How to Cook Dried Beans in a Crockpot or Slow Cooker
This post will show you everything you need to know about How to Cook Dried Beans in a CrockPot or Slow Cooker! I experimented with cooking soaked or unsoaked beans, and this post shares everything you need to know to make perfect slow cooker beans.
PIN How to Cook Dried Beans in a CrockPot to try it later!
Why is learning How to Cook Dried Beans in a Crockpot Slow Cooker such a big deal? This post will tell you why I think cooking your own beans from scratch is well worth the trouble, and give you the easy process for cooking dried beans in a slow cooker! And this post compares cooking times and results for cooking soaked or unsoaked beans, with everything you need to know to make perfect slow cooker beans.
And once you’ve mastered this easy process for cooking dried beans in a slow cooker, you can kick the canned bean habit. I recommend cooking up batches of dried beans to keep in the freezer and using those instead of buying canned beans. You’ll save money, and the beans you cook yourself will taste a lot better!
What Ingredients do you need?
- dried beans (see caution below for red kidney beans)
- water
- salt (to add after cooking if desired)
Safety Tip for Cooking Red Kidney Beans in a Slow Cooker:
Dried Red Kidney Beans need to be boiled on the stove for ten minutes to prevent an illness caused by Phytohaemagglutnin, also called Kidney Bean Lectin. (Slow Cooking doesn’t reach a high enough temperature to kill the toxins in that type of bean.) Then drain the beans and proceed with cooking as below. (White Kidney Beans and Broad Beans also contain small amounts of Phytohaemagglutnin; you might also want to boil those for 10 minutes before slow cooking, especially if your stomach is sensitive.)
What size slow cooker should you use?
I would use a 3.5 Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) to cook 2 cups of dried beans. You can increase the amount of beans for a larger size cooker. I don’t think the size of the slow cooker is especially crucial for this method cooking beans, but it is important that the slow cooker is at least half full (counting the water) for it to cook well.
Why Eat Dried Beans?
Dried beans are one of those foods that have everything going for them. Beans are inexpensive, and they’re a good source for many vitamins and minerals, plus they’re also high in fiber, high in protein, and naturally low in fat, sugar, and sodium. Dried beans are loaded with healthy nutrients, and they’re widely considered to be a healthy food. and beans are also listed as one of the Superfoods that we should all be eating often.
Not only are beans nutritious, they’re loaded with healthy slow-burning complex carbohydrates, and are low on the glycemic index, making them a good food choice for anyone who’s concerned about blood sugar, whether for weight-loss or health reasons. If you’re strictly watching your carbs you’ll want to eat them more sparingly, but even in small amounts dried beans add a lot of flavor and nutrition to many dishes.
Why Bother with Cooking Dried Beans from Scratch?
The flavor of beans from a can is incomparable to the deliciousness of freshly-cooked dried beans! And dried beans that are cooked from scratch are so much more budget-friendly than canned beans. You can cook a batch of beans and freeze them in small containers to keep in the freezer. And cooking your own beans eliminates the cans that fill up your recycling container!
How many cooked beans equals one can of beans?
I freeze my cooked beans in small freezer containers that hold 2 cups. That way it’s easy to know how many I’m getting when I pull some out of the freezer. But in the U.S. a can of cooked beans is usually 1 3/4 cups of cooked beans, so keep that in mind if you’re using a lot of recipes that call for canned beans, although in most recipe an extra 1/4 cup of beans isn’t going to matter at all.
Do you need to soak the beans before cooking then in a Slow Cooker?
Learning how to cook dried beans in a crockpot slow-cooker is one of those wonderful ideas I discovered through food blogging. After I tried cooking beans this way, I did the experiment outlined below to see how soaking the beans would affect the cooking time. I cooked my beans on high, but if you’re not going to be home you can always cook them for a longer time on low. The cooking time of dried beans will vary greatly depending on how fresh the beans are, so I can’t give you the exact cooking time, but I’ll give you the approximate times.
How to Cook Dried Beans in a Slow Cooker:
- I started with 2 cups of dried pinto beans, using beans from the same package for both crockpots.
- I soaked the beans in the green crockpot overnight (about 10 hours.)
- Beans in the brown crockpot were not pre-soaked.
- Beans in both crockpots were covered with enough water to cover by about 2 inches. I didn’t add salt to the beans. (For the pre-soaked beans, drain out the original soaking water and use fresh water to cook the beans.)
- I turned both crockpots to the HIGH setting, put the lids on, and started a stop-watch to time each crockpot.
- Pre-soaked beans in the green crockpot were tender and full cooked after 3-4 hours on high. (Actual cooking time will depend on how long beans have been sitting on the shelf in the store or in your pantry. Fresher beans will always cook more quickly.)
- Unsoaked beans in the brown crockpot were tender and fully cooked after 5-6 hours. I was quite surprised that pre-soaking didn’t make more difference in the cooking time.
Which Beans Did I Prefer?
I couldn’t really tell any difference in the flavor or texture of the soaked vs. unsoaked beans. Both methods produced about 6 cups of cooked beans from 2 cups of dried beans. I froze my beans in 2 cup containers to use in recipes.
