Savory and smoky, these slow cooker pinto beans are a must have for potlucks and picnics! So cheap and easy, they will become one of your fave vegan side dishes.

White bowl of slow cooker pinto beans with a spoon

Why These Beans Are So Good

So tender and flavorful, these beans are the perfect vegan add-on to rice, tacos, cowboy caviar, or just on their own.
Almost completely hands off, these pinto beans are so simple to soak, season, and throw in the slow cooker for a delicious, oh-so-easy side dish.

How To Make This Recipe

Rinse and soak the beans in cold water overnight. The water should be 2-3 inches above the beans.
After soaking, drain and rinse the beans, then drain again.
Add the beans, spices, and water to the slow cooker. Mix everything well.
Turn slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hours or until tender.

Instructions for slow cooker pinto beans

Top Tips For Making

Soaking your beans isn’t absolutely necessary, but we do highly recommend it. Soaking the beans makes them tender and much easier for your body to digest.
This recipe is perfect for making on the weekend and munching on all week. Simply store your beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”

Our recipes focus on real ingredients and homemade elements. We try to avoid processed flour and sugar, like white flour or white sugar. Our recipes often swap less healthy options (like a commercial, deep-fried tostada) for an easy homemade version.

More Vegetarian Recipes

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Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword healthy recipe, pinto beans, slowcooker recipe

Prep Time 12 hours

Cook Time 4 hours

Servings

Calories 56kcal

Author Jenny Hurley

Cost $5

Equipment

Slow cooker

Ingredients

1 pound pinto beans soaked overnight
4 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Rinse and soak beans in cold water overnight. Water should be 2-3 inches above beans.
Drain, rinse, drain again, and add to the slow cooker.
Add spices and water, stir until well mixed.
Cook in slow cooker on high for 4 hours, or until tender.

Nutrition