Slow Cooker Black Beans
Cooking dried black beans in your crockpot or slow cooker is the easiest way to prepare. No soaking required and completely hands-off cooking. Onion, garlic, and bay leaves provide delicious savory flavor. Portion and freeze in 2 cup servings for the equivalent of one can of cooked beans.
Servings 8 cups cooked beans
Calories 101kcal
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried black beans rinsed
- water enough to cover by 2-3 inches
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 onion roughly chopped
Instructions
- Rinse dried beans in a strainer and remove any debris.
- Place black beans, onion, garlic, salt and bay leaves in the slow cooker. Top with enough water to cover the beans by 2-3 inches.
- Stir to combine. Cook on low 6-8 hours. The black beans should be soft when done. Remove the bay leaves after cooking.
- Once cooked, drain the remaining cooking liquid. See notes section for tips on how to use this flavorful liquid.
- Use your cooked beans in any recipe or portion into 2 cup servings and freeze for future use.
Notes
If you prefer your cooked black beans to not include onion, simply cut the onion in half so that you can easily remove it after cooking.
For more neutral flavored beans, leave out onion, garlic and bay leaves. You will still want the salt.
Cooking liquid: This cooking liquid is extremely flavorful and can be used for soup or in place of stock in a recipe. Yes, the color is a little off-putting, but the flavor is amazing. Check out "Use Your Bean Water" for tips.
Storing: Cooked black beans will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When packaging for freezer, use a quart-size freezer bag and portion 2 cups of cooked beans. Squeeze out any air and seal the bag. This portion equals 1 (15 ounce) can of cooked beans.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 6g | Sodium: 267mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g