Transform a cheap bag of pinto beans into a pot of spicy delight by adding jalapenos! These Slow Cooker Pinto Beans can be a side or even a main meal if you top with cheese and have cornbread on the side.
Pinto beans are meant to be slow-cooked! We love to make these crockpot pinto beans or even refried beans!
Have you ever cooked dried beans in your crockpot? This recipe for Mexican pinto beans is a great recipe to start with only takes a few ingredients. Homemade beans taste much different than canned beans, and you won’t believe how easy it is!
It’s a great side dish, though it is hearty enough to serve as a main topped with cheese and tortillas or cornbread on the side.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pinto beans – No need to presoak. Cooking the dried beans on high will tenderize them just fine.
- Chicken broth – It seems like a strange ingredient but adds flavor and saltiness to the beans. You can of course use vegetable broth if you want your beans to be vegan.
- Onion – Sweet yellow onion is best.
- Jalapenos – One or two depending on how spicy you want the beans. I alway go with two myself.
- Spices – Chili, onion, and garlic powder are important flavors in this pinto bean recipe.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Go through the beans quickly to ensure no rocks or dirt clumps. Rinse and drain them if you desire. Add pinto beans along with everything else to the slow cooker.
Step Two – Cook pinto beans on HIGH for 6-7 hours. Yes, this seems like a long time to cook on high, but cooking the beans in plenty of liquid like this recipe does just fine. The long cook time will make for tender beans.
How do I make creamy pinto beans?
- The slow cooker doesn’t simmer hard enough to break down the beans to make them creamy.
- To make crockpot pinto beans have a creamy sauce, take a potato masher and mash about 1/4 of the beans at the end of the cooking time.
- Or you can take a scoop out and put it in a shallow bowl. Mash with a fork and add back to the slow cooker.
Can I add meat to this recipe?
You can add protein to this dish. Add one of these meats at the beginning of the cooking time. You may not need to add any extra salt to this recipe if meat is added.
- Cooked bacon – cook, drain, and crumble the bacon, though you can add some bacon grease for more flavor. Uncooked bacon is not flavorful in the slow cooker; it needs to be browned to get the caramelized flavor.
- Ham hock – add one smoked ham hock at the beginning of cooking.
- Diced ham – two cups of ham will work well in this recipe. You can use leftover ham if you have it.
- Smoked meats– you can add diced smoked brisket or smoked turkey for a beautiful twist.
What to serve with this recipe
- Toppings – These beans are great alone but can be even better topped with cheddar cheese, avocado, cilantro, diced onions and a squeeze of lime juice.
- Tortillas – Skillet warmed flour tortillas are a classic side for Mexican pinto beans. You can dip your tortillas in the beans or make yourself a small burrito.
- Cornbread – Make a large pan of cornbread to go with the beans, or make mini muffin cornbreads. If you don’t have time to make cornbread, many stores have small pans of cornbread in their bakeries.
- Rice – Spanish rice or plain ole steamed white rice is great with these pinto beans, serve on the side or pour your beans over the rice.
Recipe FAQs
Pinto beans can be put in the freezer for up to 6 months. They taste great after thawing and make an easy last-minute side dish. Freeze in small portions so you never will have to buy canned beans again.
Use half a jalapeno and remove the seeds, or use canned fire-roasted chiles instead of fresh jalapenos.
You do not have to soak the beans before cooking in the crockpot; be sure to cook them on high so they tenderize. This recipe will work fine if you prefer to soak the beans overnight. Drain off the soaking water and continue with this recipe.
Black beans will work wonderfully in this recipe; you won’t need to cook quite as long since they are smaller. 5-6 hours on high will work great.
If you want smashed refried beans, remove most liquid (reserving some in a dish). Mash the beans with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon. Add some of the reserved liquid if the refried beans are too dry.
Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Stay up to date and subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Pinto Bean Recipe
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 16 oz. dried pinto beans no need to presoak
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers sliced
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 32 oz. container chicken broth (can use vegetable broth)
- 2 cups water
Add at the end:
- 1/4 tsp. salt or more to taste
Instructions:
- Rinse and drain the beans, discard any dirt clumps or rocks. Add to the slow cooker.
- Add the onion, jalapenos, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, chicken broth and water to the slow cooker with the beans. Wait to add the salt.
- Cover and cook on HIGH 6-7 hours. Do not open the lid while they cook, or they will not get tender.
