Easy Seasoned Tender Crock Pot Pinto Beans (Vegetarian)

Making Your Own Pinto Beans Is Easy

• Easy Recipe: Making beans can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time, but in the slow cooker, they’re really easy. So easy, in fact, that you just have to dump everything in, stir, and come back in a few hours.
• Make Into Refried Beans: You can double the recipe and turn the leftovers into refried beans (instructions below). Portion and freeze for use in tacos and burritos in subsequent meals. Easy peasy.
• Goes With All Types of Main Dishes: Slow cooker pinto beans are the perfect side dish for other Spanish, African, Filipino, or Tex-Mex dishes like tacos, burritos, or pulled meats like pollo verde. Serve alongside other yummy sides like Mexican coleslaw to make a complete meal that will stuff the stomachs of your whole family.

Ingredients You Will Need To Make These Great Beans

To make this recipe for vegetarian pinto beans in the slow cooker, you’ll just need a few simple ingredients.

Will adding tomatoes to my crockpot pinto beans break them down too much?

It’s true that adding tomatoes to beans can break them down and even cause the skin of the beans to peel a bit. So what should you do?

I say, Add them anyway! Especially if you plan to make pureed smooth beans.

If these things bother you, you can add them halfway through cooking. This will help prevent the beans from breaking down too much, but it will also make them less flavorful. I recommend not worrying about a few peeling skins and letting the flavors meld together for the full cooking time.

Soaking Beans – Do I need to do it?

• Yes, in short, you do need to soak your pinto beans before you cook them. Soaking is what gives you really perfect pinto beans, and unless you’re going to invest 4-5 hours simmering your beans away on the stove, don’t skip this important step. 
• Remember, dried beans didn’t get harvested ‘dry.’ They were dehydrated before they were packaged and sold, so they need to be rehydrated to become tender and pleasant to eat. Soaking your beans helps cut down on cooking time, but more importantly, it also helps beans to cook evenly. 
• And if that’s not enough, it also helps to reduce those… other side effects (ahem: gas 💨and indigestion) that beans can produce by reducing some of the acids in the beans. 
• There are two ways to soak your beans. You can choose depending on your time constraints and laziness factor. The first takes effort but is faster, and the second takes longer, but you don’t have to do anything at all. Here are the instructions for soaking pinto beans:

Quick Soak Method for Beans

1. Rinse the Beans: Start by pouring the dried beans into a colander. Rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. This will help remove any dust, debris, or impurities. Remove any stems, pebbles, or other debris from the beans and toss them in the trash. 
2. Boil Water: Fill the large pot with enough water to cover the beans by about 4 inches above the beans. Bring the water to a rapid boil over high heat.

Soaking Beans Over Night Before Cooking

1. Pick and Rinse the Beans: Spread the dried pinto beans on a clean kitchen surface or a large plate. Pick through the beans to remove any debris, small stones, or damaged beans. Then, rinse the beans thoroughly under cold running water to remove dust and impurities.
2. Place Beans in a Bowl: Transfer the rinsed pinto beans to a large bowl.
3. Add Water: Pour enough cold water into the bowl to cover the beans by at least 4 inches. The beans will absorb a significant amount of water as they soak, so ensure there’s enough water to keep them submerged (too much water is better than not enough).
4. Cover and Soak: Cover the bowl with a lid or a clean kitchen towel. Let the beans soak in the water for at least 8 hours or overnight. 
5. Drain and Rinse: After the soaking time is complete, drain the soaked pinto beans in a colander or sieve. Rinse them thoroughly once again under cold running water to remove any remaining impurities.
6. Use the beans: Use the beans as directed in your recipe.

How to Make the Best Pinto Beans in the Slow Cooker Step-By-Step

1. Start by soaking your beans using one of the two methods outlined above. Once your beans are soaked and rinsed, place them in your Crock Pot.
2. Chop up the onion into a small dice. Add it to the pinto beans along with the can of tomatoes with green chilies. 

Tips and Helpful Hints

• Add a touch of liquid smoke to the beans about halfway through the cooking time to give these beans a smoky flavor.
• Replace the pinto beans with dried black beans or kidney beans if you prefer.
• For extra flavor, you can use vegetable broth instead of water (or chicken broth if you don’t need this recipe to be vegetarian or vegan). 

How To Make Refried Beans

1. In a medium-sized pan, add two tablespoons of olive oil. Heat the oil on the stove over medium heat.
2. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1/3 cup of diced onions to the hot oil.
3. If you like it spicy, add 1 finely chopped jalapeno.
4. Sautee for 1 minute or until the onions start to soften.
5. Remove the pan from heat. Add 5 cups of cooked pinto beans to the pan.
6. Use your immersion blender to gently blend the beans until they reach your desired consistency. If it seems a bit thick, you can add some cooking juice or broth to help with blending.
7. Taste the refried beans to check if you need to add any extra seasonings or salt. For extra flavor, consider adding around 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, cumin, or coriander.
8. Place the pan back on low heat and stir frequently to prevent burning. Heat the refried beans until they are thoroughly warmed through and reach the consistency you like.

Topping Ideas For Refried Beans

• Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Chopped Fresh Cilantro
• Sliced Avocado or Guacamole
• Salsa (mild, medium, or hot, depending on your preference)
• Sliced Black Olives
• Diced Tomatoes
• Chopped Green Onions or Scallions
• Pickled Jalapeño Slices
• Sliced Red or White Onions
• Crumbled Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese
• A Squeeze of Fresh Lime Juice