James (papa Cagle - my dear husband) has this delicious Crock Pot Pinto Beans Recipe, that he is famous for. Whenever we visit friends out of town, they are always asking him 'how to cook pinto beans in a crock pot'! They're deliciously creamy and full of meat, a true hearty meal!
The first time I tried this Pinto Beans Recipe I was amazed, because it is one of his great ideas that he threw together one time on a trip to the deer camp. Ever since then he's refined it into this delicious pot of creamy, meaty yumminess.
There's so much flavor from a combination of the beans, smoked sausage and cooking for a long time.
Next time try my Instant Pot White Beans recipe, another truly hearty dish that is best cooked in the instant pot.
Jump to:
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe will also work well in a pressure cooker, obviously a big reduction on cooking time.
- The perfect meal to fix it and leave it. Talk about a good smell to come home to.
This was inspired by my recipe for baked beans also on this site, and pairs well with this amazing cornbread recipe.
🥣 Do Beans Have To Be Soaked?
They don't HAVE to be soaked, but doing so will shorten the cooking time (especially as we're cooking them in a slow cooker).
I like to soak them overnight then just throw them in in the morning.
However, not to fret if you don't remember. You can still cook them from dry - you'll need to cook them on a high setting though instead.
🧅 Ingredients
- Dry Pinto Beans - rinsed, sorted and soaked in a large bowl with cold water.
- Smoked Sausage - we like to use Hillshire smoked sausage.
- Andouille Sausage - a traditional smoked sausage that is full of spices.
- Cooked Ground Meat - we use venison usually, but ground beef is great too.
- Large Sweet Onion - Vidalia onions are my favorite.
- Large Green Bell Pepper
- Celery Stalks
- Garlic Cloves
- Chicken Broth - I like to use homemade (click the link to the left for my recipe) that works amazingly - but store bought is fine otherwise.
- Bay Leaves
- Creole Seasoning - I make my own, see the link.
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Thyme, dried
- Salt and pepper to taste
See recipe card for quantities.
🥣 Instructions
Step 1: Brown your ground meat.
Step 2: Place beans and all other ingredients to the slow cooker and turn on! That is all that's needed for this recipe.
Hint: Toward the end of the cooking time use a potato masher and mash a few of the beans - it will add creaminess.
🔄 Substitutions and Variations
- Canned Beans - if you are short on time and want a similar recipe but using canned beans instead of dried beans you can do so. The sausage will definitely need to be caramelized though, as will the vegetables and reduce the cooking time by a lot.
- Onions - It's not a deal breaker to use yellow onions instead, it won't affect the recipe.
- Vegetarian - You can leave the meat out altogether, if you like. You will have to add some more spices - and use vegetable broth instead.
- Ham Hocks (ham bone) - if you have some those can be added in place of the smoked sausage - they add great flavor.
- Spicy - add some heat to your crock pot beans with some chili powder, hot sauce or even green chile maybe.
- Stove Top - This recipe works fine as a stove top recipe too. Follow the same instructions just reduce the amount of time needed.
- Bacon - crock pot pinto beans with bacon is delicious.
- Leftover Ham - a perfect dish to make with leftover ham.
🔌 Equipment
I use a 7quart crock pot for this recipe. I have an affiliate link to my favorite type in the recipe card below.
🧊 Storage
After the crock pot pinto beans have cooled completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
This recipe holds up well to freezing, store in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
💡 Tips
Expert Tip: I like to cut the sausages up a little differently so as to be able to distinguish between the two. This way I don't give the kiddos too much heat on their plate. Cutting it up a little smaller helps this too. Everybody loves the regular smoked sausage though.
This is the type of recipe that tastes even better the next day! Cook a day ahead and just heat up when you're ready to eat.
👩🍳 FAQ's
You can take a cup or two out and blend them, then add back... or mash some against the side of the pot toward the end of the cooking time.
Yes, this recipe freezes very well for 3 months.
