Crock Pot Pinto Beans

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If you were to list some of your favorite slow cooker dishes, a dried pinto beans recipe would probably not be anywhere close to your top picks.

I was like that too before I came across this awesome easy-to-make crock pot pinto beans recipe! Cooking beans was always more of a chore than anything else, until now!

These days, I always keep some dry pinto beans handy whenever I get the craving to enjoy this recipe that I can no longer do without.

Dry pinto beans take a while to cook, so do not expect a quick recipe because we are not making instant pot refried beans here.

Where refried beans cook in just a few minutes, slow cooker pinto beans will take hours, but every second is worth it!

What Are Pinto Beans?

In the United States and a large part of Mexico, pinto beans are the most loved type of beans and are enjoyed religiously by millions of people across different races and cultures.

Most people are familiar with the canned pinto beans found in almost every shop, used to make chili and stews. Pinto beans are also the chief ingredient in refried beans, another popular American cuisine.

Not only are these tiny legumes nutritious and hearty but this is also the easiest slow cooker pinto beans recipe you will ever come across!

I Love Slow Cooker Pinto Beans! Here Is Why

Once you fall in love with these crock pot pinto beans as I have, you will not want to have a family meal without them.

With a little bit of patience and your trusted slow cooker, you can have the most delicious beans you have ever tasted ready to make crock pot ham and beans or smoked turkey leg dinner.

Besides the awesome taste, I love making pinto beans using this crock pot beans recipe because:

• The slow cooker pinto beans recipe is very easy
• As soon as I close the crock pot lid, I am free to do other things for the next few hours
• Crockpot pinto beans go with just about anything I am serving for dinner
• Pinto beans are very affordable so having them regularly is a great way to save money
• Each of these little pinto beans is packed to the brim with nutritional value

No Need To Soak Pinto Beans Before Cooking Them

Now, one of the most annoying things, when you cook pinto beans, is having to soak them for some time before cooking.

The need to soak beans first is one of the major reasons people avoid dried pinto beans and go for canned beans instead.

However, when slow-cooking crock pot pinto beans, there is no need for soaking beans because the crock pot will do all the work for you.

Pinto beans are tender by nature and your slow cooker will guarantee that they come out just right as long as you give them enough time to cook.

In this recipe, I have already adjusted the cooking time and liquid ratios to ensure that all you have to do is toss in your ingredients and wait for the slow cooker to do its magic.

You Will Need Eight Hours To Cook Pinto Beans; Be Prepared!

As delicious as crock pot pinto beans are, they are still beans in the end, so you better have a good book handy because it will be a while before they are ready.

In general, it takes about eight hours for the beans to be ready, but I always like leaving them in the crock pot for a couple more hours to ensure a perfectly cooked pinto beans recipe.

Season Pinto Beans to Perfection

Even though pinto beans are delicious on their own, if you are going to be making them as regularly as I do, it is best to get your seasoning game on point.

Playing around with the seasoning is the easiest way to keep slow cooker pinto beans tasting new and exciting every time you make them.

The sautéed onion and jalapeno are a mainstay for all my pinto beans recipes.

However, I do like to add a few classic southwest spices now and then, such as cayenne pepper and cumin. I find that this combination gives my dish a hint of the Mexican food flavor that I love.

How To Serve Crock Pot Pinto Beans

Pinto beans, both dry and canned beans, are a popular meal companion for many dishes because they are so diverse and go well with just about anything you are eating like my crock pot bbq lil smokies recipe!

Some of my favorite pinto beans dishes are:

• Served with baked potatoes, cheese, and salsa
• Simple meal of rice and slow cooker pinto beans, with a side dish of fried egg and avocado
• As a delicious pinto beans burrito, quesadilla, or fajita
• A dynamite combination of pinto beans and nachos!
• As a side dish to a wide variety of meals, such as ham hock, smoked turkey leg, or any vegetarian dish

What Can Replace Pinto Beans?

While pinto beans are my undisputed number one favorite type of beans for this kind of slow cooker recipe.

You can try a wide range of different substitutions when you make this at home, such as:

• Black beans, will cook the same way as pinto beans and provide more or less the same nutritional value to your meal
• Anasazi beans (Aztec beans) are a Latin American cuisine regular and are a great substitute if you are pressed for time and are looking for a faster alternative to pinto beans
• Borlotti beans also called Roman beans or cranberry beans, are great in stews and are very similar to pinto beans in terms of appearance but have a distinct Mediterranean flavor

Cooking Beans Can Be Fun Too!

Who knew that cooking pinto beans can prove to be so much fun and easy at the same time? Without the added hassle of having to soak your beans first, there is no reason why you too should not be trying out this awesome recipe.

The long cooking time will not get in the way of any other things you may have planned for the day because the slow cooker works quietly in the corner until the beans are done.

If you were looking for some fun ways to make better use of your slow cooker, this is the best recipe for you. Try it out and let me know how the pinto beans worked out!