Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound of dry pinto beans, i.e 2 cups
- 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion chopped into ¼ -inch dice
- 1 jalapeno cored, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoon of kosher salt divided
- 3 cloves of garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 3 cups of water
- 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth; divided
- For serving: queso fresco or shredded Monterey jack cheese diced tomatoes, diced red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, avocado (optional)
Instructions
- In a large colander, drain the pinto beans. Rinse them thoroughly. Pick through the beans, discarding any that are damaged or visibly deformed. Fill a 6-quart or larger slow cooker halfway with rinsed beans.
- In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, jalapeno, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the heated oil. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Toss everything into the slow cooker. Add the bay leaves, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and the remaining teaspoon of salt to the sautéed vegetables. Over the top, pour the broth and water.
- Cook for 8 to 10 hours on HIGH, until the beans are cooked. Because every slow cooker is different and heats things differently if yours tends to overheat, check it earlier. There may be some liquid left in the slow cooker depending on the model. Remove the bay leaves and toss them out.
For regular (not refried) pinto beans:
- Drain the liquid if desired, or leave it in the crockpot and serve the beans with it, or serve with a slotted spoon and drain the beans before storing. Season to taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
For refried beans:
- Set aside 1 cup of the cooking liquid, drain the beans, and return them to the slow cooker (you may use ordinary water if your slow cooker doesn’t have that much liquid). Mash the beans with a potato masher or pastry cutter until they achieve the consistency you want, adding some of the reserved liquid as needed. (Alternatively, you can scoop the beans into a blender in batches and puree them that way—just let them cool a little first so they don’t splatter.) Season to taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve with any toppings of your choice, and enjoy your meal.
Notes
Recipe notes:
- Refrigerate or store leftover beans for up to 3 months.
- For simple servings, allow the beans to cool completely before portioning them into zip-top freezer bags with the date written on them. Squish the beans so that the bag lays flat and seal the bags, expelling as much air as possible. Freeze them flat and then take them out as needed. Allow the beans to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently on the stove, thinned out with a splash of water or broth as needed.
The cooking duration for this entire recipe is 8 hours and 10 minutes, with a prep time of 10 minutes and a cook time of 8 hours. If you’d like more ideas on how to cook pinto beans using a slow cooker, then ensure to look through this video recipe.