Discover the convenience of Crock-Pot Basic Beans. Whip up a batch of delicious and nutritious beans with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
Slow Cooker Magic: How to Cook the Perfect Pot of Beans Every Time
Are you tired of spending hours soaking and cooking beans on the stove? Say goodbye to the hassle and hello to the convenience of using your crockpot for all your bean cooking needs! With just a few simple ingredients and minimal effort, you can have a delicious and nutritious pot of beans ready to enjoy in no time.
To start, gather your choice of dried beans and rinse the beans under cold water and remove any unwanted debris. Drain the beans and place the beans in your slow cooker and add enough water (or chicken broth) to cover them completely.
Next, season your beans with garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Feel free to get creative with your seasoning – adding in spices like oregano, cumin, chili powder, or even a bay leaf for extra flavor.
Unlike kidney beans, which require a pre-soak due to their toxin content, other beans can go straight into the crockpot without any pre-soaking necessary. This is why using a slow cooker for cooking beans is not only incredibly easy but also a time-saving method.
Once all your ingredients are in the crockpot, set it to low and let it cook for 6-8 hours. Your patience will be rewarded with tender, flavorful beans that are perfect for adding to soups, salads, tacos, or simply enjoying on their own.
Not only are beans a versatile ingredient, but they are also incredibly nutritious. Packed with fiber and protein, beans are a great addition to any diet. They can help you feel fuller longer and support heart health and regular digestion.
So the next time you are looking to whip up a healthy and filling meal, consider pulling out your crockpot and giving basic beans a try.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can cook ANY type of dried beans in your slow cooker:
– Black Beans
– Black-Eyed Peas
– Black Turtle Beans
– Butter Beans
– Cannellini Beans
– Cranberry Beans
– Garbanzo Beans (aka Chickpeas)
– Great Northern Beans
– Kidney Beans
– Lentils
– Navy Beans
– Pinto Beans
– Red Beans
– Soybeans
– White Beans
Yes, you can definitely freeze any leftovers. Simply portion out the beans into airtight containers or freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Yes, you can store the beans in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just make sure to transfer them to an airtight container once they have cooled down.
Yes, to add a smoky flavor to your cooked beans feel free to add either cooked and diced bacon or a ham hock.
Yes, onions and celery can add extra flavor and depth to the dish. Simply sauté them before adding them to the Crock-Pot to enhance their flavor.
Yes, you can easily turn these basic beans into refried beans by mashing them with a potato masher or blending them in a food processor. Add some extra seasoning and enjoy as a delicious side dish or dip.
Special Diets
Gluten Free | High Fiber | Low Calorie | Low Cholesterol | Low Fat | Low Sodium | Low Sugar | Vegan | Vegetarian | Weight Watchers
More Yummy Crockpot Recipes!
Crock-Pot Basic Beans Recipe
Equipment
- 5 Quart Crock-Pot Or Larger
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Dried Beans (Pinto Beans, Black Beans. Kidney Beans, Navy Beans, Etc.)
- Water (Enough To Cover Beans By About 3 Inches)
- 1 Clove Garlic (Minced)
- ¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Rinse and sort beans, discarding any broken beans and stones.
- Add beans, garlic, salt and pepper to a 5 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add enough water to the slow cooker to cover the beans by about 3 inches.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or until the beans are fully cooked and tender.
- Use as you would canned beans in any recipe. Freeze extras in freezer containers for up to 6 months with cooking liquid.
This is a really great recipe and absolutely deserved to be posted:) Thank you so much for linking it up! I think I’ll have to post this on my fb page;) Btw…you have a super blog here! I think I need to look around a bit.
Thanks Andrea for stopping by! I am really enjoying your blog as well. Tons of great info. I have black beans cooking in my crock-pot today using this recipe.
I just found you – through a link at frugally sustainable- and I love my crock pot so i will be lurking here awhile
Just a question- could I do this with garbonzo beans as well?
Hi Nicci, thanks for dropping by, lurk all you want! This totally works for Garbanzo Beans (AKA Chickpeas) I cook them all the time to make my own homemade hummus.
I have some left over ham from dinner and was wondering if you could put it in the crook pot with the beans for some extra flavor?
I would. The beans would make it more of a full meal. Either slices or even chunks of the ham added to the Beans would be flavorful. Add a side of cornbread!
Just wanted to share that you can dehydrate the beans also and they keep for a few years… Awesome option to freezing!! YOu can save in a food saver bag or store in canning jars and use food saver attachment to take oxygen from jar and they store for quite a few years
I have a question. Why do you add the salt? I always heard that adding salt makes the beans take way longer to cook.
Thank you,
Hi Maryann, I have never heard that before, that adding salt to beans while cooking takes longer to cook. I have always added a little salt to my beans. After seeing your question here I went on a Google search to see if perhaps I was doing it wrong. But, I found this article from Serious Eats and it suggests that you should add salt to your beans when cooking. In all honesty though I don’t think it will matter too much if you add the salt or not in this recipe. But I do think the beans end up tasting better when salt is added.
I know this is an old posting, but see a reply from last years, so hope you’re still checking for questions.
I have been reading lately, that you should pre-boil dry beans for at least 10 minutes before adding them to a crockpot. In all the many years that I’ve used a slow-cooker to cook all kinds of beans (usually for 8 hours) I’ve never done this. Is this new news?
Hi Izzi, The only type of beans that you should pre-boil before slow cooking are kidney beans as they contain a toxin that needs to be cooked out. All other beans are okay to just cook in the slow cooker.
I always wash my beans before cooking them by boiling them for 15 minutes, then pour the dirty water off and rinse them before throwing them in the crockpot. This gets all the dirt off of them before poking. I also use a stick of butter instead of garlic, but that is how we learned to do it in the south.
Given the date of previous comments (2012), I suspect my comment will not be addressed. I’m wondering about the author’s comments that kidney beans MUST be soaked due to some sort of toxin. I’m 73 years old, from the Gulf Coast originally and I’ve been eating Cajun kidney beans and rice since mother could mash them and feed me as baby food. Never soaked beans overnight. Slow cooked all day (Mondays…laundry day…while mother did laundry on an old wringer washer in the shed.
Hi Susan, according to the Ohio State University website (and several other online sources too) is is recommended to soak red kidney beans. We are not food safety experts but do want to try to help people not get sick too. So, while you may never have gotten sick I guess there is the potential to get sick. Much like I love eating raw cookie dough, so far never been sick from it, but there is a risk. If you feel comfortable without soaking your beans then feel free. But we want to try to put out food safety information where possible to help others not get sick.
You listed all sorts of beans that could be cooked in aa crock pot…but one…Lima beans. Is there a reason for that or where they just overlook?? I love Lima Beans!!
Hi Denise, I think I just overlooked lima beans because they are not one of my personal favorites. But you can for sure cook them in the slow cooker with this recipe!