Recipe for Slow-Cooked Pinto Beans
Whether you use pinto beans, black beans, or any of the methods listed below, you will end up with a bowl of the most delicious homemade beans to add to your tacos, tostadas, and rice bowls.
Servings: 10
By: Heather Bursch
Equipment
- 1 crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried pinto or black beans
- 2-3 tablespoons of bacon fat or oil of your choosing
- 5 sprigs of cilantro
- 1 white onion
- 1-2 teaspoons of salt - reserved for the end!
Instructions
Prepping the Beans For All Methods
- Dump the beans on a cookie sheet to triple-check for any little rocks or oddballs that can sometimes be in a bag of beans.
- Optional Step for Stovetop or Crockpot Method: Soak the beans in a bowl of water to cover for an hour or overnight. Rinse the beans and then proceed with recipe. You don't have to do this, but it can make them easier to digest.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Add beans with 2 quarts of water Instant Pot along with bacon fat, chopped onions, and the cilantro bundle. DO NOT ADD SALT!
- Press the pressure cooking button and set to 25 minutes. Put the lid on your pot and seal. Press start.
- When the 25 minutes is up, let your beans naturally release for about 10 minutes. Release pressure and open. (Natural release means to leave your Instant Pot to count to up to 10 after the 25 minutes of pressure cooking is down. When it says 10 minutes, you can release the pressure manually or leave it to rest until you are ready. See your Instant Pot instruction manual for more instructions.
- Salting Step: Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, stir, and press the saute button on your open Instant Pot. Let your beans cook and simmer for 10 minutes or so. Taste again and salt more, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon at a time.
Crockpot Instructions
- Add beans with 2 quarts of water to a pan and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Once boiling, dump the beans and water, bacon fat, chopped onions, and the cilantro bundle. DO NOT ADD SALT!
- Cook on high for a minimum of 4-6 hours for soaked beans, 6-8 hours for dry beans.
- Salting Step: Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt at the end, stir, recover, and continue to slow-cook for up to an hour. Before serving, taste and add more salt as needed.
Stovetop Instructions
- In a large pot pour in the beans, 2 1/2 quarts of water to cover, bacon fat, chopped onions and the cilantro stems tied with kitchen string. DO NOT ADD SALT! Bring this to a boil and then turn to low simmer. You want to keep the water moving while you cook the beans.
- The beans should cook uncovered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours and up to an additional hour or so for dry unsoaked beans.
- Salting Step: When you think the beans are soft enough and finished cooking, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, stir and cook for 10 minutes more. Taste test and add another 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stir and test again.
- Add water along the way if the beans are not moving around in the liquid or seem to be drying and coming above the surface.
- The beans are done when soft and mashable, so take a spoon and scoop a couple out, let cool slightly and taste test. If they don't mash in your mouth when you taste them, then keep it going. NOTE: At this point they will taste quite bland, do not worry, the magic is happening.
To Make Refritos or Refried Beans:
- In a large skillet, melt 2-3 more tablespoons of bacon fat, butter, or oil. When fat is about to sizzle, add 2 garlic cloves crushed.
- Fry garlic just until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add 3 1/2 cups cooked beans in their liquid with a large measuring cup or soup ladle.
- With a potato masher or fork, sauté and mash the beans over medium heat, stirring. Let the liquid cook down into a thick sauce with the mashed beans. If beans are drying fast or sticking to bottom of pan too much, turn down heat or add more liquid. Stir and mash until the consistency that you like. Taste and season more to your taste.
- Salt to taste only and serve warm.
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