Cook and crumble the ground beef in a skillet on the stovetop. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Drain any fat. Add the meat to the slow cooker.
Place the beans in a colander, sort out any debris and discard. Rinse the beans and add them to the slow cooker. No presoaking is necessary. Do not use the ham flavor packet in this recipe, you can save it for another recipe if desired.
Add the onion, chicken broth and bay leaf. WAIT TO ADD THE SALSA AND TACO SEASONING, for too much salt and acidity can prevent the beans from softening.
Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 7 hours.
When the cooking time is up, remove the bay leaf. Add the salsa and taco seasoning. Stir.