The week after I said I was going to use more canned beans, my friend Rose emailed me to say she had recently changed her mind and was now cooking beans from scratch after using canned beans all her life. A batch of slow cooker black beans had shown her the light.
Rose’s note made me think of how much fun it is to cook beans in the slow cooker (see Slow Cooker Gigante Beans) and how bean cookery might be the slow cooker’s best play.
Right away, I got out my crockpot, put in a pound of dried black beans and some aromatics, added water on top, and let it cook for a long time. After eight hours, my beans were done, the house smelled great, and I had six cups of perfectly cooked, highly-seasoned beans that I could eat right away or freeze for later.
These sweet potato burritos were made with black beans from my slow cooker. The filling for these sweet potato quesadillas is a longtime favorite recipe, and these homemade flour tortillas are a recipe I hadn’t made in a long time before this week. Both the dried beans and the tortillas reminded me how much fun it can be to cook from scratch sometimes.
Black beans are a versatile and nutritious staple that can be used in many delicious meals Cooking dried black beans in a crock pot is an easy, hands-off method that results in perfectly tender beans soaked with flavor
In this article, I’ll explain step-by-step how to cook black beans in a crock pot, as well as provide tips for flavoring, recipe ideas, and storage instructions. Keep reading to learn the simple tricks to cooking beans from scratch for easy, budget-friendly meals.
Benefits of Cooking Dried Beans vs Canned
Cooking dried beans yourself rather than using canned has many advantages
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Cost savings: Dried beans are significantly cheaper per serving compared to canned beans. Just 1 cup of dried beans makes 2-3 cups cooked beans.
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Control over sodium content: Canned beans are packed with added sodium, whereas you control how much salt goes into homemade cooked beans.
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Better texture: Dried beans cooked yourself result in a firmer, pleasant texture compared to mushy canned beans.
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More nutrients: Canned beans have lower amounts of vitamins and minerals that leach out into the canning liquid.
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Customizable flavor: You can control the aromatics and seasonings added to homemade beans.
Ingredients Needed
Cooking beans in a crock pot requires just a few simple ingredients:
- Dried black beans (no need to soak beforehand)
- Water
- Aromatics like onion, garlic, bay leaf
- Salt
- Spices or herbs (optional)
- Acid like lemon juice or vinegar (optional, helps beans retain shape and color)
Olive oil or broth can also be added for more flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is a simple step-by-step guide to cooking perfect black beans in the crock pot:
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Rinse the beans. Pick through 1 pound of dried black beans and rinse them in a colander. This removes any dust or debris.
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Add beans and aromatics to crock pot. Put the rinsed beans into the crock pot. Add in halved onion, smashed garlic clove, and bay leaf.
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Pour in water. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2-3 inches. About 6-8 cups of water for 1 pound of beans.
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Season with salt and desired spices. Add 2 tsp salt and any desired spices like cumin or chili powder.
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Set crock pot heat and cook time. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
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Check beans for doneness. Beans are finished when very soft and creamy inside. Add more cooking time if needed.
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Season and add acid. Once tender, season to taste with more salt, pepper, herbs. Add acid like lemon juice.
And that’s it! The crock pot does all the work for tender black beans ready for any recipe.
Tips for Flavoring Beans
To boost the flavor of basic crock pot beans:
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Sauté aromatics like onion, garlic, and chili peppers before adding to crock pot.
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Use vegetable or chicken broth instead of water.
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Add a Parmesan rind or ham hock while cooking for extra richness.
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Stir in diced tomatoes, salsa, chili paste, or BBQ sauce at the end.
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Finish beans with chopped herbs, vinegar, hot sauce, or lemon/lime juice.
The cooking liquid also absorbs bean flavor, so you can use it as a base for soups.
Recipe Ideas
Homemade crock pot black beans are extremely versatile. Here are some easy recipe ideas:
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Black bean soup: Puree 1 cup beans + cooking liquid with veggie broth.