- When the cooking time is done mash about 1/4 of the beans with a potato masher right in the slow cooker. Or you can put a scoop in a bowl and mash with a fork and add back to the slow cooker. This will make the beans creamy, which the slow cooker can't do since the simmer is so low. Add salt to taste, I usually use 1/4 tsp.
- Serve as a side dish or as a main with tortillas or cornbread. Enjoy!
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
- Use half a jalapeno and remove the seeds
- Use jarred jalapenos
- or use canned diced fire-roasted chiles
- Cooked bacon – cook, drain, and crumble the bacon, though you can add some of the bacon grease for more flavor. Uncooked bacon is not flavorful in the slow cooker, it needs to be browned to get the caramelized flavor.
- Ham hock – add one smoked ham hock at the beginning of the cooking time.
- Diced ham – two cups of ham will work well in this recipe. You can use leftover ham if you have it.
- Smoked meats– you can add diced smoked brisket or smoked turkey for a wonderful twist.
- Yes, but add one more cup of water
- Omit the salt if you use their seasoning packet.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Love this recipe! I make it spicy for my hubby we eat our fill and freeze the rest for later. The only thing I change is to SOAK the beans overnight first. Never have a problem with beans being too hard. 7 hours on high is perfect time, if beans are burning then there is either something wrong with the slow-cooker or one needs to add a bit more water to make sure beans are covered. 🙂
Followed directions except had no jalapeños so omitted those and added extra garlic powder. Fresh onions I was out sinuses some frozen pearl onions half a bag. I also added 6 ounces of country ham pieces. Exactly 6 hours they were done. Even better the next day. Perfect as is but if you like a little more of a soup and liquid consistency you could add a bit more water or chicken broth or stock. Definitely mash some at the end it made a perfect consistency
Maybe my slow cooker is just not magical?, but this sadly did not work for me. I followed the recipe to the letter, but after 7 hours, the beans were still crunchy hard. I put the crock pot back on for another hour. Then another 4 hours for a total of 12 hours. My dried beans were not old, they were fresh. On day 2, I’ve transferred it to a pot on the stove, threw in a few more cups of water and a mild dried Mexican pepper for more flavor and am hoping something might be salvaged.
At that point either your beans are old or your slow cooker isn’t cooking hot enough.
On high burns everything
On high in the crock pot not a good idea.
Especially for 7 hours.
Burned all the spices, and pinto beans burned and stuck to the bottom of crockpot which was set on high as recipe posted.
Do not cook for 7 hours on “high!”
It burned all the spices, and it over cooked the pinto beans. Maybe that was an error in the recipe but it over cooked and burned the whole recipe. What a waste!
Your slow cooker may cook too hot. I’ve never had anyone have this burn. Did you add all the liquid?
I’m cooking them now. I added cumin and a couple of ham shanks. I’ll let you know how they come out.
Yes, please let me know how it turns out.
I have a pkg of great nothern beans on hand…will those work ?
Yes, those will work fine. You may not have to cook as long.
I believe you have to boil Great Northern beans. There’s a toxin (in all dried beans but especially high in some varieties). I know Kidney beans are one of them. If check to make sure its safe to crock.
We have never had pinto beans so good!!! However, I did cut back on the peppers and spice also added ham hocks. My cooker cooks fast so it only took 6 hours and I added more broth if the beans came to the top. So good, making this a regular meal at our house. Thanks.
Anyone try adding a kielbasa sausage link? Add it at the beginning or closer to the end?
Wow! This is SO great! Since some of my family don’t like things too spicy, I used one jalapeno, seeds removed. I also added 3-4 pork hocks (from WalMart). I serve with yellow rice. Then my daughter has leftovers with tortilla chips. This is a regular now. Thanks for such a great recipe!
I was always taught to add salt pork to my pinto beans (Hispanic) so I added that protein uncooked at the beginning, it was amazing. No need to use any salt at the end. I also only had chicken bone broth instead of regular chicken broth and it still came out great! Thank you!
Anytime I cook spicy beans in a crock-pot, I’ve found that adding about 12 to 14 oz of boudin always makes it better. It falls apart in the crock-pot and makes the texture better with a small amount of rice and its flavorful.
These are currently cooking in my crock pot for dinner tonight and I can’t wait!!
Made as written, first time couldn’t be easier or more tasty! Made these again with 32 oz of chicken broth but only one cup of water as I got distracted while making. Turned out great anyway hubby loves them 🙂