Slow Cooker Black Beans come together with just 10 ingredients. They are easy to make, full of flavor and naturally vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Ever wonder how to cook dry black beans? It’s really a lot simpler than you think. With just 10 ingredients and a Slow Cooker you could have beans made from scratch for those easy week night meals.
These beans are full of flavor and the perfect side dish for any Mexican Inspired Entree. My son is a huge fan of these beans and would eat them by the ton if he could.
So pull out that Slow Cooker and get ready for some tasty beans!
Ingredient Notes:
- Black Beans – One pound of dry black beans for this recipe. I wouldn’t recommend using canned.
- Vegetable Broth – I generally look for a low sodium variety. You can use water as a substitute however, the beans will be less flavorful.
- Yellow Onion – I like yellow onion best however white would work as well.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is best.
- Spices & Bay Leaves – These add necessary flavor to your beans. Without them they will be pretty bland.
How To Make Slow Cooker Black Beans:
1. Get your ingredients ready. Dice your onion and mince your garlic.
2. To your Slow Cooker (AKA Crock Pot) add your dried beans then your water, vegetable broth, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, sea salt, black pepper and bay leaves.
3. Stir to incorporate your ingredients together.
4. Turn your Slow Cooker on high and place the lid on.
5. Cook for 4 – 4 ½ hours until the beans are fork tender and most of the liquid has absorbed. Mine went for exactly 4 hours. You can also cook these on low for 7-8 hours.
6. Once the beans are done give them a good stir to ensure all the flavor and spices are equally distributed.
7. Enjoy!
You do not need to soak black beans before cooking them. You can but it’s not a necessary step. It is said that soaking beans helps aide with digestion. It will also help to soften the beans and help the cooking process along. This recipe was tested without soaking the beans.
If you wish to soak your beans I would recommend doing so the night before you plan to make them and allow them to soak overnight. Simply place the beans in a large bowl with water covering them completely. Make sure to drain the water out before adding them to your Slow Cooker.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. These do also freeze well, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Make sure to allow your beans to cool completely before storing.
Recipes To Use Your Beans With:
If you try this recipe make sure to let me know! Leave a comment, rate it and if you take a photo use #feeninforgreens on instagram. I love seeing photos of your recreations!
Slow Cooker Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry black beans
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- 1 ½ tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Get your ingredients ready. Dice your onion and mince your garlic.
- To your Slow Cooker (AKA Crock Pot) add your dried beans then your water, vegetable broth, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, sea salt, black pepper and bay leaves.
- Stir to incorporate your ingredients together.
- Turn your Slow Cooker on high and place the lid on.
- Cook for 4-4 ½ hours until the beans are fork tender and most of the liquid has absorbed. Mine went for exactly 4 hours. You can also cook these on low for 7-8 hours.
- I like to stir my beans about every hour or so. However, if you need to leave the house this isn't a necessary step.
- Once the beans are done give them a good stir to ensure all the flavor and spices are equally distributed.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- These do freeze well. I like to have them on hand for easy weeknight meals. Make sure to allow them to cool before storing in a freezer safe bag.
- Slow Cookers can vary and yours is likely different than mine. Keep that in mind when looking at the variations in time.