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!
Next time try my Instant Pot White Beans recipe, another truly hearty dish that is best cooked in the instant pot.
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.
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This recipe will also work well in a pressure cooker, obviously a big reduction on cooking time.
This was inspired by my recipe for baked beans also on this site, and pairs well with this amazing cornbread recipe.
🧅 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 - if you have homemade 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, 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.
🔌 Equipment
I use a 7quart crock pot for this recipe. I have a 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
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.
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.
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.
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
Deliciously meaty and creamy - Southern cooking at it's best. These crock pot pinto beans are a meal all unto itself.
Ingredients
- 1lb Dry Pinto Beans
- 1 Link Smoked Sausage
- 1 Link Andouille Sausage
- 1lb 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.
Notes
Toward the end stir frequently, this will ensure the beans get the good creamy texture.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 281Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 40mgSodium 786mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 7gSugar 3gProtein 20g
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!
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!
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!
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!