Pinto beans fall into the 'common bean' category, which originated in Peru. The native indian tribes migrated taking these beans with them.
No, unfortunately not. They have 29.4g of carbs in one cup of cooked pintos.
Black beans tend to be more dense and hearty where my crock pot Pinto Beans will be creamier and almost have a nutty flavor.
Short answer, yes. Pinto beans are full of nutrition that is good for dogs... the longer answer includes the subject of seasoning. Many seasoning is not good for a dog's digestion.
This is a Mexican dish that uses up the leftover cooked pinto beans - with all the extra things in these beans though I'm not sure you could do that here.
Beans have a substance called Phytic Acid which is undigestible for humans. By soaking the beans first it eliminates a lot of this acid. It helps the beans cook quicker too.
👉 What To Serve With Pinto Beans
As a main course we'd have some barbecue meat and often have southern pinto beans on the side with some rice. It's a delicious side dish and one of our favorite meals. Some extras that pair well:
See my full post on What To Serve With Pinto Beans here. You can also try this Red Beans and Rice with Ham Hocks recipe.
If you’ve tried these Crock Pot Pinto Beans, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section below, how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers!
You can also follow me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes!
Crock Pot Pinto Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dry Pinto Beans
- 1 Link Smoked Sausage
- 1 Link Andouille Sausage
- 1 lb Ground Meat
- 1 Large Sweet Onion
- 1 Large Green Bell Pepper
- 1 Large Stalk Celery
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 1 Tbsp. Creole Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
- 1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 Tsp. Thyme dried
- 5 Cups Chicken Broth
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak Pinto Beans in a few cups of water overnight in water, they should double in size and be tender beans.
- Brown ground meat in a skillet, drain and add to crock pot
- Chop all vegetables, add to crock pot
- Add remaining ingredients, including chicken broth.
- Stir until mixed well.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hour.
- Serve over rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Sign Up for my emails and never miss another recipe!
I'll never share your email, or send you spam. Pinkie Promise!
Gloria says
I love my slow cooker. This bean recipe is awesome. Heaty and delicous. The perfect comfort food for the cold weather months.
Melanie Cagle says
Thanks Gloria, glad you enjoyed it!
Jennifer says
Made this today with ground turkey and turkey smoked sausage and it was delicious!!! Will make this a regular on our dinner rotation😋
Melanie Cagle says
Thanks Jennifer, glad you liked it!!
Chef Dennis says
This Crock Pot Pinto Beans is making my tummy growl..I'm hungry! It looks soo good and scrumptious.
Melanie Cagle says
Thanks Chef Dennis, let me know if you get to making this recipe!?
Veronika Sykorova says
Can't wait to make this in my crockpot! Looks so good!
Melanie Cagle says
Yes, Veronika, let me know how it goes!?
Jenny says
Very nice recipe, looks so yummy and comforting. Perfect for this time of year. We love pinto beans and I like how you have combined them with two kinds of sausages. I am saving it to make it soon. My slow cooker needs to come out! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Melanie Cagle says
Hi Jenny, thank you! I promise you won't be disappointed, it's truly delicious! Let me know how it goes?
Steph says
This looks yummy, I’m going to make for my family this weekend! Question, do I cook the sausages before putting in the crock pot or just throw in un cooked ?
Melanie Cagle says
Some people like to caramelize them first in a skillet, it adds another flavor dimension.... however, they're just as good just thrown in there. I usually am short on time 😉
Thanks for asking though!
Glenda Parker says
When do you put the bay leaves in?
Melanie Cagle says
You would add the bay leaves with all the other ingredients. Remove them once you're ready to serve.
Veronika says
This is such a comforting meal and perfect for cold days like today! Unfortunately, I don't have a crock pot, but would love to make it on the stove.
Melanie Cagle says
Yes Veronika, on the stove is good for this recipe too. It'll be quicker though so keep a watchful eye on it!