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
How to Cook Dried Beans in a Crockpot or Slow Cooker
This post compares results cooking soaked and unsoaked dried beans in a CrockPot or Slow Cooker, plus shares lots of ideas for using the cooked beans.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried beans
- 4 cups water, or more
- salt for seasoning cooked beans, optional
Instructions
HOW TO SOAK AND COOK DRIED BEANS IN THE SLOW COOKER:
- Pick over the dry beans and discard any broken or shriveled looking ones.
- Put 2 cups dried beans into the slow cooker crock and soak overnight in cold water, enough to cover by several inches.
- The next day, drain the beans and discard the cooking water.
- Put soaked beans back into the slow cooker and add enough water to cover beans by 2 inches.
- Turn cooker to HIGH and cook beans until they're tender and cooked through, about 3-4 hours for soaked beans. (You can also cook the soaked beans on low, which would take about twice as long.) Drain beans. (You can save the cooking water if desired, but I usually don't because this liquid will have the undigestible carbs that make beans cause gas.)
- Two cups of dried soaked beans will make about 6 cups of cooked beans.
- Beans can be frozen in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid for several months until you're ready to use them.
HOW TO COOK UNSOAKED BEANS IN THE SLOW COOKER:
- Pick over the dry beans and discard any broken or shriveled looking ones.
- Put beans into the slow cooker and add enough water to cover beans by 2 inches.
- Turn cooker to HIGH and cook beans until they're tender and cooked through, about 5-6 hours for unsoaked beans. (You can also cook the unsoaked beans on low, which would take about twice as long.)
- Drain beans. (You can save the cooking water if desired, but I usually don't because this liquid will have the undigestible carbs that make beans cause gas.)
- Two cups of unsoaked dried beans will make about 6 cups of cooked beans.
- Beans can be frozen in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid for several months until you're ready to use them.
Notes
Nutritional information is for one cup of cooked beans.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 119Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 602mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 5gSugar 10gProtein 6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Recipes for using the Slow Cooker Beans:
Beans are such a versatile ingredient that they can be used in a variety of different types of dishes. Below are a few of my most popular recipes that call for canned beans or cooked beans; check Beans and Legumes if you want to see all the dried bean recipes on this site.
- Turkey Pinto Bean Chili
- Southwestern Quinoa Salad (with black beans)
- Amy’s Amazing White Chicken Chili
- Balela Salad (Middle Eastern Bean Salad)
- Easy Taco Soup
- Pumpkin Chili with Ground Beef
- Pinto Bean Salad with Avocados and Tomatoes
- Julia Child’s White Bean Hummus
- Tuna White Bean Salad
- Mexican Chicken Casserole with Pinto Beans
- Mediterranean Spinach Salad
- Vegetarian Mexican Casserole
- Black Bean Salad with Jicama
- Black Bean and Beef Chili
- Garlicky Roasted Chickpeas with Feta, Mint, and Lemon
- Curried Chickpea Salad
- Moroccan Chickpea Stew
- Instant Pot Pinto Beans with Ground Beef
- Cauliflower Rice and Pinto Bean Vegetarian Burrito Bowl
- Instant Pot Sausage Soup with Pesto
More Recipes for Cooking Dried Beans:
- Slow Cooker Recipes with Black Beans ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
- Instant Pot Black Beans Recipes ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooke
- Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Recipes for Mexican Beans ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
- Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Vegetarian Mexican Bowl
- Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Black Bean Soup Recipes
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Dried Beans are too high in carbs for other low-carb diet plans unless they are combined in recipes with lots of other lower-carb ingredients, which is how I like to use them. All types of dried beans are a low-glycemic food that’s approved for the original South Beach Diet, but portion sizes for phase one should be limited to 1/3 to 1/2 cup serving size.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. Use Slow Cooker to see all the Slow Cooker Recipes. You might also like to follow Kalynโs Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโm sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe
This tutorial on cooking dried beans in a slow cooker was first posted in 2010! It was last updated with more information in 2023.
161 Comments on “How to Cook Dried Beans in a Crockpot or Slow Cooker”
My 2 cents worth, from a Grandma:
always soak your beans – it’s way easier on your tummy (and tonight in bed your hubby won’t be gross making gas)
One can’t tell from the beans how old they are, and “adding a few minutes” cook time probably won’t work: old beans are done when they’re done. Longest I’ve had to cook beans: 12 year old beans took 12 hours stovetop.
There’s another author on web with soaking experiment: her soak with a touch of salt and a pinch of baking soda added to hot water works great. I’ve never done a fast soak that worked well until her method. (I’m old, don’t ask me who….)
Cooking beans with ham bone: it’s the way I was taught. BUT Deepsouthdish.com has a recipe for making ham stock from ham bone. It’s SO MUCH EASIER to cook beans or bean soup using the ham stock, AND your bone will very likely make enough stock for 2 batches of soup! Cook the stock until the marrow comes out of the bone (at least 3 hours) for that rich, unctious taste of low simmered hambonebean soup. Or cook it less for a light and clear stock for senate bean soup.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’ve had good luck with unsoaked beans, but everyone gets to make their own choice on that.
Milk Street Cookingshow NPR radio says cooking beans with tomatoes will make the bean “shell” tough and unappetizing and to add tomatoes after beans are cooked
I don’t know if I have ever tested that but I think they are right.
