• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Eat Well Spend Smart
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Money Saving Tips
    • Meal Plans
    • Gardening
  • My Products
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Money Saving Tips
  • Meal Plans
  • About
  • My Products
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Crockpot pinto beans

    October 15, 2016 by Tara Buss 73 Comments

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Crockpot pinto beans are the epitome of simple southern comfort food.  These simple pinto beans are made in the slow cooker so that they can simmer all day and get tender while you are free to do something else.  The pinto beans, thanks to the magic of the crockpot, get tender and delicious while producing a creamy juice. They are just like Grandma used to make.  Follow my tips for perfect crockpot pinto beans.

    Southern crockpot pinto beans

    Slow cooker pinto beans: simple comfort food

    When I think of pinto beans, I think of my grandma.  She is the queen of a comforting pot of simple beans.  As a child, when we would visit, we would almost always be served a pot of beans at one point or another.  That and chicken and dumplings have become her two signature dishes that all of us grandkids are now making in our own homes.  Both make you wanna slap your pappy as my grandpa says.  She often serves her pinto beans with greens and cornbread for a complete simple and frugal down home cookin' country meal.

    Beans are so simple to make on the stove top, but I know many of you aren't home during the day to babysit a pot of beans simmering on the stove for a couple of hours.  Using the crockpot is a great way to get dinner on the table if you work outside the home or are just busy with other things and can't devote a lot of time to cooking.

    slow cooked pinto beans in a white bowl with a white napkin beside it

    Uses for leftover pinto beans

    These crockpot pinto beans are seasoned very simply with just salt, pepper and a little bit of bacon, ham, or bacon fat.  In my mind there is no need for fancy seasonings with this humble dish.  The simplicity of the seasonings, makes the flavor of the bean shine through.  I also like to keep the seasonings simple so leftover beans can be turned into different things.

    Beans are an excellent frugal protein source.  One of my favorite food budget tips after I have cooked them, is to reuse them in other recipes.  Cook once, use in multiple dishes.

    They are excellent in burrito bowls or taco salads. Simply layer any ingredients that you desire:  rice, beans, cheese, salsa, guacamole, corn, peppers, lettuce, sour cream.

    For re-fried beans, mash or puree the beans.  You can add it to a toasted corn tortilla shell for tostadas, wrap them in wrap, serve it with eggs and salsa, etc.  You can also use them in tacquitos, beans and greens soup, a bean dip or bean burritos.

    Slow Cooker Pinto Beans FAQ

    Do I have to soak my beans?

    No, when using the slow cooker you do not have to soak the pinto beans.  If you are prone to digestive upset from beans, I would soak the beans overnight to help digestibility.

    Do I have to use bacon fat or meat in my pinto beans?

    No, you can absolutely make these without either. They simply add that smoky pork flavor that is traditional in southern cooking.  If you are vegetarian, add a bay leaf for more flavor.

    Mine aren't thickening. How do I get that thick juice?

    The creamy thick juice simply comes from the starch in the beans.  There is no need to add another thickening agent.  Just cook your beans longer.  They will also thicken more the longer they set. If your juice is not thick, next time try a little less water. You could also use an immersion blender to slightly purée a portion.

    What sides go well with slow cooker pinto beans?

    Any southern side dish would be a great choice. My recommendations are boiled cabbage, collard greens, and homemade cornbread. Yum!

    Crockpot pinto beans: step by step

    1.  Rinse and sort beans.  Pick out any funky ones or debris.

    rinsed pinto beans in a metal colander

    2.  Optional step: Soak beans overnight with about 2 inches of warm water covering beans and a pinch of baking soda.  If you are short on time, this isn't a necessary step.  Just rinse and put in slow cooker and proceed with cooking. You may have to add another cup of water if you aren't soaking ahead of time.

    pinto beans soaking in a pot of water

    3.  After soaking your beans they will look like the picture below. Drain soaked beans and place in slow cooker.

    soaked pinto beans in a metal pot

    4.  Add 6 cups water or broth, fat/bacon/ham hock (if using), and salt and pepper.

    tablespoon of fat being placed in a slow cooker filled with pinto beans and water

    5.  Stir beans and taste for salt preference.  Add more if needed. Now gobble down those southern slow cooker beans!

    Print Pin
    5 from 5 votes

    Crockpot pinto beans

    Simple southern pinto beans made easy in the slow cooker. Tender, creamy, and flavorful.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Keyword crockpot, pinto beans, slow cooker
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 8 hours hours
    Total Time 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
    Servings 6
    Author Tara Buss