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Burritos/tacos: Fill tortillas with beans, cheese, salsa, avocado, etc.
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Black bean burgers: Mash beans and mix with breadcrumbs, egg, and spices. Pan fry patties.
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Black bean salad: Toss beans with corn, diced tomatoes, onion, cilantro and vinaigrette.
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Nachos: Layer tortilla chips with beans, cheese, peppers, guacamole, etc.
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Chili: Sauté onion, peppers, spices. Add tomatoes, beans, stock. Simmer.
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Quesadillas: Fill tortillas with beans, cheese, spinach. Cook in skillet until crispy.
Storage Instructions
Properly stored, homemade cooked beans last 4-5 days refrigerated or 6 months frozen.
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Fridge: Store beans immersed in cooking liquid. Transfer to airtight container if liquid reduces.
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Freezer: Portion beans into freezer bags or airtight containers with 1-2 cups cooking liquid.
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Reheating: Thaw frozen beans in fridge overnight. Simmer with extra liquid to prevent drying out.
The nutritious cooking liquid can also be frozen into ice cube trays for adding flavor to dishes later.
Simplest Slow-Cooker Black Beans How-To
- You don’t have to soak a pound of dried black beans before putting them in a slow cooker. As you may remember from this post about black bean soup, black beans don’t need to be soaked and maybe even shouldn’t be. This is true no matter how you cook them—in a slow cooker, a Dutch oven, or a pressure cooker.
- Add aromatics like a bay leaf, an onion, or garlic. These will all give the beans a good flavor. Fresh thyme is nice, too.
- People have different ideas about when to add salt to beans and when not to, but I personally think it makes them taste better and doesn’t slow down the cooking process. If I have a pound of beans, I start with 2 teaspoons. But once they are cooked, I always add more, often another 2 teaspoons.
- Add water and olive oil, if you wish. I always add olive oil to my stewed beans that I cook in a slow cooker (see here). I believe it makes it taste better, especially when the beans are done cooking and cooling in the tasty cooking liquid. Feel free to omit if you wish.
- Store beans in their cooking liquid. Beans freeze beautifully, too, in their cooking liquid. These deli quart containers are great for this purpose.
Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients.
Place dried beans, onion half, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes into a slow cooker.
Add water and olive oil (optional), then close the lid.
Cook for 6 to 8 hours on high or…
… until the beans are cooked.
Store in quart containers. These deli quart containers (BPA-free) are great for this purpose.
HOW TO MAKE BLACK BEANS PERFECT EVERY TIME | Slow Cooker Black Beans | Stacey Flowers
FAQ
How long does it take to cook raw beans in a crock pot?
Do black beans need to be soaked before cooking?
Is it better to cook beans on low or high?
How long does it take to heat up black beans in a crock pot?
How do you eat black beans in a crock pot?
Black Bean Soup – Mix 3 cups of black beans with 1 can of ROTEL, 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, and blend until smooth. Simmer in a heavy pot for 10 minutes and then serve warm with rice. Black Bean Tacos – Toast up some corn tortillas and fill with black beans. Add pineapple jalapeno salsa or mango avocado salsa and top with shredded cabbage.
Can eating black beans cause weight gain?
If you have a balanced and diverse diet and practice regular physical activity, black beans will not cause you weight gain. You should eat them inside a healthy diet.
How long do you cook black beans on a crock pot?
Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours (checking after 3 hours to see if the beans are done) or on low for 6-7 hours (checking after 6 hours to see if beans are done). Once the beans are done cooking, remove the bay leaves. THEN, stir in salt. Enjoy warm!
Can you cook black beans in a slow cooker?
These slow cooker black beans are an easy way to transform dried beans into a delicious, simple side dish. With just a few herbs and spices, these tender beans become a crave-worthy addition to your meal! In a large slow cooker, add the black beans, onion, garlic, broth, water, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.