Thank you for this recipe. I was thinking of buying an instant pot but did not want another appliance.I want to cook dry beans because canned beans are high in sodium.
The amount of sodium listed on the package of kidney beans and black beans is 20 ml. in 1/4 c–an excellent reason for cooking one’s own. The nutrition info you give: 602 ml per serving, must be for if salt is used.
My recipe gives the nutritional information for one cup of cooked beans without salt, as calculated by the nutritional program built into my site. I’m not sure why that would be different.
Wouldn’t discarding the cooking water lose many of the bean’s desired nutrients?
You could save the cooking water and use it if you prefer.
After soaking overnight and cooking on high in my slow cooker I had to finish cooking on the stove top for 45 to 55 minutes to finish cooking. I don’t know what I did incorrectly, maybe the type of beans??
The main variable that causes beans not to soften is when they have been on the store shelf of in the cupboard for a long time. And sometimes they seem to get pushed to the back on the store shelf so you get a bad batch.
I need to build up my platelets.
I don’t know anything about that.
I didn’t soak the beans. I added a little salt and they turned out tender and tastey. Appreciate that you tried different ways to cook this recipe because you saved me a bunch of time ๐
I’m glad it was helpful for you!
When you freeze the beans in 2-cup containers, do you cover them with fresh water before freezing? You mentioned discarding the cooking water. Thank you! Off to make beans!
No, I just freeze the beans in a container, no water. It’s important to use a container that tightly seals but that’s all that matters.
Thanks for the prompt response! My beans are simmering away in my crockpot as we speak. I plan to use half in a soup and freeze half for later. Ingenious!
I made this recipe I followed it exactly the only difference is I used twice the amount of dry beans that were non soaked, so I boiled them for 15 minutes versus the 10 before I put them in the crock-pot. They cooked for 4 hours which was half the time it said to do for dry non soaked beans, and they were so mushy at 4 hours they could not even been used you barely touch them and they fall apart.
Unless you are using red kidney beans, there are no instructions in this post that say to boil the beans if you’re not soaking them, especially not for fifteen minutes. So that is one reason they were overcooked.
And there are so many variables with newer slow cooker, which tend to cook much hotter than older ones like you see in these photos. That is why my instructions say this, “Turn cooker to HIGH and cook beans until they’re tender and cooked through . . .” I’m sorry your beans got too done, but I wish you had checked them during the cooking time.
Does anyone else put veggies in their beans? I put 1 bell pepper, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 3 celery, and 5 garlic cloves; all diced.ย
Sounds good to me!
Pre-soaking beans ensures a more tender and flatulent free bean. Soaking in salted water helps break the skin barrier of the bean for a melt in your mouth experience. Crockpots allow you longer cooking time free from watching an oven.
One thing I like to share with newbies on dry bean cooking is DO NOT add salt or tomatoes to your dish until the beans are cooked/ tender.
the difference is that the soaked beans you drained will produce less gas after eating them
I’ve seen conflicting opinions about that. But if it works for you, great!
Hi.
I cook dried beans in a croc pot every fortnight (1kg bag) to last us 2 weeks as we incorporate beans in most of our meals. I do not like soaking the beans as the water will wash some of the taste away. I wash my beans and drain, then cover with beef stock and let it cook for 3 hours (halfway). I then prepare 1 onion, 1 red belly pepper (chopped) and 1 cane of chopped tomatoes, relish in a separate pot, (2 tbs veg oil), add black pepper, pinch of salt. when cooked through I add the relish to the beans and mix well then let cook for the rest of the time. This allows the beans to cook while absorbing the relish flavours. DELICIOUS!
Thanks for sharing your way of doing it!
My beans for ours an hours itโs soaked them for an hour and a half still tough
One of the biggest factors in cooking beans is the age of the beans. Sometimes a bag of beans keeps getting pushed to the back of the shelf in the store and won’t get sold for a long time. Those old beans will take much, much longer to cook. That’s the only thing I can think of for why beans would be done in the amount of time indicated in this post. I’ve done this at least 50 times and the beans are always soft.
This is so easy. I use the beans in vegetarian chilli!
Definitely the best way to cook dried beans (in my opinion) although I know a lot of people love the Instant Pot for beans too.
How much of water for 1 cup of pinto beans in slow cooker, 2cups or 4 cups of water. Years ago I had a small cook book that came the slower cooker, it had ratio 1 cup to 2 cup or 4 cups. I don’t remember?
I’ve never measured the water, just be sure you have enough water to cover the beans with several inches of water above the beans.
You CANNOT cook dried beans on low. You have to get them to a temp above 212 degrees for at least 10 minutes to make them safe to eat. They contain phytohemagglutinin, which is toxic enough that 4 kidney beans WILL make you sick and could kill you. Most slow cooker low settings are below 200f degrees. High setting is around 300f.
Please don’t kill your family with beans…
There is a caution in the recipe about red kidney beans, which obviously you missed.
This method is fine for all other types of beans. I recommend using HIGH, but even if some people choose low, the long cooking time will raise the temperature.
I’ve recently discovered that I’m gluten intolerant. Since I’m vegan, I rely a fair bit on canned beans, lentils, chickpeas for many dishes. But have come to find that some of them actually have wheat in them, even when it’s not listed on the ingredients (they say “may contain wheat”), and I’ve been reacting to them. So this is one more great reason to make your own beans at home! Thank you for the wonderful instructions of how to do this!
