slow cooker pinto beans and sausage in a bowl

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Sausage

I love the slow cooker for many reasons, but especially because I can cook dried pinto beans into this delicious Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Sausage recipe. Dried beans is not something that I saw a lot growing up; we mostly used canned beans, if at all. But the flavors of this dish reminds me of a hearty chili which was a regular meal in my house as a child.

 

When my husband and I visited New Orleans, I tried and fell in love with beans and rice. It’s such a comforting and filling meal. While New Orleans has very different cuisine than Hawaii, it felt familiar because meals were made with cheap ingredients and had tons of flavor.

 

When we got home, I searched for and tried the Slow Cooker Beans and Rice recipe by Valerie Bertinelli on The Food Network. It’s a great recipe and I’ve made it a few times. But when I became a mom, I didn’t want to deal with cutting the meat off the ham hock or find a small portion of sausage. So I developed this version with ingredients that I could easily find based on Valerie’s recipe.

Why We Love This Recipe

This is a monthly staple in my house. My son isn’t a huge fan of meat other than ground meat or sausages. While we can get tired of ground meat, no one groans about another sausage meal.

 

Beef sausages are often fatty and because of that, we love turkey sausage. Turkey polish sausage or smoked sausage is easy to chop up and add to the pot of beans.

Hillshire Farm turkey smoked sausage in package
photo of ingredients for slow cooker pinto beans and sausage: carrots, onions, green bell peppers, celery, sausage, spices

It’s also full of veggies so I don’t have to struggle with getting my son to eat his vegetables. Everything is in one dish and he loves it all because the veggies are tender; great for when he has loose teeth and it hurts to chew.

 

If you love beans, I hope you try it and it makes the regular rotation in yours!

Pinto Bean Health Benefits

Pinto beans, like others, have tons of fiber. Even though they have carbs, they have protein and folate which are great for pregnant women and growing kids.  In addition, it can help prevent blood sugar spikes. The lack of B12 vitamin in the pinto beans is made up with the turkey smoked sausage.

How to Prepare Dried Pinto Beans

Dried pinto beans are easy to work with once you know how. The extra time to prepare dried pinto beans are worth the cost savings compared to using canned beans. Put your beans on a plate or baking sheet and pick through for rocks. Rocks?! Yes, rocks. Some how they can get through the processing plant into the bag, so check those beans!

 

After picking through the beans, rinse and soak the beans in water. You want at least 2 to 3 inches of water higher than the top of the beans. The pinto beans will increase in volume by about 50%.

 

If your beans are old/close to the best by date, I would slow cook them overnight in chicken broth instead of soaking overnight. Then add the remaining ingredients and slow cook according to the recipe. Otherwise, the beans will be too hard to eat.

Find more slow cooker and crock pot recipes below:

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Slow Cooker Kalua Pig (Hawaiian-Style Pulled Pork)
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Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
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slow cooker pinto beans and sausage in a bowl

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Sausage

Katherine Park
Dried beans, turkey sausage, and lots of veggies make for a delicious and cheap meal for the family.
Prep Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours
Active Time 20 minutes
Total Time 17 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Equipment

  • l Colander
  • 1 Large bowl
  • 1 chef's knife
  • 1 large cutting board
  • 1 slow cooker 5 or 6 quarts

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups dried pinto beans (about ⅔ pounds)
  • water
  • 14 ounces turkey smoked sausage or polish sausage chopped
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper diced
  • 3 celery stalks diced
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp ground white pepper or ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 green onions optional, chopped

Instructions
 

  • On the night before you plan to eat, pick through your beans for rocks. Rinse the beans and put them in a large container. Cover with enough water for the beans to have 2” of water over the top of the beans and soak overnight.
  • The next morning, drain and rinse the beans. Put the beans in the slow cooker followed by all the ingredients except for the green onions. Stir to mix. Arrange beans so they are submerged by liquid.
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook on high heat for 9 hours. This way, if your beans are old or near the best by date, your cooked beans will not be hard and it will be tender.
  • Once cooking is done, stir until well combined.

Notes

Tips and Tricks
Do I have to soak the beans overnight?
If you forget to soak the beans or are short on time, this recipe will still work. Soaking the beans makes them more tender and might make you less gassy after you eat the beans. You might have to increase the cook time to 10 hours if you do not soak them.
Does this work with other types of sausage?
Yes, you can use other types of polish or smoked sausage, chicken or turkey sausage, or even Portuguese sausage.
What can I serve the beans and sausage with?
They taste great with rice. You can also eat it with cornbread, naan, or pita bread.
How long do leftovers last?
Leftovers last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze this after cooking for up to 3 months.
Can I make this a freezer meal?
Yes. Cut up the vegetables and sausage and put them in a freezer bag to freeze for up to 3 months. The night before you’re ready to cook, put the freezer bag in the refrigerator and soak the beans. Then follow the remaining steps the next day.
Keyword affordable eats, crock pot, easy recipe, pinto beans, sausage, slow cooker
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