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb dry pinto beans
    • 6 c water 7 c. if not soaking beans prior
    • 1 ½ tsp sea salt
    • ½ tsp pepper Use ¼ tsp if you prefer less spice.
    • 1 tbsp bacon fat or ham hock or 2 pieces chopped raw bacon
    • 1 bay leaf optional but recommended if vegetarian

    Instructions

    • Rinse thoroughly and sort beans, removing any stones or beans that don't look good.
    • In a pot or bowl, add warm water covering the beans by two inches. Let soak overnight. (This is an optional step and not necessary if you are short on time. Add another cup of water in step 4 if not soaking.)
    • Drain the next day and add beans to a slow cooker.
    • Add 6 cups water, salt, pepper, and bacon fat, raw bacon, or ham hock. Use a bay leaf if you are vegetarian.
    • Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours. If beans are not tender, cover and cook longer. Depending on your slow cooker and age of the beans, it may take longer.
    • Taste and add more salt to taste if needed.

    Notes

    If you are short on time, you don't necessarily have to soak the beans ahead of time. You may have to cook the beans a little longer.

    More southern favorites:

    • Southern boiled cabbage
    • Sausage gravy
    • Slow cooker pot roast

    More easy slow cooker recipes:

    • slow cooker bbq chicken thighs
    • crockpot salsa verde chicken
    • slow cooker pork roast
    • crockpot red beans and rice
    • slow cooker pot roast

    Slow cooker pinto beans

    « Homemade beef stock
    Sloppy Joes From Scratch »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mel

      January 13, 2017 at 6:10 pm

      Do you cook the bacon first before placing in the crock pot?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        January 13, 2017 at 7:30 pm

        No you do not have to. You certainly can cook it a little, but it's not necessary.

        Reply
      • Patricia Lambert

        October 08, 2023 at 10:31 am

        No we just put our meat in frozen.

        Reply
    2. Bonnie

      January 15, 2017 at 12:54 pm

      Do I soak the beans in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        January 15, 2017 at 1:26 pm

        You can soak them on the counter.

        Reply
    3. Christi

      March 07, 2017 at 1:23 pm

      What type of broth?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        March 07, 2017 at 4:37 pm

        Chicken or vegetable broth would both work. Water is perfectly fine though.

        Reply
        • Erika Moore

          September 16, 2022 at 9:50 am

          Mine are cooking and the water is almost white?? Why?

          Reply
          • Tara Buss

            September 20, 2022 at 2:29 pm

            It could be starch coming from the beans. I'm not sure though.

            Reply
    4. katie

      April 03, 2017 at 9:30 am

      how long do I cook if I did not soak over night

      Reply
    5. Dallas

      May 09, 2017 at 7:30 pm

      What's on the spoon in the seconds to last picture?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        June 27, 2017 at 7:26 pm

        Bacon fat. If you don't feel comfortable with that you can use a ham shank or a bay leaf if you want meatless.

        Reply
    6. Andrew Gray

      June 11, 2017 at 12:29 pm

      In my opinion, ham shanks are the way to go because they have a lot of meat. After the beans are cooked, take the shanks out and cut them up and return the meat to the pot.

      Reply
    7. Rse

      June 28, 2017 at 11:37 am

      How much water for slower cooker 2 lbs pinto beans?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        June 29, 2017 at 4:50 pm

        Just double the recipe. You want enough water to cover the beans by an inch or so. Keep in mind the beans expand, so make sure your slow cooker can handle a large amount of beans.

        Reply
    8. Deb

      September 18, 2017 at 11:30 pm

      I only have a salt pork in fridge. can that be used?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        September 28, 2017 at 4:43 pm

        Yes.

        Reply
    9. Karen Fortner

      September 29, 2017 at 11:39 am

      In the picture it shows you putting in butter but I don't see butter listed as an ingredient in the recipe.

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        September 29, 2017 at 8:16 pm

        That's not butter, it's bacon fat, as the instructions say. You can add it, use bacon or ham hock, or leave it out entirely.

        Reply
    10. D. Mason

      October 18, 2017 at 12:39 pm

      Bacon fat is the most flavorful way to go.

      Reply
      • Jeremie

        April 02, 2024 at 9:42 am

        Ox tails.

        Reply
    11. Lis

      October 21, 2017 at 11:09 am

      Can you freeze cooked beans?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        October 22, 2017 at 6:54 pm

        Yes you can.

        Reply
    12. Pamela Eldridge

      October 21, 2017 at 1:00 pm

      Does cooking the pinto beans in the crock pot make the thick gravy?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        October 22, 2017 at 6:55 pm

        Yes, the thickness is just starchiness from the beans. If you cook the beans long enough and don't overload it with water, they will thicken.