I did not know that, thanks for the info! I’m so glad this is useful for you. I think the fresh-cooked beans are so much more tasty!
How do you make the bean juice thicken not like
brown water. I put meat in it like ham huck or cut up ham. Something small peices salt pork
If you want to thicken the bean cooking liquid you can easily do that by putting it in pan on the stove and cooking over low heat until it’s thickened as much as you’d like. (This will also cook the beans more, so I’d take care not to overcook them in the slow cooker.) Hope that helps!
The starch in the beans and their broth will naturally thicken their broth the longer they cook. Smash some of them and time and heat will do the rest. The liquid will also thicken up after refrigeration (it’s the time thing again). ๐
Yes, of course, but some people don’t want to wait that long, or sometimes they put way too much liquid!
Kayln: so true, I’m one who never wants to wait, lol! I’m just saying that the best thickener is the bean starch itself – smash some for quicker thickening. Anything else will dilute the flavor of the beans. However, adding potatoes (either fried potatoes or raw and add extra seasoning to compensate) is a fantastic combination! I can’t stand the thought of throwing out any soaking water because that loses so much of the flavor and starch that’s already leached out of them. Man I love fried potatoes and pinto beans together. Starch bomb, but oh, well!
Great way to add to cooked beans is fry some bacon. Reserve fat from bacon.Once crispy fried remove from skillet. Cut up some sausage and fry in bacon oil. Remove. Sautรฉ onions then added tomatoes. Sautรฉ a bit and add crumpled bacon and the sausage cook a bit and add to your cooked beans that have lots of water. You can also add cilantro . You will love it!
That definitely sounds tasty!
Use beans from Rancho Gordo – super fresh and always render the broth.
Yes, I am a fan of those, but they’re pricey if you don’t live close to where they’re sold.
This page is so helpful, thank you for being very detailed, as like a previous poster said, I also tend to do better in the kitchen if I have instructions to follow. ๐
I’m new to cooking beans from scratch nstead of using canned beans, so I have a silly question: can you easily overcook beans?
For example, after I have followed your wonderful instructions, would it be okay to take a portion of the beans out of the crock pot and then directly use them in a stew or soup recipe (which could cook them for an additional 30 minutes to an hour)? Or, would it be best to take the portion i want to use for the stew out a little bit early, so they aren’t cooked for too long?
Hi Jennifer, Glad it is helpful for you. There is not much concern about overcooking beans. Many recipes give directions for using canned beans in soup or stew recipes, and those are almost always even softer than the beans you cook yourself. But if you really prefer your beans on the firm side, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to take some out earlier so they are not quite so soft and keep their shape better. I definitely don’t think it’s really necessary though; your choice!
I made a large ham and thereโs a lot of leftover ham And a ham bone with a lot of meat still on it can I use that in my beans and if I can do I put it in before I cook the beans or after The beans are almost cooked ?ย
I would put the ham bone with most of the meat removed in when you start cooking the beans. Then if you want more ham, when the beans are nearly done chop up the ham into smallish pieces and add for the last hour or so. Enjoy!
Why do my navy beans cooked in a crock pot never get completely tender?
When dried beans are old, they will take much longer to soften, so that’s the only thing I can think of. If you buy your beans in a store that doesn’t rotate the stock carefully, they might already be old on the shelf when you buy them.
Thank you for such detail. I always think beans shouldnโt be hard, but Iโm a recipe follower. I canโt wing it. I appreciate the ratios and specifics. Much more helpful for me. Appreciate your time in sharing with us!
Glad it is helpful for you!
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Arenโt there toxins in beans… and thats why you soak?? ( I think I read that and thats why I started soaking overnight)
That’s only true for red kidney beans; the recipe has notes about that.
If the difference in time is 2 hours, would that mean putting them in the crockpot for 2 hours equals soaking overnight? If i could just put them in for 2 hours and then prepare them without a slowcooker, it would speed up the process a lot.
Sorry, I haven’t really tried that. But I know you can bring a pot of beans with water to boil on the stove, turn off the heat and let it sit for an hour or two, and then drain that water, put more water and finish cooking and that will shorten the cooking time. I think that’s called the “quick soak” method if you want to try it.
The real reason to soak red beans is to remove many of the agglutin toxins.
Yes, I talked about that and provided links in the post.
It’s worth noting that freezing presoaked beans cuts the cooking time by about half
Did not know that!
What’s the extra work ,just clean ,throw the beans in over night seasoning is your tastebuds choice
Not sure what extra work you are talking about?
Putting chopped cooked bacon including the bacon grease is good, or can add salami , the lunch meat I mean, or can add chopped summer sausausage. ย My neighbor likes spicy food so she uses chorizo.. ย onionsย
Yes, any of those would be delicious to add after the beans are cooked or partially cooked.
Enjoy the receipts
Glad you are enjoying them.
I used to cook beans un-soaked in my Crock-Pot to prepare a traditional mexican recipe, until I found out about Phytohaemagglutinin or PHA.
It is recommended to soak the beans for at least 5 hours (5 to 12 hours), and boil them for 10 minutes with fresh water (you have to discard the soaking water), and then add the beans to the slow cooker and continue with the recipe.
