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Crockpot Pinto Beans Two Ways Low-Calorie

These crockpot pinto beans can be make two ways, and are going to make your life easier. Beans can be used in so many different types of recipes and meals. They are also a great substitute for meat if you are looking to make a meatless meal. Making bean burritos is one of my favorite ways to use beans. Beans are easily used in Mexican recipes because almost any Mexican recipe that uses meat can be subbed for beans.

My favorite way to cook dried beans is in the crockpot. There are several different techniques to cooking dried beans, including soaking them overnight. I find that cooking them in the crockpot eliminates the extra step of having to soak them overnight, and they are nearly maintenance free to cook this way.

I used pinto beans because they are one of my favorite. Place the dry beans in the crockpot, add water and any seasonings you’d like. Then cook them on low for 8 to 10 hours. Put them in the crockpot first thing in the morning and by dinner time they are ready to eat.

I used 1 pound of dried pinto beans, and the awesome thing about beans being so versatile is you can use them in different ways. After they were done cooking, I split the beans into two different bowls after they cooked and kept half of them whole, and then took the other half and mashed them up into refried beans.

Once they’re done cooking I seasoned them with some onion powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper. The whole beans can be Mae into burritos or on the side with rice. There are many different ways to enjoy them. The same can be done with the refried beans, but my favorite is using them in bean and cheese burritos.

If you decide to mash the beans into refried beans, this is one of the healthiest ways to make them because you don’t have to add any fat to them. It’s just the pure beans being mashed up so it’s much healthier than a traditional refried bean. When mashing them up the beans, add some of the liquid that the beans cooked in otherwise they will be too dry. Start with a small amount of liquid and go from there until the consistency is what you like. I hope you enjoy this simple way to cook beans in the slow cooker.

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Calories per serving (1/2 cup): 99

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5 from 13 votes

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans Two Ways Low-Calorie

This is an easy and healthy way to cook pinto beans in the crockpot. Leave beans whole or make refried beans with two ways to make these crockpot beans.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time8 hrs

Total Time8 hrs 10 mins

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Keyword: crockpot beans, low calorie food option, pinto beans, slow cooker beans

Servings: 12

Calories: 99kcal

Author: simplylowcal

Ingredients

• 1 lb dry pinto beans
• 7 cups water
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Place the beans, water, salt, and black pepper into the slow cooker and stir. 
• Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, until the beans are tender but not falling apart.
• You can use a slotted spoon to remove beans from crockpot. Then add the garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently.
• If making refried beans, take the amount of beans you want to mash and place in a large bowl. As you mash the beans with a fork or potato masher, add a little of the water from the crockpot to the beans, adding water slowly to get the consistency you like.
• Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 12g | Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 8g | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 151mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg