These Slow Cooker Black Beans are easy to make and taste so much better than the canned version! No soaking required. Perfect for meal prep or as a side dish to your favorite tacos, salads, or protein bowls.
Slow cooker black beans vs. canned black beans
I always have a few cans of black beans in the pantry, just in case. They’re a great addition to so many of my favorite recipes, like this Southwest Chicken Salad or my Quinoa Taco Bowls.
And while canned beans are easy to reach for, they simply just don’t taste as good as cooking your own slow cooker black beans. Plus, dried black beans are much cheaper than canned beans.
Ingredients needed
- Dry Black Beans
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Bay Leaf
- Salt
No pre-soaking required!
That’s right, you don’t need to soak your black beans before cooking them in the crockpot! Simply rinse them and check for any stones, then add them to the slow cooker.
How to make beans in the slow cooker
One of the best things about this slow cooker recipe is that it is so simple — just 3 steps and you’re done! Season, cook, and serve.
Add everything to the slow cooker
First, you want to gather all of your ingredients, including dry beans (that have been rinsed and sorted), a shallot, garlic, bay leaves, and water, then add them all to the crock pot.
Let the slow cooker do its magic
Next, place the lid on the slow cooker and set to cook. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, testing at the 3 hour point. Or, cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, testing the beans at the 6 hour point.
Add the salt
Once the beans are tender, add the salt and let the beans sit, covered (on WARM), for another 20-30 minutes, to absorb the salt. Remove the shallot, crush the garlic cloves with a fork and stir them into the beans, and strain off any remaining liquid. Season with additional salt, to taste. Enjoy!
Recipe tips & tricks
- If you need more, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled! And if you make too much, no worries — you can freeze it for quite some time (see my next tip).
- If you want to meal prep, you can cook these beans and then store in the freezer for up to 2 months. I like to portion the beans into freezer bags and freeze them flat (this makes for easier + quicker defrosting). When ready to use, defrost the bag of beans in a bowl of warm water (it will take about 30 minutes).
- If you have leftovers, you can store your black beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How to use black beans
- Mexican Black Beans
- Black Bean Curry
- Sweet Potato Chili with Black Beans
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- Migas
More easy side dish recipes
- The Best Glazed Carrots Recipe
- Balsamic Glazed Brussels sprouts with Cranberries
- Mashed Cauliflower
- Israeli Couscous with Tomatoes
- Grilled Broccolini with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
More slow cooker recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops
- Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Slow Cooker Lamb Curry
- Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken
- More → 37+ Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes
Did you try these slow cooker black beans?
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PS – You may also love these Instant Pot Black Beans.
Slow Cooker Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound bag dry black beans (rinsed and sorted)
- 1 shallot (peeled and left whole (optional))
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled and left whole (optional))
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt (plus more to taste )
Instructions
- Add beans, shallot, garlic, bay leaf, and water to the slow cooker.
- Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, testing at the 3 hour point. Or, cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, testing the beans at the 6 hour point.
- Add the salt, cover, and cook on WARM for another 20-30 minutes, to absorb the salt.
- Remove the shallot and bay leaf, crush the garlic cloves with a fork and stir them into the beans, and strain off any remaining liquid. Season with additional salt, to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- If all of the water has been absorbed, add more. The beans must stay completely submerged to prevent them from burning.
- If you need more, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled! And if you make too much, no worries — you can freeze it for quite some time (see my next tip).
- If you want to meal prep, you can cook these beans and then store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to add them to your favorite dish, you can just take out what you need and continue freezing the rest.
- If you have leftovers, you can store your beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