I appreciate your concern, but I think that is only a concern for kidney beans and red beans, and I already have a caution about that in the post.
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I’m so happy I decided to finally use my crockpot to cook my dry beans. So many times I had failed attempts at cooking the dry beans and so I just used canned. My beans cooked perfectly (chickpeas) in my crockpot for high at 4 hours. I’m going to start making hummus, falafel and channa masala now. Yes – perfect time for autumn and winter.
So glad it worked well for you!
Iโm all about the crockpot doing bean magic. ย I start these at bedtime and awake to glory. ย A ladle full to go with my eggs for breakfast, and then leave them going until dinner.
– 1 large bag pinto beans
– 1 can Rotel tomatoes (hot)
– 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo
– 2 large onions roughly chopped
– 1 tbl garlic salt
– 2.5 lbs pork belly, cubed
– 1.5 tbl chili powder
– 2 tsp paprika
– 1 tsp cumin
– 1 tsp white pepper
– 2 tbl salt
– 1 tbl dried oregano
Cover w/2″ water . ย Cook 24hrs or until beans are soft. ย Adjust salt to taste. ย Top with grated cheddar or jack, freshly chopped coriander, and a fried egg. ย Serve with hot flour tortillas.
Sounds good to me! There is nothing like freshly-cooked beans.
I appreciate that you took the time to test both soaked and unsoaked beans in a crock pot. This is just what I was hoping to find. Thanks so much.
Glad it was helpful for you!
Fall! Time for bean cooking and a new bean post! Thanks for your initial experiment and glad to read ensuing posts. Pressure cooked beans in past, but wanted to try slow cooker since I was going to make chili. Knew I needed to pre-cook beans. If you throw uncooked beans into the slow cooker with salt and acid (tomatoes), they'll NEVER soften.
Glad it was useful!
Sorry, I have no idea. But you could certainly freeze the bean liquid and use it to make soup; I think that would be great.
Can you tell me how much nutrition is in the liquid from the beans? Somehow I thought there was quite a bit.
Cheryl, interesting. I've never tried that.
However for people who are following South Beach of trying to eat low-glycemic, the beer would add extra sugar. Not something everyone cares about but I wanted to clarify.
I use 1/2 to 1 full can of beer in the crockpot to cook beans. It cannot be tasted, but helps with the gas issue, plus the beans cook up fluffy and faster. I don't know why, but it works!
Neil, I do think that's true.
Hello , I believe that the more bean product you digest the more your gastrointestinal system gets used to the product, therefore alleviating the flatulence associated with bean Products , I may however be full of it comments are welcome , Neil b
Crystal, as long as your slow cooker is big enough to hold more beans, the cooking time will be the same.
Thanks Kalyn!
A quick question — do I double the cooking time for 2 lbs of dry beans in crockpot?
I have always loved dried beans—nothing better on a chilly night! And since I discovered cooking them in the crockpot, it's easier than ever! No more scorched or burned beans because I forgot to check the simmering pot on the stove! And I can have beans for supper even if I have to be out all day ๐ One thing I do that adds flavor is add some chicken or beef broth (or bouillon granules) to the cooking water…gives them a great flavor with no added fat (if you're watching sodium, use low sodium broth). Beans forever!
Ann, never heard of that before; very interesting!
I am about to embark on cooking beans [n a crackpot and so happy for all the good experiences shared here. Here is a tried and proved solution frpm an old cookbook for avoiding the "gas" problem which was a difficulty for some even with presoaking. THROW IN A SMALL POTATO AND DISCARD WHEN THE BEANS ARE COOKED. No mote problem. Ann
a
Patti, you're welcome. Sometimes it takes a LONG time if the beans are really old!
Thanks for this blog. I am making an Italian bean soup from my new "the new slow cooker". It has been cooking for 6 hours and the beans are still firm. Now I know that the age of the beans will affect cooking time. Thanks for all the info.
According to the googling I have done – kidney beans should never be slow cooked without the 10 min pre boil to destroy the phytohaemagglutinin toxin. An extended time at 75 to 80 deg cent. actually increases the amount of it. Ingesting 4-5 beans is enough to cause issues – nasty intestinal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea and all that. Apparently all beans contain this somewhat but red and kidney beans have the most.
Just thought you should know that my older style crock pot is bubbling away after only about an hour on high. Depending on your crockpot, your kidney beans might get plenty of boiling!
Samantha, your choice of course.
I never heard of dumping the bean juice after cooking them. That's called pot liquor in the South. Sometimes its the best part.
Excuse me for commenting so late. I came here via your Friday Favourites post of April 26, 2013
I didn't know that about red kidney beans! Thanks for the warning.
Happily, we must have blundered onto cooking our beans at a high enough temperature – we hardly ever use canned beans. (They're so disappointing – and expensive – in comparison to dried beans cooked by us.) But then, we don't have a slow cooker either and cook pre-soaked beans in fresh water a pot on the back burner.
Esther, I don't know for sure, but I don't think I would.
Kidney beans- could you boil them for ten minutes after they're done in the crock pot to get rid of the toxins?
Thank you so much for this post! Getting ready to try beans in the crock pot for the first time, usually I use my pressure cooker – dry to done in 40 mins!, and I was discouraged with everything online saying I needed to soak the beans overnight AND THEN let them cook eight hours! Thank you for taking the time to figure out that's not necessary.
