beans.

Pinto beans in a large spoon

Ingredients

  • Dried pinto beans – Pick through them to remove any ugly beans or pebbles.
  • Chicken broth 
  • Salt
  • Black pepper – Freshly ground black pepper adds so much flavor!
  • Garlic – You’ll need about 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic. This is optional but trust me, pinto beans love garlic!
  • Onion – Also optional, but a bit of onion adds incredible flavor.

How To Make The Best Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Dust off that Crock Pot and get ready to make an amazing batch of pinto beans! Here’s how:

  1. Rinse the dried pinto beans under cool water and sort through them, removing any ugly beans or pebbles. Drain them well.
  2. Place the rinsed beans into a large bowl and cover with hot water. Pop them into the fridge overnight. 
  3. Drain and rinse the beans in the morning and pop them into your slow cooker. 
  4. Add the chicken broth, salt, black pepper, garlic cloves, and onion. 
  5. Top off the slow cooker with water so that it is about 2-inches above the top of the beans.
  6. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.
  7. Adjust the seasoning and dig in!

How Do You Know When Pinto Beans Are Cooked?

Pinto beans take a while to cook – in the slow cooker, they take hours. This is the best way to cook them because by cooking them low and slow, they become tender, absorb all the good flavors from the broth and seasonings, and stay nice and plump while holding their shape. You’ll know they’re cooked by tasting one – they should be soft and tender but not mushy.

Slow cooker pinto beans in the crockpot

Variations

  • Want to make vegan pinto beans? Just swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
  • Like spicy beans? Add some chopped jalapenos to the slow cooker.
  • Like your beans meaty? Add some chopped smoked sausage to the slow cooker about an hour before serving.
  • Other tasty add-ins include chopped cilantro or other herbs, leftover rotisserie chicken, brisket, or even ham.
  • Turn your pinto beans into refried beans to use in your favorite dip.

Are Pinto Beans Healthy?

This is an amazing pinto bean recipe, and not just because of the flavor. This dish is low in fat and high in fiber, and the beans are a decent source of protein, too. Served with a salad or some other veggies, it’s a complete and healthy meal!

How To Serve

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans are perfect just on their own, but if you feel like getting fancy, you can make bean burritos with them, serve them with a tasty roast, or as a side to a delish sandwich, and more! 

This is such an easy pinto bean recipe, and I love taking it to parties and family events, especially if we’re grilling. The beans pair perfectly with anything off the grill, and everybody loves the flavor of this hearty dish!

Storage

Store any leftover pinto beans in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze pinto beans. Cool them overnight in the fridge, then package them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Then, just thaw them and dig in!

Pinto beans in a large spoon

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Ingredients

  • 16 Oz dried pinto beans
  • 32 Oz chicken broth
  • 1 Tsp salt
  • 1 Tsp pepper
  • 4 Cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 Small onion chopped

Instructions

  • Rinse dried pintos under cool water and drain. Put them into a large bowl and cover with hot water and let sit over night.This helps cut down on cooking time and take some of the "gas" out. They will swell quite a bit so you need a large bowl.
    In the morning, rinse beans well with cool water, drain and then put in crock pot.
  • Add chicken broth and all other ingredients. Fill with water till water is about an inch or 2 above beans.
  • Cook on low all day for about 8-9 hours.

Notes

If you like your beans with a little kick, add in some minced jalapenos with the onion. You can remove the seeds for less bite or leave them in for more heat. 

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