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A vibrant bowl of Slow Cooker Texas pinto Beans topped with fresh tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro, served in a rustic ceramic bowl with "mean green chef" written in the lower right hand corner.
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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Slow Cooker Texas Pinto Beans will seriously change the way you think about pinto beans. This recipe is thanks in large part to an old friend in South Texas, Don prepared a pot of beans that you could not stop eating. Smoky Chipolte, bacon, spices and some good old fashioned slow cooking renders the perfect spoonful of pintos ever imagined.
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Side Dish, Slow Cooker
Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword Beans, Chipolte, Pinto Beans, Slow Cooker
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Mean Green Chef

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker
  • Saute Pan

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound smoked pork jowl, sub good quality smoked bacon
  • 1 large white onion, topped + skinned + 1/2 inch dice
  • 1 large green pepper, scrubbed + seeded + 1/2 inch dice
  • 1 large jalapeno, scrubbed + cored + seeded (less heat) + roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon smoked chipotle, powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin, powder
  • 2 teaspoons oregano, dried
  • 3 bay leaves, dried
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed + skinned + roughly chopped
  • 1 pound (478 grams) pinto beans, washed + picked over
  • 7 cups (1680 ml) chicken stock, homemade or favorite brand

Instructions

  • Add the pinto beans to a large colander, thoroughly rinse and pick the beans over. Remove any damaged, disfigured, or bruised beans and toss in the garbage.
    Dry Pinto beans in an antique silver spoon, situated on and rustic wood background.
  • Chop the onion, green bell pepper, jalapeno and toss into a large glass bowl. Now toss in the smoked chipotle, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. Then rough chop the garlic and set aside in a small bowl.
    A glass measuring cup of chopped green peppers and spices on a marble countertop, next to a bowl of pinto beans and a small dish of chopped garlic.
  • Heat a large heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Once hot add the 1/2 pound of smoked pork jowl (or bacon) and cook until the fat renders down and the bacon becomes slightly crispy.
    Pork jowl sautéing in a hot sauté pan for making Slow Cooker Texas Pinto Beans.
  • Immediately add the reserved chopped veg, spices and bay leaves. (Chopped, onion, green bell pepper, jalapeno, smoked chipotle powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves.) Saute with the pork stirring frequently for 5 minutes, then toss in the chopped garlic and saute for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
    A close-up image of a skillet with chopped onions and pork jowl cooking, with chunks of garlic added on top, showcasing a sizzling, savory meal in preparation.
  • Scrape everything from the saute pan into the slow cooker, return the saute pan back to the flame and pour in 1 cup of the stock scraping all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan and then pour into the slow cooker. Then add the remaining 6 cups of stock, and washed pinto beans, stir until thoroughly combined, place the cover on the slow cooker and latch shut (if your cooker has this feature). If you see any floating pinto beans be sure to discard them into the garbage.
    Sautéed ingredients for making Slow Cooker Texas Pinto Beans situated inside a black slow cooker crock.
  • Cook on HIGH for 8 to 10 hours, until the beans are tender, keeping a careful eye, adjust the temp down if needed. If you have to adjust the heat down then you'll likely need to adjust the cooking time up. Towards the end, you can remove the lid and cook off some of the liquid if desired.
    Two bowls of Slow Cooker Texas Pinto Beans garnished with scallions and cilantro, accompanied by a smaller bowl of additional fresh chopped toppings, all presented on a white wooden surface.

Notes

  • Prep time is approximate.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-5 days.
  • Freeze in an airtight container up to 6 months.