Virginia, I did that with this bean stew in the slow cooker and I was happy with how it turned out, but it's not something I have experimented with that much.
What about using dried beans in a recipe for soup or such right from the start when cooking in a crockpot, not just cooking the beans alone to be used later in a recipe? Any thoughts?
Yay! I had bought a crock pot, but forgot I had it, ha ha. This winter I wanted to make soup and beans and stuff. Thanks for the post!
This is my recipe for cooking red beans or navy (white) beans.
3 lbs red beans or great northern beans.
1 tsp salt.
1/4 tsp pepper.
3–32 oz boxes of chicken broth.
1. Pick thru and disguard halves or wrinkled beans and wash with cold water.
2. Put beans in 6 qt. Crockpot and cover beans completely with waterand soak overnight.
3. Next morning, pour water off of the beans.
4. Put beans in the crockpot. Cover completely with chicken broth. (Add ham if you like it in your beans). Put lid on crockpot.
5. Cook beans on high for 4-6 hours. Add salt and pepper and add more chicken broth if needed, stir and put the lid back.
6. Make some cornbread if you like it with your beans..
7. Serve and enjoy. These freeze very well so rat now and enjoy more later.
Annie, there are some recipes that do that, but it would depend on the ingredients. Certain ingredients like tomatoes make the beans take much longer to get soft, but they would still probably be ok if cooked all day.
Is it possible, after soaking the beans, to cook them together with your soup ingredients in the slow cooker? Wondering if I can put my ingredients for slow cooker white chili in along with the soaked beans and leave on low all day. Thanks!
I drain the beans when I freeze them, but I'm guessing you could do it either way.
I am making black beans in the crock pot, and plan to freeze the extras. Do you freeze them in their cooking liquid, or do you drain them first? Thank you! B
Angie
I don't really know how long dried beans will keep; I only know that when they've been sitting in the pantry a long time they take forever to get done. Doesn't sound like that was the problem here.
I really don't want to give advice about the dried red beans because I honestly don't know that much about it. I would follow the link in the post and read what it says and then make up your mind.
Hi Kalyn, thanks for the tips. I left the beans to cook overnight and they are finally done as of this morning. The ham hock was not falling off the bone last night either so I guess this is just one of those 24 hour recipes. The bean mix has a sell by date of jan 2014. That seems pretty fresh to me but I don't know how long dried beans should be kept before being discarded. Do you? Also, do I need to worry about the fact that there are some kidney beans in this mix since I didn't boil the beans first?
Christine, I haven't tried cooking a mixture of beans in the crockpot so I can't really say how it would work. I think the main reason beans take too long to get done is when they are old; cooking times can vary greatly even when you cook them on the stove.
If you're not experienced cooking beans I'd probably start with one type and follow the instructions in this recipe. I have kept the liquid in or not, and I don't think it makes a huge difference (nearly all beans will cause gas if your body is not used to eating them.)
Hi! I found your blog because I got one of those dried bean soup mixes by Bob's red mill – the 13 Bean one. I soaked the beans like the bag said, but I wanted to use my crock pot to cook them. The bag did not have any crockpot tips on the bag and I've never cooked beans from a dry state before so didn't know about all these tips. So it's been like 12 hours and the beans are not edible yet. Also this mix has kidney beans in it and I am reading here that they have to be boiled rapidly to get rid of the toxin that I didn't know about. I am also reading that the liquid from cooking the beans should be discarded because it will cause gas and I don't want that! Another thing I am seeing here is that the beans need to be sorted to find the undesirable beans. I am beginning to think that I just need to throw out everything in the crockpot and start over because this first batch is not going to be that great. So can you give me the top bean cooking rules all in one place because I really don't know what I am doing and this is all very discouraging. Please help! Thanks.
Thank you for blogging on how to cook dried beans in the slow cooker! Just bought my crockpot a couple months ago and love trying new things in it!!!
Kalyn, my son (an accomplished cook as well as med school professor) made up a slow cooker black bean recipe that is ridiculously good and easy. Chop up one onion and a couple of cloves of garlic, add 1/2 pound of soaked black beans and a large (28 oz?) can of crushed tomatoes, rather than water…. ends up sweet and delicious. Can always add cumin, etc, but really good even without seasoning.
Jessica, I hesitate to answer because I honestly don't know that much about it. Probably starting over is the safest bet though. (You could try googling to get more info about it.)
Oops!! I put 2 cups of black beans and 1 cup of kidney beans in my crock pot with water, salt and broth and THEN was reading about the toxins. They are on high for 8 hours. When they are done can I then boil them or should I just pitch them and start over?
Laurel, the crockpot was off when I soaked the beans.
Kalyn~This may be a silly question…when you soaked your beans overnight in the slow cooker, did you have it on or off?
Thanks!
Laurel
Pat I did talk about that in the post.
What about the toxins in dried kidney beans? Slow cookers don't get hot enough.
I haven't cooked those kind of dried bean packets in the CrockPot so I can't really give advice. I would probably boil them, but check the package and see what the instructions say. Sometimes the ham flavoring packets are okay, but hard to say with this one.
