Pinto Bean Chili
Pinto Bean Chili is a one-pot wonder, much like Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup. It simmers in a slow cooker or Crockpot and cooks dried pinto beans to tender perfection along with a warm, smoky combination of Mexican spices in a comforting sauce. Serve it with Mexican Fried Rice with Homemade Guacamole without Tomatoes for a winning meal!
Servings: 10
Calories: 344kcal
Equipment
- 1 7-quart slow cooker or Crockpot
Ingredients
- 4-5 cups dried pinto beans use 5 cups for a thicker chili
- 1 onion large, diced and chopped - about 2 cups of onion
- 2 cups pork loin cooked, chopped - leftovers work great
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ cup diced green chilis or a 4-ounce can
- 2 cloves garlic
- 7 cups water
Instructions
- The night before you plan to serve Pinto Bean Chili, place the dried pinto beans in a 7-quart slow cooker and fill the slow cooker with enough water to cover the beans by a couple of inches. Let the beans soak in the water overnight or 8-12 hours. In the morning, you'll notice the beans will not be completely softened, just softer than before their overnight water bath. That's perfect. The beans will continue to soften during the cooking process.
Assemble the Ingredients
- In the morning, drain the beans in a colander over the sink then place them in the slow cooker.
- Chop the onion and cooked pork. Add the pork and onion to the dried beans.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt.
- Add the green chilis and garlic
- Top with the water and stir to blend the ingredients.
- Cover the slow cooker and switch to low. Cook for 8-10 hours.
Serve and Enjoy!
- Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, lime and tortilla chips.
Notes
If you use canned pinto beans there's no need to soak the beans overnight. Use 4 - 5, 15-ounce cans of pinto beans - depending on how thick you'd like the chili to be. Drain and rinse the beans then substitute chicken or vegetable broth for the water. Since the canned beans won't absorb as much liquid as the dried beans during cooking, use just 2 cups of broth instead of 7 cups of water. Serve 5 Layer Bean Dip as an appetizer then serve the chili with a side dish of Country Potatoes, a delicious potato casserole or a side of Homemade Creamed Corn.
Nutrition
Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 794mg | Potassium: 1323mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 494IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 5mg
