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Home / How Much Salt to Put in Crock Pinto Beans

How Much Salt to Put in Crock Pinto Beans

Nutrient rich pinto beans cooked to perfection. These make a great meal or a tasty side dish to any of your Mexican dishes.

We love these simple pinto beans, especially in our Chili Recipe, or alongside Red Cheese Enchiladas, or on our Fry Bread!

Crock pot pinto beans in white bowl

Slow cooker pinto beans – The Magical Fruit?

Pinto beans are a powerhouse of nutrients and may improve blood sugar control and heart health. Pinto beans are also rich in various antioxidants and may help lower your risk of chronic disease. They are a staple in many countries and making them from dried beans, while takes time, is easy peasy!

GOT GAS? Remember that childhood song "Beans beans the magical fruit the more you eat the more you toot…"? Why is that? Well, the complex sugars in the beans are the culprit. So I googled "How to reduce gas from beans". Admittedly I haven't tested all of these suggestions nor did I find any studies to confirm their effectiveness, but people swear by their time tested toot reducing methods. So go ahead and give 'em a try.

  • Eat consistently: Unlike the previously mentioned song suggests the more you eat your body will adjust to the diet change and begin to create less gas, not more.
  • Soak them for 12 hours. (there was a study I came across that did show less gas with this method) Some people like to change the soaking water when it got cloudy, but the study didn't mention if that had any effect.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: Add a splash of vinegar and 1-2 tsp of salt when the beans are tender but not quite done. The vinegar will not only brighten the flavor, but will aid in breaking down those pesky complex sugars .
  • Baking Soda: add 1/16 tsp per quart of water when soaking the dried beans. The theory again is that it will decrease the effect of the complex sugars. Be sure to rinse all baking powder residue off before cooking.
  • Ginger: add 1 tbsp of ginger to the cooking water. Ginger is a natural stomach herb.
  • Freeze the soaked beans overnight before cooking. Add the frozen beans plus water to cover the beans to a pot. Boil for 10 minutes, drain then follow the recipe.

Beans soaking in water

How to Make cook pinto beans in a crock pot

Use a colander to rinse the pinto beans with water, and then put them into a LARGE bowl.

Fill the bowl with hot water until all the beans are covered (be sure there is still room in the bowl for the beans to swell in size). Let the beans soak in the water overnight (this process will help remove some "gas" from the beans).

In the morning, drain the beans. Rinse in cold water and then place in the slow cooker.

Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper, garlic, chilies and the optional cumin and stir. Add water to the crock pot until it covers the beans by 1-2 inches. Cook on LOW for 8-9 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

Recipe Tips:

  • Be sure to sort through the bag of beans for any that are "bad" or even for small pebbles.
  • Quick Soak: If you forgot to soak overnight you can rapidly boil them. It's not quite the same effect, but will work in a pinch.
    • Rinse the beans. Place them in a large cooking pot and cover them by 2 inches with HOT water. Bring the water to a rapid boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cover with a lid. Let the beans soak for 1 hour. Drain and follow the recipe.
  • Beans will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for 3 months.
  • 1 lb of dried beans will yield about 5 cups cooked.

Slow cooker pinto beans

BEANS FAQ

Can I cook other beans besides pinto ? Soaking and then cooking in a crock pot works for all types of beans such as navy, white, kidney, black, etc. I haven't used those other types with the ingredients in this recipe so I can't comment on the taste, but the method will work.

Instant Pot Directions: If you are wanting to speed things up, you can also make them in the Instant Pot. Here's how:

  • Use a 6- to 8-quart pressure cooker to make a batch of beans. Add the recipe ingredients. Be sure there's enough liquid to cover the beans by a few inches, but that the pot is not more than halfway full.
  • Set the pressure cooker for:
  • Unsoaked pinto beans 25-30 minutes – Presoaked beans 10-25 minutes
  • Once the timer is done allow the pressure to naturally release for as long as possible.
  • Check beans: If your beans aren't cooked all the way, simply replace the lid/valve and set the pressure cooker for 5-10 more minutes depending on how long you think they need.

How to store? After bean have cooled STORE them in an airtight container, and put in the refrigerator. Use the beans within 4 days of putting them in the refrigerator.FREEZE the beans if you know that you will not be using them within 4 days.

Crock pot pinto beans recipe

What can I use beans in?

There are so many delicious recipes from salad to soup that you can use these beans in:

  • Indian Fry Bread
  • Taco Pasta Salad
  • Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Loaded Nachos
  • Green Enchilada Pork Chili
  • Chicken Chimichangas

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 8 hours

Cook Time 4 hours

Total Time 12 hours

Servings 12

Calories 138 kcal

  • 16 oz dried pinto beans
  • 32 oz chicken broth
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tsp garlic minced
  • ¼ c green chilies diced
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder optional

  • Use a colander to rinse the pinto beans with water.

  • Put the beans into a LARGE bowl. Fill the bowl with hot water until all the beans are covered. (Be sure there is still room in the bowl for the beans to swell in size.) Let the beans soak in the water overnight. This process will help remove some "gas" from the beans.

  • In the morning drain the beans, rinse in cold water, then put the beans in the crock pot. Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper, garlic, chilies and the optional cumin. Stir.

  • Add water to the crock pot until it covers the beans by 1-2 inches. Cook on LOW for 8-9 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

  • Serve with a side of cornbread and Enjoy!

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About the Author

Kristyn Merkley

My name is Kristyn and I'm the mom of SIX stinkin' cute kids and the wife to my smokin' hot hubby, Lo. My mom's maiden name is Luna, and I'm one of the many crafty "Lil' Lunas" in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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How Much Salt to Put in Crock Pinto Beans

Source: https://lilluna.com/crock-pot-pinto-beans/