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    Home » All Recipes

    Author: Donna | Published: May 17, 2021 |

    Best Slow Cooker Black Beans

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    Slow Cooker Savory Black Beans

    Black beans are such a versatile ingredient to have on hand. These slow cooker black beans are made for a fraction of the cost of store-bought canned beans, plus you have control of the salt content. Meal prep made easy, these freezer-friendly savory beans will soon become a staple in your house. They are perfect for burritos, salads, veggie bowls, or stuffed in flour tortillas with some sour cream, avocado, and rice for a simple bean wrap.

    Slow Cooker Savory Black Beans served in a black and white spotted bowl with folded tortillas in the background

    If you make these homemade black beans you might want to try them in this Spicy Chipotle Tofu Burrito Bowl or these Sweet Potato Black Bean No Roll Enchiladas.

    How To Make Slow Cooker Savory Black Beans

    Jump to:
    • How To Make Slow Cooker Savory Black Beans
    • Why Make Slow Cooker Black Beans At Home Instead of Buying From The Store?
    • Tips, Tricks, and Substitutions
    • How To Serve Savory Black Beans
    • Recipe

    Throw some onions, garlic, a bay leaf, and a bag of black beans into the slow cooker, walk away, and in 4 hours you have enough tender beans for a fair few meals.

    Plus it is cheaper than buying the canned version.

    Sound good?

    For the basic version of this black bean recipe you will need:

    • dried beans: for this recipe, I use dried black beans, but this recipe will also work well for other types of beans such as pinto beans or red kidney beans. I buy my dried beans from the bulk bin at my local store, but they can also be found in bags in the same section of your grocery store where you would find canned soup;
    • bay leaf;
    • minced garlic;
    • chopped onion: I use a brown onion for this recipe, but a red onion would work just as well;
    • water or a low-sodium broth.

    Want to change things up? Scroll down to the tips, tricks, and substitutions section for some tips on how to change this up and find the best way to make this recipe for you and your family.

    I can guarantee that once you have tried this homemade black beans recipe it will be this or nothing.

    ingredients for slow cooker black beans all added to the bowl of a slow cooker

    Why Make Slow Cooker Black Beans At Home Instead of Buying From The Store?

    I tend to make a lot of things from scratch that can easily be purchased from the store.

    But it has to be worth it!

    It is worth making slow cooker black beans at home because:

    • It doesn't take much in terms of time investment. You simply add the ingredients to a slow cooker, set it, and walk away.
    • They only require 4 simple ingredients, so no need for a big complicated shop before you can get to work
    • They work out to be a fraction of the cost of store-bought canned black beans
    • They are the perfect candidate for making a big batch and storing in the freezer for future use
    • You don't have any wasteful packaging to deal with
    • You get to be in charge of the salt content (a lot of store-bought canned black beans come with a hefty dose of salt and require rinsing if you are sensitive to large amounts of salt)

    With this huge list of benefits, why wouldn't you make your own black beans at home in the slow cooker?

    (Oh and added benefit - they make the house smell pretty good too!)

    If you love these homemade black beans then try these Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice next!

    Overhead shot of Slow Cooker Savory Black Beans with folded tortillas served alongside

    Tips, Tricks, and Substitutions

    Use a slotted spoon to remove the beans from the cooking liquid before using in a recipe, otherwise, you will have too much liquid.

    The ingredients listed are for the basic recipe, however, you might want to change things up a bit and add some extra flavor by trying:

    • chili powder, chipotle peppers, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce if you like spicy food
    • taco seasoning or ground cumin for some Mexican black beans
    • onion powder or garlic powder to amp up the flavor
    • more garlic cloves
    • vegetable broth or chicken broth instead of water for more flavor
    • chopped bell pepper for some hidden veggies
    • Use pinto beans instead of black beans and use an immersion blender to blend which will give you refried beans.

    These cooked beans can be used as refried black beans by using an immersion blender or potato masher to mash.

    In terms of the cooking process, you can change this recipe by cooking on the stovetop or in the instant pot, or in another pressure cooker instead of a crock pot.

    For the instant pot cook on high pressure for 30 minutes if you have unsoaked beans, or for 15 minutes if you have soaked beans.

    For the stovetop, you will want to cook one medium heat for 1.5-2 hours, or until tender.

    Cooked beans should be allowed to cool completely before storing them in the fridge or freezer.

    Freeze on cup portions for easy thawing so that you only grab what you need from the freezer.

    Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers in a seeded bun with lettuce, tomato and onions, served on a wooden board
    Use your cooked black beans in these Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers

    How To Serve Savory Black Beans

    This easy recipe is super versatile and so handy to have on hand in the fridge or freezer to bulk up meals.

    Try out these suggestions for serving your slow cooker beans.

    • Top with some sliced green onions for a delicious side dish with some tortilla chips for scooping
    • Throw them into a salad (a Mexican-style salad would work really well)
    • Throw them into a vegetable soup to fill it out or use in a slow cooker black bean soup
    • Grab some sweet potatoes and make these sweet potato and black beans burgers as a super satisfying main dish
    • One of my favorite ways is to use them in these beef and bean enchilada cups
    • For a super simple but complete meal serve with some brown rice, cilantro/coriander, and avocado chunks, Try adding a tortilla for some black bean tacos;
    • Add to burritos or quesadillas

    This easy slow cooker recipe is such a versatile recipe to have on hand!

    Happy Eating

    xx

    Recipe

    Slow Cooker Savory Black Beans served in a black and white spotted bowl with folded tortillas in the background

    Savory Slow Cooker Black Beans

    Whole Food Bellies
    Black beans are such a versatile staple to have on hand. This slow cooker home-made version is a fraction of the cost of store-bought, plus you have control of the salt content. Oh and they are delicious.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipes!
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 3 hours hrs
    Total Time 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
    Course Side
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 8 serves
    Calories 198 kcal

    Clicking any equipment link above will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 ½ cups dried black beans
    • 1 onion peeled and quartered
    • 3 cloves garlic peeled and smashed with the end of a knife
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 6 cups water
    • 2 teaspoon salt
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    Instructions
     

    • Rinse and sort your black beans, being sure to remove any small stones.
    • Pop all of the ingredients, except the salt, into a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours (see notes). To check for doneness simply remove a bean from the slow cooker, and squeeze between two fingers. If it is soft, and crushes, the beans are ready.
    • Once ready, turn off the slow cooker and stir in the salt.
    • Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers can also be frozen in smaller portion sizes and simply thawed and reheated when needed.
    • Tip: keep a bit of the leftover liquid in with the beans when storing them - it stops them from drying out, especially if you plan on freezing.

    Notes

    Slow cooker: Cooking time may vary between different brands of slow cookers. Check the beans for doneness after 3 hours by removing one bean from the slow cooker and squeezing it. If it crushes easily, then the beans are cooked and can be removed from the slow cooker
    Store: store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2-3 days.
    Freeze: freeze in smaller one-cup portion sizes so that they can be used in individual dishes without the need to thaw and use the whole batch. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 198kcalCarbohydrates: 36.6gProtein: 1.21gFat: 0.8gSodium: 80mgFiber: 9.1gSugar: 0.1g
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment HERE and let us know how it was!

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. August says

      August 01, 2019 at 2:16 am

      I have made this myself and it is quite yummy. I have also tried adding about a teaspoon of cumin to the beans while they are cooking and it really boosts the flavor.

      Good to call out adding the salt at the end! In almost all cases, if you add salt at the beginning, your beans take longer to cook and are kinda tough. Do it at the end! This is even true when you are making bean soups like pasta fagioli, lentil, etc!

      Reply
      • Donna says

        August 05, 2019 at 8:47 am

        Thanks for taking the time to pop back and let us know August! I haven't made these in so long, will have to try adding come cumin to my next batch!

        Reply
    2. Meghan says

      March 09, 2017 at 7:53 am

      Hi! Would this short cook work on other beans as well?

      Reply
      • Donna1 says

        March 09, 2017 at 4:40 pm

        Hi Meghan, I actually haven't tried this with any other beans, but I can't see why it wouldn't. Be sure to pop back and let me know if it works for you 🙂

        Reply
    3. Lexi says

      October 07, 2015 at 1:20 pm

      I've never made beans like this before. This would be good to make for taco bowls.

      Reply
    4. Jenni S. says

      September 29, 2015 at 2:19 am

      Black beans are one of my favorite foods-- I've never tried making them in the slow cooker before, though!

      Reply
    5. Debra says

      September 27, 2015 at 10:44 pm

      This sounds absolutely amazing! I would love try this!

      Reply
    6. nicole says

      September 25, 2015 at 11:08 pm

      Love beans and I think I have a slow cooker, a must try.

      Reply
    7. Bonnie @ Living a Fit and Full Life says

      September 25, 2015 at 10:57 pm

      Yummy! I love beans!

      Reply
    8. ana says

      September 25, 2015 at 7:09 am

      I love me some black beans and they really are the most versatile food that you can have. Make a stew or a burrito anything goes.

      Reply
    9. Monroe says

      September 25, 2015 at 4:25 am

      Simple, easy breezy and tasty ... Adding to my menu

      Reply
    10. Cynthia @craftoflaughter says

      September 25, 2015 at 2:13 am

      I love black beans and eat them in everything. I didn't realize they were easy to make! Thank you for sharing the recipe!

      Reply
    11. Becca says

      September 25, 2015 at 12:47 am

      I don't usually like beans. But you have me wondering if I'd like them better when they're not from a can!

      Reply
    12. Jen K says

      September 25, 2015 at 12:24 am

      I love black beans. I have not had them in awhile. I will need to try this!

      Reply
    13. Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says

      September 25, 2015 at 12:08 am

      Yum, I love black beans and rice. I love even more that this is a slow cooker recipe! Hope you'll stop by and link up with us at Small Victories Sunday Linkup, open all week long!

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        September 25, 2015 at 8:08 pm

        Oh yes I will indeed Tanya 🙂

        Reply
    14. stephanie says

      September 24, 2015 at 10:11 pm

      okay all i have to say is looking at that big bowl of beans on day 4 of whole30 was absolutely torture. and the words you used to describe them... THEY LOOK SO TASTY!!! hahaha.

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        September 25, 2015 at 8:08 pm

        Oh haha sorry Stephanie 🙂 Good luck!!

        Reply
    15. Michelle says

      September 24, 2015 at 9:51 pm

      Yummy! Making beans can be such a pain but this seems so easy, thanks!

      Reply
      • Whole Food Bellies says

        September 25, 2015 at 8:07 pm

        Oh I know Michelle, between the soaking, the rinsing and the sorting, I don't really bother anymore...unless I can chuck them in the slow cooker and forget about them 🙂

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Hello and welcome, I'm Donna!

    I am so glad you are here!

    Since I have a part-time job, 3 little kids, and a love of good food (as do you I assume), I have learned how to get the most out of the kitchen in the smallest amount of time.

    Forget about hunting down weird ingredients and making trips to specialty shops.

    We are going to make the most of what is available at the store and farmer's markets all whilst enjoying some delicious meals the whole family (hopefully...if you have fussy eaters I guarantee nothing) will enjoy.

    Pop on that apron and let's get creative in the kitchen!

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