Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Chicken


11 Comments


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Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Chicken recipes are delicious, flavorful, and perfect for busy weeknights or weekends. This dump-and-go recipe makes prep time minimal and you’ll have enough cooking time to get everything done just before dinnertime.

There’s so much you can do with pinto beans. Make them a little spicy in my Slow Cooker Spicy Pinto Beans or add a little beef like in this Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Beef recipe.

Cooked pinto beans and chicken in a crockpot.
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Why this recipe works

When you’re looking for quick and tasty food to cook, the last thing you want is to prepare something that calls for many ingredients. With this chicken and pinto beans recipe, there are only two main ingredients, and the rest is water and seasonings.

I love that there’s no need to cook the chicken first or even soak the beans overnight. Not to mention, this is a great recipe when you want something healthy for dinner.

Ingredients for pinto beans and chicken on a table.
  • Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts are added directly into the crock pot and shredded there as well.
  • Pinto Beans: As I mentioned earlier, you don’t have to soak the beans prior. You will need to give them a good wash to rinse off any dirt and debris.
  • Water: Used to create a broth-like base for the dish.
  • Seasonings: A white onion is diced, fresh garlic minced, along with oregano, cumin, and chili powder – all added before cooking. The salt is added later.

Step-by-Step Directions

Four images showing how to make pinto beans and chicken.

Step One – Add the rinsed beans, chicken, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and oregano to the crockpot. Do not add the salt yet.

Step Two – Pour in the water and give it a little stir. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours or until the beans are very tender.

Step Three – After cooking time is done, shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker with 2 forks.

Step Four – Add the salt to taste. Serve, eat, and enjoy!

overhead shot of chicken and pinto beans in a slow cooker.

How to serve

  • The best way to serve this is as “burrito bowls” and top with your favorite burrito toppings.
  • This pinto beans and chicken recipe makes an amazing addition to rice and nachos. If drained of the sauce, you can place some inside of tortillas.
  • There are a variety of toppings that pair well with it, too, such as shredded iceberg lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions (diced or chopped), fresh cilantro, salsa, and diced tomatoes.
  • Give this meal a little twist by adding a squeeze of lime juice, a dash of chili powder, a pinch of red pepper flakes, black pepper, hot sauce, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Beans and chicken in a white slow cooker with toppings on the side.

Recipe FAQs

How do I make creamier beans?

For creamier beans, take one cup of the beans and mash with a fork, add back to the slow cooker, and stir.

Can I use a different type of bean instead of pinto beans?

Sure. You can substitute the pinto beans for white beans or black beans.

Can I substitute the water for chicken broth or chicken stock?

I think that would taste wonderful and add additional chicken flavor.

Would this be a good meal to serve at a potluck?

Absolutely! You can leave it in the slow cooker and serve it directly, stirring occasionally. I recommend turning the heat to the KEEP WARM setting for serving.

How do I store leftovers?

Add any remaining soup to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it on the the stove top over medium high heat until warmed throughout. You don’t want to bring it to a boil.

Bowl of chicken and beans with sour cream and tomatoes.

More Slow Cooker Recipes with Pinto Beans

overhead shot of chicken and pinto beans in a slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Chicken

3.25 from 4 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Total Time: 7 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6
This quick prep one-pot meal combines chicken breasts with pinto beans and a few pantry staple seasonings for a meal everyone is sure to enjoy.

Ingredients  

  • 1 lb. dried pinto beans
  • 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, (can use 1.5 – 2 lbs.)
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 2 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 7 cups water
  • 1 tsp. salt, (WAIT TO ADD)

Toppings

  • shredded iceberg lettuce
  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • sour cream
  • sliced green onions
  • diced tomatoes
  • tortilla chips

Instructions 

  • Rinse the beans, and sort through them, making sure there are no rocks or dirt clumps. (No need to soak). Add the chicken, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano and water. Wait to add the salt.
  • Stir. Cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours or until the beans are ultra tender.
  • After cooking time is done, shred the chicken, you can do this right in the slow cooker with 2 forks.
  • Add the salt to taste. For creamier beans, take one cup of the beans and mash with a fork, add back to the slow cooker and stir.
  • Spoon into bowls, and top with desired toppings.
  • Enjoy!

Sarah’s Notes

  • Nutritional values do not include toppings.
  • Add any remaining soup to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it on the the stove top over medium high heat until warmed throughout. You don’t want to bring it to a boil.
  • You can substitute the pinto beans for white beans or black beans.

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 632mg | Potassium: 1711mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 851IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

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Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. Rainah says:

    5 stars
    Planning on finally trying this soon.

    For those who find this bland?

    1) Always taste as soon as the beans are starting to be soft. Then adjust seasonings to your own taste.

    2) To balance flavors for my family’s taste, we always use salt and sugar to round out and balance the flavors. Less sugar than salt, but more salt than this recipe calls for? I have read that salt and sugar not only balance each other, flavor wise, but they counter each other’s effects on your metabolism. IMHO, it’s a win win to use both to team no the flavor a bit

    3) We also use a combination of black pepper, red pepper flakes, and Cayenne pepper. It doesn’t take a lot of heat to sense the fuller flavor, but as the heat increases, we increase them proportionally.

    4) my hubs always asks for extra garlic and oregano, no matter how much I use.

    Get input from your own family.

    Make this your own as needed…. That’s part of the fun of home cooking!

  2. Marcus says:

    4 stars
    Started my beans last night. Woke up as the 7 hours was just timing out. Gave another stir this morning. Mashed a cup of the pintos and poured back in with a second stir. Looking forward to Beans and Chicken over rice after this 8 hour shift. The beans will be on warm all day.

  3. Anonymous says:

    3 stars
    What is a serving size? Hard to determine how much is the 454 calories you mentioned. 1 cup? .5 cup? 10 grams?
    Recipe tastes great and leftovers are perfect for a quick version of chicken enchiladas.

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      I do not have that information, I apologize.

  4. Jenn says:

    Are you using frozen chicken or fresh?

  5. Suzy Berens says:

    Can I substitue canned pinto beans for the dried pinto beans?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      That would require entirely new recipe testing, so I’m unsure on the measurements or timing.

  6. Brenda says:

    1 star
    The liquid in my dish was clear, but the liquid in the picture was reddish – is there something missing in the recipe? My pintos were hard after 8 hours of cooking, including the last hour cooking on high. And the flavor was bland.

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      You may have need to cook them longer, it depends on your slow cooker.

  7. Big John CHA says:

    Sarah, this looks absolutely out of this world. My kind of recipe. However, I’ll have to axe the oregano. Please don’t get mad at me.

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      I get it! You can use mexican oregano, or just leave it out.