Description
This simple vegetarian dish cooks in your crockpot and results in plump tender pintos in a flavorful sauce. The taste is southwestern with cumin, garlic and chili powder (sometimes called ranch-style beans). The best part about this pinto bean recipe is its versatility. We enjoy them over rice or with cornbread one night, as refried beans another day (simply mash the beans in their own sauce), made into burritos, as a chili ingredient, and as a topping for nachos. The recipe fills my 6 quart crockpot; after making the recipe I simply cool the beans and divide them into smaller potions to freeze.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs dried pinto beans
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 1 can tomatoes with green chilies (10-ounce can)
- 3 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 bay leaves (remove before serving)
- 3 tsp salt (to taste, do not add until fully cooked)
Instructions
- Rinse dried beans in a colander to remove any dirt or dust.
- Pick out any black, discolored beans or stems
- Place beans in crock pot and fill with water until water is 3 inches over beans.
- Cover and let soak overnight.
- Drain water from the crockpot.
- Return soaked beans to crock pot.
- Add all additional ingredients except salt (salt can interfere with the water absorption/softening of the beans – wait until the cooking is done to salt)
- Add water until it is ½ inch above the beans and stir to combine
- Set crockpot on low, cover and cook 8 hours.
- Check to see if beans are soft, remove bay leaves, and stir in salt to taste.
- Serve over rice or with cornbread or tortillas. Top with your choice of chopped cilantro, green onions, jalapenos, grated cheese, sour cream, salsa, taco sauce, hot sauce, and/or crumbled tortilla chips.
- Freeze small portions of beans to use in Tex-Mex recipes.
Notes
How to Make Ranch Style Beans on the Stove Top: Rinse dried beans in a colander to remove any dirt or dust. Pick out any black, discolored beans or stems. Place beans in a large pot and fill with water until water is 3 inches over the beans. Cover and let soak overnight. Drain beans and return to pot. Add all additional ingredients except salt. Add water until it is ½ inch above the beans and stir to combine.Bring beans to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook until beans are tender and cooked through but not mushy, approximately 2-2 1/2 hours; string occasionally.
How to Make Ranch Style Beans in Instant Pot: Rinse dried beans in a colander to remove any dirt or dust and place in the Instant Pot. Add all additional ingredients except salt. Add 8-10 cups of water; water should be ½ inch above the beans; stir to combine. Lock the lid, select the “manual high-pressure” setting, and set the time to 30 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release at least 20 minutes before doing a quick release.
How to Cook Presoaked Beans in Instant Pot: If you prefer to soak the beans overnight, place rinsed beans in the instant pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Let soak overnight, then drain and continue the recipe as written above. Adjust cook time to 20 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 135
- Fat: 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.1 g
- Fiber: 4.8 g
- Protein: 7.6 g