        Reply
    13. Big dee

      December 04, 2017 at 2:13 pm

      Girl I remember my grandma beans you also made home sick for her chicken an dumplings which is my personal favorite she taught me how to cook god love her I miss but her cooking lives on in me guys lh

      Reply
    14. Big dee

      December 04, 2017 at 2:14 pm

      I was gonna guys learn to I've been married twice neither girl could cook it's becoming a lost art Tara keep up the good nothin says love like good food

      Reply
    15. Big dee

      December 04, 2017 at 2:19 pm

      Oh by the way bison and ostrige I think I spelled that right work real well for this recipe as well as deer shank I love them happy eating

      Reply
    16. Karen

      January 01, 2018 at 3:12 am

      I did exactly what this recipe calls for except the fat part and my beans still did not look like this picture..... what went wrong?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        January 08, 2018 at 1:28 pm

        What did they look and taste like?

        Reply
    17. Nona

      January 02, 2018 at 10:43 am

      To keep the beans vegetarian but wanting a smoky flavor, add liquid smoke to the crock pot. I'm the only one in my family that is vegetarian, but everyone loves it when I use liquid smoke.

      Reply
      • Dorinda Eaton

        January 13, 2018 at 2:13 am

        How much Liquid Smoke?

        Reply
        • Donna

          May 29, 2024 at 10:49 pm

          Start with 3 or 4 drops then to taste

          Reply
    18. Renea

      January 21, 2018 at 3:02 pm

      How do they turn into a brown gravy ? Mine has been cooking for about 3 hours and it’s not brown yet

      Reply
    19. Ted

      January 22, 2018 at 4:05 pm

      When covering the beans with an inch of water, the juice does not thicken. I cooked the beans a lot longer on lower temps and still had water consistency. I really like the thickened juice/gravy with my cornbread. You mentioned the thicker juice is due to the starchiness from the beans. Can a little added starch help with this?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        January 23, 2018 at 4:23 pm

        I have no idea why it didn't thicken. Mine always thickens so it might be an outside factor like our slow cookers cook differently or something different with our beans. It's hard to say. You could make a slurry with flour, arrowroot, or cornstarch and thicken it if you would like.

        Reply
        • kelyann

          September 20, 2018 at 9:56 am

          I cheat sometimes and use refried beans to thicken.

          Reply
      • Tara M

        March 18, 2018 at 9:44 pm

        If you think the beans are done and they are still watery, you can mash them just a little to get the thickness how you like it. Alternatively you could take out 1/2 to 1 cup and blend it and return it to the pot to thicken the liquid.

        Reply
      • Donna

        May 29, 2024 at 10:51 pm

        Very simple, use a slotted spoon and mash some of the beans. Cook a while longer, it will thicken.

        Reply
    20. Nancy

      February 23, 2018 at 9:14 am

      If there is not time to soak overnight can you just cook them longer or is soaking overnight a necessity?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        February 26, 2018 at 10:15 pm

        I've done it plenty of times without soaking. You may have to cook a bit longer, but it will work.

        Reply
    21. Cynthia

      March 23, 2018 at 8:58 am

      love these so much!!!! i add ham to mine! amazing and cheap. reminds me of grandmas beans!!! great with biscuits or cornbread yum yum!!!

      Reply
    22. SR

      March 31, 2018 at 10:05 am

      If they aren’t thick, just cook them longer. I find that sometimes I need to leave them in like 12 hours to properly thicken.

      Reply
    23. Kimber

      September 05, 2018 at 4:51 pm

      Mine didn’t thicken and had a lot of liquid left, but I just scooped the beans out, placed in a dish, added the salt and just a bit of the cooking liquid and mashed with a potato masher a bit to make them creamy. Super good! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    24. chihyu

      March 15, 2019 at 10:46 pm

      5 stars
      so healthy and delicious. This will be perfect for the upcoming spring/summer months!

      Reply
    25. Stacey

      November 30, 2019 at 9:45 am

      Can I use canned beans instead?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        November 30, 2019 at 4:33 pm

        No you won't get the same effect.

        Reply
    26. Melissa Christopher

      January 04, 2020 at 10:11 am

      I have a left over ham bone from New Year’s Day. How can I use it in the recipe? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        January 04, 2020 at 11:37 am

        That would work perfectly!

        Reply
    27. Alex Luna

      April 13, 2020 at 9:24 pm

      5 stars
      Beans came out Delicious! This recipe was easy and great to follow!

      Reply
    28. Lauren B.

