Beans are the original vegetarian protein. Before tofu and tempeh and fancy frozen meat substitutes, there were beans.
And when it comes to beans, you pretty much have two options: dried or canned. The biggest advantage to using canned beans is that they're convenient. But guess what? You can make dried beans that are almost as convenient as the canned ones. Yes, it's true!
Why use dried beans?
If canned beans are less of a hassle, maybe you're wondering why you should bother with the dried ones. Well, here are a few reasons:
- Dried beans are much cheaper! Canned black beans are about 50 cents per serving, while dried black beans are about 17 cents per serving.
- You can control the amount of sodium with dried beans.
- Dried beans taste better. This one is subjective, but I think they do!
- Canned beans often have BPA in the lining of the can.
How To Make Beans in a Slow Cooker
I prefer cooking dried beans in a slow cooker--I think they turn out better. There's one big potential drawback to making beans in a crockpot, though: red kidney beans contain a toxin that can cause food poisoning if they're undercooked. (Some other varieties, like fava beans, contain this toxin too, but in smaller amounts.) By soaking the beans overnight and cooking them on high instead of low, you'll neutralize the toxins, but you can also boil kidney beans for 10 minutes prior to putting them in the slow cooker just to be sure.
Although slow cooking dried beans takes a little bit of time and planning, it takes very little effort. Here's what you do:
Rinse and sort through the beans. Put them in a large resealable container and cover them with plenty of water. Cover and let them sit on the countertop overnight.
Drain the beans in a colander and give them a quick rinse.
Transfer beans to your slow cooker. Add a few cloves of garlic, a diced onion, or a bay leaf or two if desired. (If you want to add salt, do it after the beans are finished cooking.)
Pour water over beans to cover; for a pound of beans, that's about 6-8 cups of water. Cook on high for 8-10 hours. Smaller beans, like black beans, should be done in 8 hours, while larger beans (kidney beans, for example) might take a bit longer, up to 12 hours. Older beans also take longer to cook.
How To Freeze Beans
And this is the point where dried beans become almost as handy as the canned variety--you freeze them! Oh fine, it's a little bit annoying to have to thaw them first, but it's still worth that tiny bit of annoyance, right?
After the beans have cooled to room temperature, use a slotted spoon to portion them out into freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. Because a lot of recipes call for cans of beans, it's easiest to freeze in can-sized portions, which is about 1 ½ cups. Use a ladle to cover the beans with liquid remaining in the slow cooker. If the beans aren't covered, add a little bit of water until they are.
Cover and freeze for up to 6 months. (Oh, and you can label them with my handy printable freezing labels!) Before using, thaw in the refrigerator or microwave, then drain and rinse.
What's your favorite way to use beans?
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
I do mine like this all the time and LOVE it. But I don't do the liquid thing. What does that do in the freezing process? I'm actually due to make a batch today or tomorrow.
Kiersten says
That's the way I learned how to do it; I'd guess that maybe it helps keep the beans from drying out? If you're not freezing them for a long time, I'm sure it's fine, but you know how sometimes if you freeze something too long it gets freezer burn and gets kind of dry and weird?
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
Fantastic! Time to pull out my slow cooker!
Cassie says
This is such great info! I love beans but always take the easy route in the can. I need to do this!
Kiersten says
I stuck with cans for a long time too--I paid extra for the ones without BPA in the lining, so it ends up being WAY cheaper to do it like this!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
wow this is so helpful! Great girl!
Sara M says
Hooray, I just bought a big bag of pinto beans! I've been making them on the stovetop and while edible I haven't been happy with how they've been turning out. Some are really mushy, some are still too firm. Time to re-arrange my menu planning to have beans sooner rather than later because now I'm anxious to try this in the crock pot! 🙂
Kiersten says
Yeah, that's what happens to me when I try to make beans on the stove too! But they're pretty much fool-proof in the slow cooker. 🙂
[email protected] says
Hmm, I never tried to make beans in a slow cooker. If they taste better I will try them that way.
But to make it easier I prefer to use mung beans and green peas - no soaking is what I love!)
Kiersten says
That's why I love lentils too--so quick and easy!
Amy @ Pumpkin & Pi says
Man! I wish I had seen this last weekend before making them the regular way...This is too easy not to try. Thanks for sharing!