I am cooking 15 bean soup so I have a few dilemmas. First, they certainly contain red beans. I do not have time to pre-soak. Should I boil for 10 minutes and then start the crock pot process? Second, because there are 15 different beans, any suggestions on time to doneness considering other comments I have read about different cooking times for different beans. Third, they have a ham "flavoring" packet. Has anyone used this and do you recommend it? I sometimes find that "flavoring" packets can mean "yucky" imitation taste.
Kalyn, I was thinking a pressure cooker (which I don't have) was the only way to cook beans so thank you for this. I am going to try it!
I said for 2 cups dried beans add enough water to cover by about 2 inches. That will vary depending on how big your crockpot is, but it needs to be at least 3 1/2 quart size for 2 cups beans.
I want a crock pot recipe because I do not have TIME to soak the beans. I went searching for the answer to two simple questions – and I have yet to find the answer.
How much beans? In the case you said two cups.
How much water? No one answers this.
I want to dump the beans and the water in the crock pot and go to work. But I never get the right amount of water.
I get up in the morning, quick soak the beans (boil in water for 2 mins., let sit for one hour and then cook the beans in new water. Today I put 3 boneless pork chops in the crock pot and covered them with the beans and water. I cooked them on high for 5-6 hours. I'm sure they will be wonderful!
I cook dried beans in the crockpot first I sort beans place in pan cover with water, then bring them to a boil, turn of the heat and cover pan for 30 minutes. This is a quick presoak, rinse beans put in crock pot cover with water, cook until tender, add seasoning, I use a dried ham seasoning to taste along with salt. If you want the juice to be thicker, mash some of the beans with the back of a spoon and let cook 30 minutes or so and it will thicken up.
Great Northen or Navy beans tend to have a differnt taste when warmed up, if you will remove beans (you aren't serving this meal) after tender but befor being seasoned put in container in fridge. You can cook later in the week just by seasoning and they will taste fresh cooked.
Jeanie, glad it worked well for you; thanks for the link.
Thanks for this post. I've been meaning to give dried beans a go and this was just the motivation I needed. I even posted a link to my blog for others. Thanks.
Gloria, thanks for chiming in!
Being of Mexican descent I know mucho about beans. I used to always burn them when I cooked them on the stove top. Slow cookers prevent burning. Soaking overnight removes the gas building properties of pinto beans.
Gloria in Phx
Sally, your beans are probably always fresh if you eat beans daily, but even with a fresh bag from the store, my unsoaked ones were definitely not done in 4 hours. Thanks for the tips about the cooking liquid.
Tiffany, I highly recommend crockpots; one of the handiest of all cooking gadgets in my opinion. They usually go on sale during the holidays.
Thanks for the tips! I always buy dry beans and soak them in a regular pot, but I do have plans of getting a crock pot someday soon.
I cook my beans in the crock pot without presoaking and they're always done by 4 hours. Any longer and they're overcooked.
I also use the cooking liquid — and I have very little problems with gas UNLESS I've not eaten beans for a long time (I generally have some daily). It's the introduction of that particular form of starch to the system that initially causes gas. If you eat beans consistently, in a short period of time there will be far fewer issues with gas because the microbes in your gut become accustomed to it.
My understanding is that during presoaking the beans start to germinate which changes the carbohydrate and makes them less prone to cause gas. It doesn't matter whether or not you use the soaking/cooking liquid or not.
Beans are on my list. Yes to beans. (Though my family might not want to hear me say that… if you know what I mean?
Kalyn- Some of our knowledge comes with experience, so we do assume others "just know" these things. When I read Kath's comment, I realized that many people take these types of recipes exactly as written. We both know that with beans and slow cookers, that's not always the case. I agree that if those beans were still not done, they were probably really old. That's been my experience too. Thanks for allowing my two cents.
CJ, thanks for the tips. I guess I am assuming that people know that different beans have slightly different cooking times, and that slow cookers vary in their temperatures, but I probably shouldn't assume that. Still, whenever I've had problems with beans not getting cooked enough like Kath was asking about, it's always been due to the beans being old.
"Kath said…
So for all-day cooking, it sounds like you could cook soaked beans on Low. Does that seem right? Years ago I tried unsoaked beans on Low and they weren't done when I got home from work.
December 9, 2010 6:23 AM"
@Kath- Cooking time varies not only by the "age" of the beans but other factors, the type and size of the beans as well. An adzuki bean cooks more quickly than a pinto, navy or cannelini bean. A kidney bean takes a bit longer yet. Garbazo beans take a much longer time to cook than most other beans.
Temperature settings on slow cookers vary as well. My old ones cook very, very slowly. My newer ones set to hi cook at higher temps and things get done far more quickly. There are guidlines to be found around the internet, but they are just guidlines.
Experimentation and experience help. Still, each bean cooks in it's own time, regardless of guidelines. *S* I hope that helps more than it confuses you.
Stephanie, I did find this site which says no major outbreaks have been found in the U.S. but I will add a caution about that, thanks!
Baquist, it's true that the slow cooker doesn't reduce the liquid as stovetop cooking does; that's why I often cook beans plain, then add them to recipes where they'll be reduced.
Kalyn,
First, THANK YOU for this blog; I've been lurking for months and have got untold tips and ideas from you. Love it!