Marwin & Brown says
Great beans dish! I can make this and eat it all week. I love the use of andouille; you can't beat the spicy flavor it brings to a dish without overpowering it.
Melanie Cagle says
Yes I love Andouille too! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Loreto Nardelli says
This is truly comforting. I love that he uses the andouille sausage. A great way to spike the flavor. I can totally see this in my crock pot topped then put into the oven with some biscuits! Can see why this is famous!
Melanie Cagle says
Great idea, I'll have to try that!
Jamie says
These beans have so much flavor and made my whole house smell amazing while making it! The spices in here are so good. Definitely a keeper!
Melanie Cagle says
I love when I leave the house for a little while and these beans are cooking, then coming back to that smell! Mmmmmmm, so delicious!
Jo says
That looks so delicious and so full of flavors. Love pinto beans anytime of the day. I could eat this for lunch, dinner and snack. So delicious!
Melanie Cagle says
Thanks Jo, I agree!
Bethy says
I stumbled over this recipe and it’s link on Reddit (r/slowcooking) and knew immediately that I would be making it.
I’d never had smoked sausage that o can recall and the blog writer was kind enough to help me pick one out of the brands my store carried.
Long story short, this recipe is DELICIOUS! It’s not only easy to make it has an easy clean up. Win win!
My first time making something like this and my husband and I absolutely LOVED it! We served over white rice and a side salad. My husband wanted a second bowl no rice so he could taste just the dish. This ones a keeper!
I couldn’t find Creole seasoning but a quick googling led me to a blend I could use at home.
Also I didn’t soak the beans ahead of time, just a quick rinse after picking over. They were fine at 8 hours on low.
My brother swears soaking is just to get the farts out but I think it has to do with how fresh the beans are. Just my theory.
I’ve saved this recipe because I definitely will want to do it again!
Bethy says
Also, I used my own chicken stock I made and had on in the freezer. So worth it!
Melanie Cagle says
Bethy,
Thank you so much for the review... I'm just so glad you enjoyed it as much as we do! (can't comment on the farts - not heard that one but that's hilarious!)
Jill says
It's a complete meal in one pot. I don't make beans often enough. Adding this to my dinner menu for next week!
Melanie Cagle says
You'll love it!
Jessie says
OMG!!! This was so good and I was so hungry all day long smelling it. But it was so worth its.
Melanie Cagle says
Thanks Jessie, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
veenaazmanov says
This is definitely a comforting meal option. Full of nutrition, flavor and creaminess. I love the Crock pot cooking option. Makes life easier.
Anjali says
These pinto beans turned out perfectly in my slow cooker!! They were flavorful, hearty and delicious!
Anjali says
These pinto beans turned out perfectly in my slow cooker!! They were flavorful, hearty and delicious!
Melanie Cagle says
Great, I'm so glad you liked them.
SHANIKA says
I love the idea of cooking pinto beans in a slow cooker! Definitely an easy way to make these beans nice and tender!
Melanie Cagle says
... and oh so creamy! You'll love the smell as they're cooking!
Jacqueline Debono says
Love the meatiness in this recipe, 2 kinds of sausage and ground meat. I'm sure your hubby's tastes wonderful with ground venison. Of course, that's not so easy to find so, I'll give it a go with ground beef.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
I love crock pot dinners and this one is so easy to do. Lots of flavour and a perfect winter warmer!
Melanie Cagle says
Oh yes, it does warm you up from the inside!
ali randall says
I love this set it and forget it recipe. A hearty dinner with everything you need to feel satiated. This is a keeper and perfect for winter.
Taylor Kiser says
This is my kind of comfort food! The weather is calling for a big pot of these pinto beans for dinner!
Melanie Cagle says
I agree, this is the perfect weather!! Hope you enjoy!
Bernice says
I can just imagine how great the house smells while this is cooking away all day. Once the weather turns cooler, I'll be looking at trying this one out for sure. I even have some ground deer in the freezer.
