Slow Cooker Pinto Beans – Easy, Cheap and Adaptable!

I have been making a big pot of pinto beans (well a slow cooker full at least) at least twice a month for the past 8-10 years. I’ve often been asked to share my recipe, but I’ve always been hesitant to do so.

Why?

Well because the only constant in my big ol’ pot of pinto beans are the actual beans! I vary this recipe constantly based on what I have on hand, who’s eating it and whether it’s meant to be a side dish or the entire meal.

I made the decision to share my pinto bean recipe primarily because it is probably my cheapest and most filling dish and I think we all need more of those “more month than money” recipes in our back pocket.

My friend’s mom once told me, as long as you have rice and as long as you have beans, you’ll never go hungry. It’s so true!

Slow Cooked Pinto Beans

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb bag of dry pinto beans
• Chicken broth or water (around 6 cups but I honestly NEVER measure, I just make sure the liquid is around 2 inches higher than the beans)
• diced onions
• diced tomatoes (these can be canned, a can of rotel, fresh from the garden or bruised from the bottom of your veggie crisper)
• cumin
• oregano
• paprika
• salt & pepper to taste
• Optional Additions:
• Meat – We love sausage (there is chicken sausage in the bowl pictured above), ground beef, ground turkey, ham, pork, etc
• More Veggies – Your choice!
• Rice – You might have to increase your liquid and wait until the beans are basically done to add your rice so the rice doesn’t turn into mush

Directions: 

1. Rinse your beans thoroughly in cold water (I do NOT soak my beans. I slow cook them and that seems to work just fine for me!)

2. Optional: Brown your veggies (not your tomatoes though) in some olive oil

3. Optional: Brown any meat you intend to use. I almost always use meat of some sort. Our favorite and ground beef AND sausage.

4. Add beans, liquid (water or chicken broth), onions, tomatoes and spices (I never ever measure, but start off with a tablespoon of each and tweak from there) and meat if you are adding meat

5. Slow cook on low for 6-8 hours; if you are going to add rice, add 1 cup of white rice in the last hour of cooking

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

This is the most vague recipe I feel like I’ve ever written, but you really need to make this your own! It’s a great base recipe and one that freezes well!