Crock Pot Pinto Beans make the best side dish or vegetarian dinner. We love them as a side for our Chicken Tacos or as the filling in our Baked Burritos. This is a simple recipe that you are sure to fall back on over and over.
My family is pretty obsessed with taco night. It happens several times a month in my house. But with one kiddo toying with vegetarianism, and all of my kids eating more as they get bigger, we are always looking for more dishes to add to the taco table.
These Crock Pot Pinto Beans fit the bill on all fronts. I love them as a simple vegetarian filling for tacos. But they are also amazing as a replacement for refried beans or the perfect easy side dish.
These have wonderful flavor and are very easy to make!
How to Cook Pinto Beans in a Crock Pot
This slow cooker pinto beans recipe couldn’t be easier or more delicious. Here is a brief overview of the simple steps to make your very own pinto beans in the crock pot. For complete measurements and instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Prepare beans. Drain them and rinse them twice. See below for info on soaking them overnight.
- Add everything to the slow cooker. Combine all of your ingredients in a crock pot.
- Cook. Cook until beans are tender.
Soaking Pinto Beans
Do you have to soak beans before cooking them? While you can skip this step, it’s beneficial because it will cut down the cooking time compared to making dry pinto beans in your slow cooker. Soaking the beans also improves their texture, and since placing them in water in the fridge overnight is an easy feat, I think it is worth it.
How Long to Cook Pinto Beans in Crock Pot
The cooking time for pinto beans will depend on the setting you use. Either high or low cooking settings can be used with a successful outcome. Cook the beans on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
To soak your pinto beans prior to cooking, place them in a large bowl and cover them with water. Place in the refrigerator overnight (6-12 hours), then rinse and cook.
If you prefer to make this recipe using dry pinto beans, rinse them and cook them on high for 8 hours. Be mindful of the longer cooking time and possible more coarse texture.
Serving
This recipe is a very versatile dish and can be enjoyed in many ways. This vegan pinto bean recipe is also low carb, gluten-free, and can be served as a main dish, over rice (or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option), as a side, or in your favorite tacos.
Packed with protein and flavor, these slow cooker pinto beans can be served as is, whole in tacos, mashed to serve as a side, or as an ingredient in my Baked Burritos, Taco Pizza, or any recipe that calls for refried beans.
Storing and Reheating
Store your leftover beans in an airtight container for up to four days. Warm up over low heat or in the microwave until heated through. Pinto beans freeze very well and can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. See below for how to freeze beans.
Freezing
Prepare the recipe fully and let it completely cool. Place beans in freezer bags and remove extra air. Freeze flat and thaw in the refrigerator when ready to enjoy. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth to thin.
What to Serve with Crock Pot Pinto Beans
When you try this recipe or any of my others, leave a comment and tell me what you think. I love hearing from you!
Crock Pot Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans soaked overnight
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
Instructions
- Drain the beans and rinse them two times.
- In a large slow cooker, combine all of the ingredients.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours or until beans are tender.
- At the end of the cooking time, you can keep the beans whole and use them as a side dish, as a taco filling, or over rice. You can also mash them.
Teresa Simms says
The recipes you share are always so down-home. Love your sharing!
I’m so glad you are enjoying them!
Teddie Hanophy says
I recently tried your Crock Pot Spaghetti. Since I would be serving only three I cut the recipe in half and cooked it in my medium size Proctor Silex Crock Pot. My measurements were exactly half of everything, including half of a box of Barilla regular spaghetti. I cooked on low for exactly four hours. All of the liquid was absorbed and the spaghetti was mush. Obviously the cooking time was too long. I have no idea how to calculate a lesser time. Any suggestions?
Crockpot recipes with noodles or rice are so hard because slow cookers can vary so much. So I have to just go off what works in mine. If you cut everything in half in a slow cooker recipe with rice or pasta, I would immediately shave an hour off of the low end of the cooking time. Start checking the recipe at that point.
MJ Hawe says
Easy and excellent beans. And coming from a Texan that says a lot.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Joni says
These have wonderful flavor and are very easy to make!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Nan says
We love beans in our house and I can’t wait to try your recipe. I’ve never cooked beans in the slow cooker. I always pre-soak but have never put them in the fridge to pre-soak. I’m curious about the reason to do this in the fridge?
It’s just an abundance of caution.
Lizzy says
How would you do this in an instant pot? Do you have adaptation suggestions? Thank you
You would want to cut the liquid down because there will be no evaporation, but I would want to test it.
Linda says
I have recently purchased air fryer oven and was curious if you have any recipes for it? Or if not, do you have suggestions on how to adjust the cook times for recipes from the regular oven. Thank you!
We have lots of great air fryer recipes, you can find them here: Air Fryer Recipes.
Pegged says
I always soak and rinse thoroughly because it helps leach out some of the potassium. Those with kidney disease or kidney problems need to avoid using excess potassium. Peggy Deaux
Dee says
I think I may have added too much broth, (and I used white beans because it’s what I had on hand) so mine looks more like a soup! The flavor is good, but I was hoping for a more ‘stewy’/thicker texture to serve over rice as a meatless meal. Do you ever use the crockpot without the lid to aide in evaporation? Definitely not as aesthetically pleasing, but as I said, good flavor. I kept re-reading the recipe thinking I left out tomato sauce or diced tomatoes based on how your finished dish looks.
When I make this recipe it isn’t a soupy texture, so I’m not sure what happened here (I keep the lid fully on when it cooks). It could be the difference in beans (or definitely the broth if too much was added). The little red bits on top are diced fresh red peppers just to make the pictures look prettier, honestly. But they aren’t needed for flavor at all.
Susan says
What about using black eyed peas instead of pinto beans? Would they work just as good if you followed the same recipe?
I would want to test them to ensure that this cooking time works for them.