Melanie Cagle says
You got it! Yes, the house smells soooo good! Let me know how it goes?
Marta says
We love meat and I love a recipe I don't have to babysit. This will be on the menu this week... Looks delicious!
Jacqueline Debono says
This pinto beans recipe looks so hearty and comforting. I've put my slow cooker away for the summer as it's super hot here in Italy but am going to save this recipe for the cooler months when I start using it again!
Veronika says
I already can imaging the aroma from this delicious meal! I think it's time to me to buy a crock pot 😉
Tristin says
This is some legit comfort food right here! I especially love that it's made so easily in the crock pot.
AISilva says
Thank you for this crock pot pinto beans recipe. As soon as I saw beans, sausage and ground meat mixed together I knew this was a recipe for my family. My kids would love this. I can't wait to try this, thanks!
Elaine says
I've learned so much about pinto beans - this is a fantastic post! I love making beans as often as I can, and this week is not an exception!
Marisa F Stewart says
I guess I can say I'm an Honorary Southerner -- we spend about half the year there. And, yes, this is truly a recipe the Southerners would love. I made it for our family gathering and everyone couldn't get enough of it. Of course I did make some Corn bread to go along with it. So very satisfying and hearty. It was so easy making it the the slow cooker -- helps to keep the kitchen cool and the cook fresh and sassy!! Thank you -- I've printed out the recipe and keeping it in a safe place.
Amy Casey says
I loving the 3 different meats in this bean recipe. I’ve put this recipe on my 4th of July menu!!
Jarrod says
I am making our third batch of these right now and the house smells fantastic! Can't wait till we get to sit down for another bowl of these beans. I stick to your recipe with minimal modifications. I omit the celery just because it competes against the bean flavor for my palate. I love celery in everything otherwise. The other modification is I use 1/2lb ground beef and 1/2 lb Jimmy Dean ground sage sausage.
I serve these over piping hot homemade cornbread cooked in an iron skillet with a dash of Trappey's Tabasco vinegar sauce. My wife and I absolutely love these. I have added a handful of fresh chopped kale as well when on hand and I like the texture it adds, but it is not needed at all. It is still awesome without that. Thank you.
Melanie Cagle says
Sounds delicious, thanks for the review!
Lori says
I added green chilies and paired with green chili corn bread made in the skillet.
Melanie Cagle says
Sounds delicious!
Paula Washington says
This recipe is Amazing! I've made this twice and have another in the crock pot as I write. Seasoning are on point, but I use leftover frozen ham (from Easter) because my husband doesn't eat beef and it taste even better. Thank you for this recipe.
Melanie Cagle says
That's great Paula, glad you enjoy it!
Amy says
Do they turn out the same if cooked on high for four hours in the crockpot?
Melanie Cagle says
If they have been soaked overnight, then the four hours on high will probably work. I just love the flavor of a good pinto beans recipe when they're cooked low and slow...
Rose says
Approximately how many ounces each of smoked sausage and Andouille sausage?
Melanie Cagle says
Hi Rose,
The brands that I like to use, 1 link would weigh 5oz for the Andouille sausage and 13oz for the smoked sausage. Hope that makes sense. Let me know if you need more clarification.
Fran says
I have this in my crockpot right now it’s almost done and I can’t wait I used smoked sausage and I cooked them for 5 hours on High
Rachel Jackson says
I don't have any creole seasoning, but I do have Cajun seasoning. Would that work? What are the differences?
Melanie Cagle says
Hi Rachel, Cajun seasoning is a perfect alternative. The difference between the two is that Cajun seasoning can have more ground peppers in there, whereas Creole seasoning has more ground herbs like oregano and thyme.
Sheila says
Is a “link” half of the smoked sausage or all of it? Since it comes in a u shaped I wasn’t sure if it need to use all.
Melanie Cagle says
Hi Sheila, no, it's not half. It's the full 'U-shaped' link!
sharon garofalow says
I've never tried slow cooker pinto beans before. They look amazing! I'm sure my family will love them!
