Beans for Burritos

Beans for burritos are the slow-cooker shortcut to that creamy, well-seasoned bean filling that anchors a great burrito. Pink beans soak overnight to soften and reduce the gas-causing oligosaccharides, then go into the crockpot for an unattended 18-hour low simmer with onion, garlic, salt, and chili powder.

The long slow cook produces beans that are creamy at the center and yielding under a fork, perfect for mashing. Mashing the cooked beans with reserved cooking liquid gives a refried-style consistency without the lard or oil that traditional refried beans use.

The finishing touches of canned green chiles and a few spoonfuls of salsa bring the burrito personality: a little heat, some tomato tang, and the layered chile flavor that makes you want to wrap them in a warm tortilla immediately.

Pro Tips

• Change the soaking water several times during the overnight soak. Each water change pulls out more of the indigestible sugars that cause gas.
• Cover the beans with at least an inch of water before slow cooking. Beans absorb a lot of liquid during the long cook; too little water leaves dry, scorched beans on top.
• Add salt at the start, not the end. Some bean dogma says salt toughens beans, but pink beans handle it fine and absorb the seasoning more deeply over the long cook.
• Reserve some of the cooking liquid before mashing. The starchy bean broth is the secret to controlling consistency; add it back gradually until you hit your preferred texture.
• Mash beans only when warm. Cold beans turn rubbery under the masher and never reach the velvety texture you want.

Variations

• Use black beans instead of pink for a darker, earthier filling.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons of crumbled cotija or grated cheddar cheese after mashing for richer beans.
• Add 1 chopped chipotle in adobo for a smoky-spicy edge.