      February 20, 2021 at 8:47 am

      5 stars
      Love, love, love this recipe!!! I’ve made them twice in the last 3 weeks. I add sausage the last hour of cooking because my hubby likes sausage in beans. This is my hubby’s new favorite bean recipe. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        February 22, 2021 at 7:21 pm

        Yay! Thanks for the review, Lauren!

        Reply
        • Shirley a Wright

          February 16, 2022 at 2:14 pm

          Thank U so much 💓BLESSINGS. AWSOME recipe 👌😋

          Reply
          • Tara Buss

            February 17, 2022 at 3:52 pm

            Glad you enjoyed it, Shirley!

            Reply
    29. Catesu

      July 22, 2021 at 6:15 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you, thank you for a (to me) normal old fashioned southern pinto bean recipe. I haven’t even made it yet but I know it will be awesome. Basically it’s the same way I make them on the stove but I think I needed to know if you could do them same in the crockpot. And of course I needed to know how long to cook them.
      Every one of the other recipes I clicked on had all sorts of added ingredients. Which I’m sure are good but I just wanted a good ‘ol pot of beans(and gotta have cornbread). To the leftovers and when I’m tired of plain ‘ol beans I will add other stuff. Kielbasa and rotel maybe an option.
      But once again I thank you. I’m glad so many people like your recipe, also. Best of continued success and May God Bless.

      Reply
    30. Carla

      March 23, 2022 at 7:37 am

      5 stars
      When your momma, who is one of the best southern cooks around, tells you your pinto beans are the best she's ever tasted, you know it's a darn good recipe! So easy too! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        March 23, 2022 at 9:23 am

        I love this so much! Thanks for sharing, Carla!

        Reply
    31. Sandra Stevens

      May 07, 2022 at 10:28 am

      My grandma used lard. Can I use lard and so about 2 tbsp's for two lbs? I am also using smoked ham hock.

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        May 08, 2022 at 8:46 pm

        You can use lard if you wish, but in my opinion the smoked ham hock will impart plenty of fat so there is no need for extra. I hope your beans are tasty.

        Reply
    32. Brenda

      November 11, 2022 at 9:56 am

      Hello! So is it not true that adding salt with the beans during cooking time hardens the beans? Wanted to ask before cooking em up

      Reply
    33. Doris

      January 23, 2023 at 9:53 pm

      This is the recipe that I use to make pinto beans. I made pinto beans yesterday for supper. This time I used ham instead of bacon. It was really good.

      Reply
    34. Mel

      September 10, 2023 at 2:33 pm

      Yes I would I always cook my bacon before adding to anything I cook in a crock pot.

      Reply
    35. Micky

      February 04, 2024 at 7:56 pm

      Can I used canned beans?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        February 17, 2024 at 11:05 am

        This recipe is meant to use dry beans. It would be a completely different recipe with canned beans. Not as much water would be needed since the canned beans are already cooked. It also wouldn't need much cooking time. Maybe searching for "how to doctor up canned beans" would get you closer to your needs.

        Reply
    36. Amber

      May 11, 2024 at 3:18 pm

      Would smoked sausage be good to add in? Would it be later in the recipe?

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        June 04, 2024 at 11:20 am

        Smoked sausage would be tasty, yes. You could just chop it up and put it in the beginning.

        Reply
    37. ROBERT

      February 15, 2025 at 2:34 pm

      How the hell is anyone supposed to read what is on your page, with all the DAMN ADS you have going on, on your page? I guess you find it a money-making adventure with all these DAMN ADS. This is really stupid.

      Reply
      • Tara Buss

        March 10, 2025 at 4:21 pm

        Sorry Robert that the ads are bothersome to you. I will take your feedback into consideration, but yes I do use ads to generate an income. I'm sure you get paid for your work as well. At least I hope you do! 🙂 That is how blogs work though. I create free content for people in exchange for you to view free ads. The only other method is for viewers to pay me directly, which would unfortunately go against my mission, which is to teach people how to cook on a budget. I try to make my content accessible for all, even those with low income. With that said, I will continue to monitor the user experience as it relates to the number of ads. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Tara Buss headshot

    Hi, I'm Tara! Mom, wife, and frugal living expert. I believe you can feed your family well even when money and time are tight. Let me show you how.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Sack lunch ideas- no refrigeration
      50 Easy Sack Lunch Ideas (No Refrigeration)
    • Southern crockpot pinto beans
      Crockpot pinto beans
    • Homemade biscuits on a baking sheet
      Easy Homemade Biscuit Recipe (Without Buttermilk)
    • baked potato topped with butter on a white plate
      16 Delicious Ways to Use Leftover Baked Potatoes

    Grab my E-book

    Eat well spend smart ebook

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Eat Well Spend Smart