Smoked paprika gives these cowboy beans a deep, woodsy flavor, but can you guess the secret ingredient?Summer is for entertaining, and when the crew gathers at my home, I think about making a BIG pot of beans. After all, they’re delicious, go with just about anything I dish up, are budget friendly, and usually help me uphold my reputation of putting out the healthiest of spreads! But then I remember the downside, they take so darn long to cook and when it’s 90+ degrees outside, I ask myself, “Do I really want to turn on the oven?” After reading this month’s Recipe Redux theme:
Beat the Heat with the Slow Cooker /Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
I’m ready to prepare that pot o’ beans sans the oven, because any recipe that requires a prolonged cooking time has slow cooker potential! My original recipe, requiring 2 1/2 hours of baking time, now sounds promising. Not only did I tinker with the cooking method, I also made the recipe vegan using smoked paprika for a smokey taste without bacon. It’s a little sweet and a little spicy with a secret ingredient that unifies all the earthy flavors ; can you guess the ingredient? (Insert sound of drum roll please.) A of a mug of black coffee left over from my morning pot. Surprised?
This side is not only delicious and easy to make without heating up the kitchen, it’s also low in fat, high in protein, high in fiber and delivers 15% DV* of calcium , 25 % DV* iron.
Get out your slow cookers today and discover more ideas from my colleagues in the links below for delicious, healthy recipes to beat the heat.
*Daily Value based on a 2000 calorie diet.
PrintSlow Cooker Cowboy Beans
Slow cooker cowboy beans are appropriate for vegans and are nice addition to a summer meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours + 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto or navy beans, washed and picked clean of debris
- 10 cups water, divided
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup strong coffee
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoons brown mustard
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce+2 tablespoons
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- dash of hot sauce
- ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Soak beans in 6 cups of water overnight. Drain beans.
2. In a Dutchoven add oil and stir in onions ; cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until beginning to brown. Add garlic, and cook for 30 additional minutes.
3. Add beans,water, coffee, . Bring to simmer over high heat and cook for 10 minutes. Add brown sugar, mustard , 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, hot sauce and salt. Return to boil over high heat.
4. Remove from heat and pour contents of Dutch oven into a slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours. Add smoked paprika last 30 minutes of cooking. Before serving stir in remaining barbecue sauce, season to taste with black pepper. (Beans can be refrigerator in an airtight container for several days.)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 13 grams
- Sodium: 570 mg
- Fat: 3 grams
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 grams
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 35 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 9 grams
- Cholesterol: 0
Rebecca says
I bet these are delicious with the coffee, brown sugar, and smoked paprika!
Diane Boyd says
You know it Rebecca!