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
I'm glad you posted this! I've all but given up on trying to boil/freeze my own beans. Hopefully the slow cooker will make the beans taste better and be easier all around. My beans either end up undercooked or overcooked (read: falling apart).
Kiersten says
As long as you keep an eye on the beans around the 8 hour mark, you shouldn't have too much of an issue with them falling apart. 🙂
Kathy - Panini Happy says
I can't wait to give this a try. I've had the worst luck with cooking beans, having them split and all. I'm all for a reliable method - thanks for sharing this one!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
I like to use dried beans, but usually prepare them in a pressure cooker. Gotta get myself a slow cooker!
Kiersten says
...and I need to get myself a pressure cooker. 🙂
Jackie @ The Beeroness says
Ok, that's it. It is officially time for me to buy a slow cooker.
Kiersten says
I'm shocked that you don't have one!
Maria Kronfeld says
Soaking the beans in salted water (3 tbsp salt to 4 qt water) makes the skin more tender. Just be sure to rinse them well before cooking.
Kiersten says
I didn't know that--thanks for the tip!
Celeste O says
I always have dry pinto & black beans on hand. In fact I just made some pinto beans in my crockpot this past weekend. So easy to do and tastes better but it does require a little planning.
Kiersten says
They definitely taste better! Which makes it worth the small inconvenience. 🙂
Meghan @JaMonkey says
My husband loves beans and we go through cans too fast. I need to start buying dry ones to save money!
Mary Beth Elderton says
I do this regularly, but I freeze them dry rather than wet. That way, I can use a can's worth or just grab a handful from the bag. I also don't usually season mine at all when cooking but season them along with whatever dish I make. One way I use them is to substitute for half or more of the ground meat in a recipe--just smash them enough to get rid of the bean shape so the mouth doesn't recognize it 🙂
Kiersten says
I've never tried using smashed beans as a substitute for meat--I will have to remember that one!
Notorious Spinks says
Thank you so much for this. I'll be stalking your sight because I'm making menus and plans to start my candida diet (yeast-free) next month and I want to have all my recipes lined up so I won't have a reason to fall off the wagon.
Kiersten says
Good luck with the new diet! Having everything planned out will definitely help, I'm sure.
Dee @ Cocktails with Mom says
We love beans here. I will have to try this method.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
You are totally right about dried beans vs canned version. I love cooking mine by overnight soaking and cooking using a pressure cooker which takes a lot less time to cook 🙂
Kiersten says
I really need to get a pressure cooker! Quite frankly, they scare me a little bit. 😉
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
What a great tutorial. We eat a lot of beans!
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
This is so very smart, but I know I'm still too lazy. I just know it.
Kiersten says
Ha! But it's so easy, I promise!
BusyWorkingMama says
I never thought of freezing beans. I've been trying to stay away from using canned beans (and products in general) but the convenience is a factor for me. Dry beans take forever to cook! This would work well for us.
Kiersten says
I know! And when you cook them, you need to plan in advance too because of the soaking. This is a nice way to have them (almost) ready to go when you need them.
Tina @ More Please Recipes says
I must admit I've been a canned bean person because I've never really had success with cooking beans. This seems like a tried and true method. Also, I like doing things that take their time, that are slow, and well worth it (I think dried are better than canned too).
Kiersten says
Yup, I had just about given up on dried beans before this. I love my slow cooker!
Twingle Mommy says
I hate using canned beans, but I always forget to soak them over night. Why didn't I think of freezing them before? Thanks for sharing, I will be doing this soon!
Kiersten says
Yay, glad I could help! 🙂
Jeanette says
I do love to make beans in a slow cooker - so easy and so much tastier with the onion, garlic, and bay leaf.
Courtney Rae Jones says
This is a super handy post! 🙂 Thanks so much. I will definitely be doing this. So much easier than soaking beans WAY ahead of time. I never prepare in advance, so I don't tend to use dried beans. But I would prefer using them, as I know they are cheaper. And I'd like to waste less (ie. the cans).
Kiersten says
I plan my meals in advance, but my problem is that I completely forget the night before that I need to start soaking the beans. This way is much better because they can be thawed in the microwave. 🙂