I went through a phase where I always cooked my beans with a slow cooker; pre-soaked with some seasonings – veg. oil, onion, green pepper, spices + tomatoes. In intervening years I cooked them stovetop with the same. When I tried to go back to slow cooker, the resulting liquid was flavorful, but thin and rather soupy – family much preferred the stovetop version. Have you or anyone else noticed this, and any suggestions? I often freeze them after cooking, but never thought about freezing them pre-seasoning for last minute versatility. Definitely something to think about.
yay for crockpot beans! Thank you for the link, Kalyn. One of our favorite dishes is your black beans with cilantro.
Red beans carry a natural toxin and must be boiled rapidly for 10 minutes–either prior to soaking, or after—
it's rare, but I'd still recommend parboiling all red beans.
xoox
Di, I do soak my beans most of the time, but I don't agree that there are health dangers associated with eating beans that haven't been soaked. I agree though, soak when you remember to do it.
While soaking may not seem to be necessary in a crock pot, dried beans should be pre soaked. It breaks down saprophytic acid, which inhibits our digestive tract from fully absorbing nutrients( protein for one). Simply place your beans in the crockpot with water the night before. In the morning drain the beans and then refresh the water and cook. It's something that can prevent major health issues i the long run
Kath, that should work, but the age of your beans is the main factor in determining whether they're done. I think if you have beans that are relatively fresh and you soak them, they should be done when you get home from work. (Fresh dried beans sounds like an oxymoron, but sometimes beans sit on the shelf for years, and those are the ones that don't get soft very easily when they're cooked.
So for all-day cooking, it sounds like you could cook soaked beans on Low. Does that seem right? Years ago I tried unsoaked beans on Low and they weren't done when I got home from work.
Crockpots are such a convenient way to cook beans during this holiday season.
I have also read that soaking the beans ahead of time and disposing of the soaking water reduces the gas factor.
I like to cook my beans with onion, garlic, carrot, celery, kombu (for its nutrients), bay leaf, and sometimes thyme, oregano or rosemary (great with cannellini beans). I freeze any extras and throw them into soups or make hummus. I love homemade beans because you can control the salt content and flavor them however you like.
CJ, I definitely prefer the soaked beans too, but I was still quite surprised at how quickly the unsoaked beans cooked. Sounds like you have it down as far as cooking beans!
I prefer to cook beans in a slow cooker because I can sample them easily near the end of their cooking time.
So easy too.
I still prefer soaking over not soaking because the beans tend to be a lot less gassy. Just make sure you give them a good rinse.
One of my favorite things to do is assemble some type of bean soup ingredients in the slow cooker either before I go to work or before I go to bed. I set it on lo and when I wake up/return home, the soup is done. Same goes for other bean recipes. In this household we do love our beans.
TW and Liz, I do have some recipes on the blog for beans cooked in the pressure cooker but I think there are more people who have crockpots than there are who have pressure cookers, so I thought this might be helpful to those people. And TW, you're right that the timing is a lot more touchy with the pressure cooker, but Liz is also right that the pressure cooker is quicker! Both methods are good.
I'm still a fan of using a sturdy pressure cooker to cook beans in a jiff. I did up a good two pounds of dried, non soaked pintos in 45 minutes on the stove, plus 15 minutes to return to normal pressure. I would offer this as a quicker alternative — plus, the seasoning you add really permeate the final product. I especially like dried onions, garlic and a chipotle pepper in 1 TBSP of adobo sauce since most of what we use the beans for are Mexican inspired dishes.
Just a thought!
This is very helpful, Kalyn. I've always heard about using the crockpot for cooking beans, but it was hard to find reliable directions. Interesting that there was no real difference in the soaking. In some cases I have resorted to using the pressure cooker, which is pretty effective and doesn't require pre-soaking. Although, you have to watch the pressure cooker, as the beans can get soft fast. I tend to under cook them in the pressure cooker, because I like my beans a little firmer anyway.
Renie, I like these Ziploc Twist-n-Seal containers in the two-cup size.
Thank you so much for this post. I am starting to cook more and more, and had an epic FAIL on crockpot beans in the past. Maybe now I will try again?
So any ol' plastic container will probably work? That's really cool. Do you find one size works better so you use a whole container at once instead of taking some out and put it back?
Anonymous, think I will edit and clarify that this is why I don't save the cooking water, thanks for the question.
Thanks Beth!
Anonymous, I had heard that before as well, but I'm not sure if it's true. Seems like the undigestible carbs would also get released into the cooking water when you cook the unsoaked beans, and as long as you discard that water, I think there wouldn't be a significant difference.
If you make a recipe where you use unsoaked beans and cook them in the liquid that stays with the recipe (like soup or chile) then I think there might be more of a problem with gas.
I heard that the presoaking cuts down on *ahem* gas. Did you happen to make notes on that aspect?
hehe, that is a good thing to know. I don't like to eat too many beans because of their undesirable side-effects… I will continue to pre-soak mine. Thanks for that tip.
Yes soaking them overnight and draining them does cut down on the after affect, gas
Awesome! I was about to make a very similar post last week when I got lazy and decided to buy canned beans for my recipe instead ๐ This is still on my list for December, though. Cooking and freezing beans is so easy and saves SO MUCH money! Thanks for experimenting and reporting about the soaked vs. presoaked!