Cynthia says
These Crock Pot pinto beans look awesome! My momma always made them with ham and jalepenos. Seriously one of my favorite meals ever.
Brandi says
The first time I tried to make crock pot pinto beans I used the canned ones and didn't cook the sausage first. Big mistake! Ha! Lesson learned and I'll be sticking with the dry pinto beans from now on or cooking the sausage beforehand. 😉
Holly says
This was sooooo quick. THANKS!
Holly says
Yummy slow cooker pinto beans! I loved how quickly everything came together.
One Crazy House says
What a hearty, protein-packed meal! Do you think that this Slow Cooker Pinto Beans recipe would work with a vegetarian "meat" product, like Beyond Sausage? Or could I just omit the meat?
Melanie Cagle says
Hi! I couldn't say, as I've never made it without the meat. I feel like the Beyond Sausage product would not give it the same taste- as smoked sausage is very well seasoned and packed full of sodium.... if you did try it I would definitely adjust the seasoning in the recipe.
Marye says
We love crockpot pinto beans! They are so inexpensive and easy. I've pretty much always just made them plain but I'm going to try your recipe with meat in them! Thanks!
Julie Evink says
I made these Crock Pot Pinto Beans for a potluck this past weekend and it was such a delicious recipe that was so easy to transport. Plus, it was something that doesn't get brought over and over again!
Morgan says
For freezing this meal for later, do you cook it through entirely then freeze?
Then for warming back up, do you put it back in the crock pot on low for 4 hours? Or how do you suggest reheating?
Melanie Cagle says
Yes, it's best to freeze it after they have cooked entirely. You could either reheat one portion at a time in the microwave, or you could add back to the crock pot but the pinto beans will only need to be heated through to eat them. 4 hours on low may do it - it could be a bit less time needed than that though. The crock pot pinto beans really reheat well and taste awesome as leftovers!
Rita Joy says
I've just been wanting to get some meals planned ahead for next week, and this crock pot pinto beans recipe looks perfect! The crock pot is such a time saver - and I love that I can fix it and forget about dinner all day long!
Cindy says
First time I've made anythig other than refried beans with pinto beans, and it's DELICIOUS! Thank you!
Becky Mansfield says
My husband loved these Crock Pot Pinto Beans! The recipe was easy to follow & it was so flavorful. I'm saving this one to make again!
Thanks!
Victoria says
Wow!!! I just had to leave a review for this recipe. I am making these beans for dinner tonight and I have been smelling them all day. I finally couldn't resist and had to sneak a taste before serving my family and they are absolutely delicious! What a great comforting smell in the house, and they taste even better! I can't wait til the rice is done so I can try them with it, but even just on their own, this is a 5 star recipe that I will definitely be making again and again! And the prep couldn't be easier, I only spent about 20 minutes this morning chopping and cleaning up and the crock pot has done the rest. Thanks so much!!!
Melanie Cagle says
Hi Victoria! Thanks so much for the review, I know what you mean about the comforting smell in the house - for some reason crock pot pinto beans just have this delicious aroma that makes you desperate to try them! We're making them tomorrow for the football games 😉
Halie says
Do you think this would freeze well?
Melanie Cagle says
Yes, crock pot pinto beans do freeze well. I have done so many times with our leftovers!
Lewis says
Just made this tonight. Tastes delicious but it’s so mushy! There’s also no liquid left, is this correct? I would love to try again and get it right!
Melanie Cagle says
That doesn't sound right. Did you perhaps stir it a lot during the cooking process (which will also let a lot of the steam out each time). My crock pot pinto beans are just about perfect every time.
Jacob says
If I’m using beans that are already cooked how long would you say in the crockpot 2 to 4 hours?
Melanie Cagle says
If the pinto beans are already cooked, then yes, 2-4 hours will probably do it. It would be the other ingredients that still need to cook down some though.