There’s not much that says home cooking quite like a hearty, steaming bowl of Pinto Beans made with an extra side of flavor thanks to smoky, thick-cut bacon, onion, and chili powder. These Crock-Pot Beans are practically effortless, require no soaking, and take only 10 minutes to prep, yet somehow, yield the most delicious Pinto beans you’ve ever tasted. In fact, this recipe might have you second guessing whether or not that whole “magic bean” story is real after all.
Serve Crock-Pot Beans with a dollop of sour cream and a slice of Homemade Corn Bread for a budget-friendly weeknight dinner, or as a side dish to BBQ or Mexican food!
CROCK-POT BEANS INGREDIENTS
The ingredient list for Crock-Pot Pinto beans is about as humble as they come. All you need to add major flavor to a pot of beans is as follows:
- Dried Pinto Beans
- Thick-Cut Bacon
- Chopped Onion
- Seasoning
- Water
PINTO BEANS SEASONING
The seasoning (in addition to the bacon) is what makes these Crock-Pot Pinto Beans so addictively delicious. You will need chili powder, Kosher salt, black pepper, and cumin to make your own pinto bean seasoning. If you do not have Kosher salt, you’ll need to adjust the quantity and rather, add the salt to taste.
HOW TO COOK CROCK-POT BEANS
When it comes to simple recipes, Crock-Pot Beans are king. They require no pre-soaking, no sauteeing or cooking of any kind outside of the slow cooker. Just a little chopping and some patience are all that’s required.
- Sort the Beans – Sort through the dried beans and discard of any rocks or pebble fragments, and rinse in a colander under running water.
- Add Everything to the Crock-Pot – Add the dried beans, onion, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cumin. Stir and cover with 5 cups of water.
- Slow Cook the Beans – Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 5-6 hours. Serve and enjoy!
DO YOU HAVE TO SOAK BEANS BEFORE COOKING THEM?
The necessity of soaking the beans before they’re added to the cooking vessel actually depends on the cooking vessel. An article from the L.A. Times backs up this finding in declaring the only thing soaking beans does for your recipe is shorten the cook time.
So, in the case of Crock-Pot Beans, there’s no soak required because of the beans extended cook time. However, if you wanted to cook your beans in just 3 hours time (like these Mexican Charro Beans), you would indeed need to soak them beforehand.
HOW LONG TO COOK CROCK-POT BEANS
Crock-Pot Beans are usually tender and ready to eat after 5 hours on the high heat setting but could be cooked for up to 6 hours, if needed.
CAN YOU OVERCOOK BEANS?
You can absolutely overcook beans. Overcooked beans will be mushy and broken to bits. If you do end up overcooking your beans, take solace in knowing you can make a stellar bean dip with them.
WHAT IS THE RATIO OF BEANS TO WATER?
The ratio of beans to water depends on the cooking method but typically ranges around 1 pound of beans to 4-6 cups of water. However, if you are doubling a recipe, this ratio may no longer apply.
The important thing to keep in mind is the beans should be covered by water, so if you see the top of your beans is bare, just add a splash of water or two until they’re submerged once again.
5 MORE CROCK-POT RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Slow-Cooker Spare Ribs are as close to ribs hot off the pit as you’ll get, and although cooked indoors and in a crock pot, they yield the perfect bite with a burst of big BBQ flavor!
- Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos come together easily with less than 10 minutes of prep and feature Mexican shredded chicken enhanced by fresh ingredients and a simple blend of spices.
- Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker always yields perfectly tender shredded pork coated with an easy, flavorful BBQ sauce! The perfect accompaniment to your Crock-Pot Beans!
- Rotel Dip with Taco Meat combines two Mexican food favorites — Queso and tacos! The two go hand-in-hand in this easy party dip recipe.
- Roast Beef Po’ Boys piled high on crusty French bread slathered with mayonnaise and loaded with a generous helping of steamy, succulent roast beef drenched in its own gravy make for one stellar comfort food dinner!
No-Soak Crock-Pot Beans take only 10 minutes to prep and are the most delicious Pinto beans you've ever tasted thanks to smoky bacon, onion, and spices.
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt (Kosher salt ONLY)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 6 cups water
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Sort through the dried beans and discard of any rocks or pebble fragments, rinse and transfer to the slow cooker.
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Add the bacon, onion, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cumin. Stir and cover with 6 cups of water.
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Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 5-6 hours. Serve and enjoy!
Always looking for amazing crock pot recipes and this one fits the bill! Perfect!
These beans are so easy to make! Thanks for posting this recipe.
You had me at bacon and beans:) Great summer recipe to go with all those great bbq’s.
Thanks for sharing.
These will make my family happy at the next family reunion.
Such a quick and easy recipe. Beans cook so well in a slow cooker. And I like the spices used here.
Always on the hunt for new crockpot recipes and this one is a winner! So easy and so delicious, even without the bacon!
I’m so ready to make these today! These look so delicious, creamy and so inviting! Yes! Making these today!
This was a huge hit at my house!
I’m loving the savory comfort food vibes in this recipe! The everyday ingredients keep it simple and affordable. Thanks for sharing!
Instructions do not say what to do with the bacon.
Hi Jeanne! The bacon goes in with the onions and other ingredients. Happy cooking!
The point of soaking the beans is not for reducing cooking time. It is so that they don’t make you gassy!