21 Easy Slow Cooker Bean Recipes

Easy pinto beans in a bowl with slice of bread. — The Spruce / Diana Rattray

If you have dry or canned beans in your pantry, you have all you need to make an easy, budget-friendly meal. Beans are rich in many vitamins and minerals, and they are a great source of protein. Aside from the health benefits, beans are incredibly affordable.

Whether you work outside of the home or at home, the slow cooker is an excellent way to cook beans. The slow, even heat is ideal, especially for larger dried beans, and it cooks canned bean combinations to perfection. Plus, you can take the slow cooker with your bean dish along to a party or potluck and plug it in for serving.

If your water is a bit hard or you have trouble with dry beans softening in the slow cooker, try adding some baking soda to the water—about 1 teaspoon per cup of beans. And an overnight soak or quick soak can give beans a head start and ensure even cooking.

Black Beans: Selection, Storage, and Preparation

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Crock Pot Great Northern Beans

The Spruce

These easy Great Northern beans cook to perfection in the slow cooker with a variety of aromatic vegetables and seasonings. The beans store beautifully, too, so make a big batch and stick the leftovers in the freezer. The recipe is vegetarian, but feel free to add some diced bacon or ham if you like.
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Southern Crock Pot Pinto Beans With Ham Hocks

The Spruce

With only four ingredients plus salt and pepper, these Southern-style pinto beans might look very simple, but the ham hocks and seasonings give them surprisingly complex flavor. Serve them along with some cooked rice and cornbread for a satisfying family dinner.
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Easy Crock Pot Pinto Beans With Diced Ham

Diana Rattray

These slow cooker pinto beans get color and flavor from a variety of vegetables, including tomatoes, carrots, and bell peppers. Use diced leftover ham in the dish or omit the meat for a vegetarian meal.
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Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice With Andouille Sausage

The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

Andouille sausage adds spicy Cajun flavor to this dish of Louisiana-style red beans and rice. Cook the rice separately on the stovetop, in a rice cooker, or the Instant Pot. If you prefer less spice, make the beans with a milder smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, or use cooked sliced Italian sausages in the dish.

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Crock Pot Vegetarian Baked Beans

The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

These vegetarian baked beans are super easy to prepare and cook in the slow cooker. The pintos or kidney beans are soaked overnight, so you'll need to plan to start a day in advance. The beans cook in their soaking water. If you prefer fresh cooking water, add about 6 to 7 cups to the slow cooker along with the beans and other ingredients.
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Slow Cooker Calico Beans

Diana Rattray

Ground beef, bacon, and three kinds of canned beans are combined with barbecue sauce and seasonings to make this delicious bean dish. Calico beans are hearty enough to enjoy as a dinner entrée or serve them as a side dish with barbecue. This recipe is an excellent option for a potluck as well.
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Easy Crock Pot Barbecue Baked Beans With Bacon

Diana Rattray

Here's another slow cooker bean dish that requires very little prep. Canned baked beans are gussied-up with some bacon and a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce mixture. Just throw everything together in the slow cooker and press the start button!
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Crock Pot Beans and Hot Dogs

Diana Rattray

Beans and hot dogs go together so well, and this slow cooker dish is a great example. Three kinds of canned beans are combined with hot dogs and a variety of spices and seasonings to make a well-balanced and inexpensive meal.

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Crock Pot Yellow Eye Beans

Diana Rattray

Yellow eye beans have long been a favorite of New Englanders. When cooked, the medium-size beans have a smooth, creamy texture. If you can't find yellow eye beans in your area, feel free to replace them with navy beans.
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Basic Crock Pot Black Eyed Peas

Slow Cooker Black-Eyed Peas. Diana Rattray

These simple slow cooker black-eyed peas are made with dry peas, some onion, water, and seasonings. Add a smoked ham hock to the pot if you like, or stir in some leftover ham or cooked bacon.
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Brazilian Black Bean Stew

iStock / Getty Images Plus

The slow cooker and canned black beans make this Brazilian black bean stew (feijoada) an easy preparation and a feast to remember. A variety of meats go into this stew, including smoked chorizo, bacon, ham, and beef or pork ribs. The stew makes six to eight generous servings, but you can scale the ingredients up for a crowd.
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Slow Cooker Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens

Black-eyed peas with collard greens in the slow cooker. Diana Rattray

This easy slow cooker black-eyed pea dish includes collard greens, bacon or ham, and a variety of spices and seasonings. Combine everything in the slow cooker and go about your work or household errands.

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Vegetarian Bean Cholent

bercanstock/Twenty20

This vegetarian bean cholent is a refreshing change from the typical meat version and the crock pot makes it super easy to fix and cook.
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5-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Beans With Bacon

Diana Rattray

Here's an excellent dish to make for a cookout or barbecue. It takes just a few minutes to throw all of the ingredients together in the slow cooker, and the results are delicious! The slow cooker beans recipe contains canned baked beans, cooked bacon, ketchup, and seasonings—it couldn't be easier!
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Crock Pot Baked Beans With Salt Pork or Bacon

Diana Rattray

These homemade Boston-style baked beans include dry navy beans, salt pork, onion, molasses, and brown sugar. These beans are a New England tradition.
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Cowboy Beans With Ground Beef

The Spruce

If you like choices, you'll love these beans. You can cook these easy cowboy beans on the stovetop, in the oven, or in a slow cooker. The versatile bean dish contains ground beef, four kinds of canned beans, and a barbecue sauce mixture.

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Crock Pot Fresh Black-Eyed Peas With Bacon

Diana Rattray

If you are fortunate enough to have fresh black-eyed peas, here's a tasty preparation. The slow cooker peas include tomatoes, bacon, peppers, and chili powder. Use chili-style or fire-roasted tomatoes in this recipe.
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Slow Cooker Baby Lima Beans With Ham

Diana Rattray

These crock pot lima beans make a satisfying meal with freshly baked cornbread and rice. Or serve them with a tossed salad or mac and cheese—ham, onions, and Creole seasoning flavor the beans.
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Slow Cooker Pork Loin and Beans

Photo: Diana Rattray

This slow cooker pork loin gets extra flavor and color from barbecue sauce and a variety of colorful canned beans. Add a salad and corn muffins or cornbread for a satisfying family dinner.
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Slow Cooker Barbecue Beans and Sausage

Beans and Sausage. Diana Rattray

Smoked sausage adds protein and flavor to these tasty barbecue beans. The bean mixture is versatile, and you probably have the seasonings on hand. Use spicy andouille sausage or a milder smoked sausage in this dish.

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Speckled Butter Beans With Andouille Sausage

Diana Rattray

Frozen speckled butter beans make a tasty meal when paired with andouille sausage and simple seasonings. Serve the slow cooker butter beans with cornbread for a delicious lunch or dinner.

21 Easy and Hearty Slow Cooker Bean Recipes