Anasazi Beans

These tender, creamy Anasazi beans cook effortlessly in a slow cooker with no pre-soaking required. A chopped red onion melts into the pot, and the beautiful speckled beans break down into a rich, flavorful dish that works equally well as a hearty side or protein-packed main course. This family recipe from Rachael delivers consistent results with minimal hands-on time. An Instant Pot method below gets you there in about 75 minutes.

Source

Family recipe from sister, Rachael.

Equipment

• 6-quart slow cooker (Crock Pot), or a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot / electric pressure cooker
• Cutting board and knife
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Fine-mesh strainer

Ingredients

For 2 Cups Dried Beans (serves 8)

• 400g (14oz) dried Anasazi beans
• 1 medium red (purple) onion, chopped
• 1¾–2 teaspoons (11–12g) fine sea salt
• 1¾–2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
• 1.4L (6 cups) water

Instructions

Preparation (15 minutes)

1. Sort the beans: Spread beans on a light-colored surface and pick through them carefully, removing any rocks, debris, or damaged beans.

2. Rinse thoroughly: Place beans in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear.

3. Combine ingredients: Transfer rinsed beans to the slow cooker. Add the chopped red onion, salt, baking soda, olive oil, and water. Stir well to distribute the baking soda and salt evenly throughout the liquid.

Cooking (8 hours)

4. Slow cook: Cover the slow cooker and set to LOW. Cook for 8 hours until beans are tender and creamy. The beans should be soft enough to mash easily with a fork but still hold their shape.

5. Check and adjust: After cooking, taste and adjust salt if needed. If the beans are too thick, add warm water a few tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Instant Pot Method

The same batch in an electric pressure cooker, ready in about 75 minutes instead of 8 hours.

1. Sort and rinse the beans as above.
2. Combine: Add the beans, chopped red onion, salt, olive oil, and 840ml (3½ cups) water to the Instant Pot — much less than the slow-cooker amount (see note). Keep the oil — beans foam under pressure, and the oil suppresses froth that can clog the steam valve.
3. Cut the baking soda to ½ teaspoon (or omit). A full dose foams hard in a sealed pot; pressure does the softening that the baking soda handles in the slow cooker, so it isn’t needed here.
4. Cook: Seal the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 35 minutes.
5. Release: Let the pressure release naturally for at least 20 minutes (a full natural release is ideal). Never quick-release beans — it sprays foamy liquid through the valve.
6. Finish: Open, taste, and adjust salt. Too thin? Simmer a few minutes on Sauté. Too thick? Stir in warm water.

Instant Pot notes:

• Use far less water than the slow cooker. The 8-hour slow cooker boils off a lot of liquid; the sealed Instant Pot loses almost none, so 3½ cups is plenty to cover the beans and still finish creamy — the full 6 cups leaves you simmering on Sauté for the better part of an hour to reduce it. Keep the beans just barely covered before sealing (add a splash only if they poke above the surface). If the result is thinner than you like, a 5–10 minute Sauté is all it should take.
• Mind the fill line. Even at 3½ cups, account for foaming — the reduced baking soda and the oil keep it under control. An 8-quart pot has loads of room; do not make this batch in a 3-quart mini.
• Pressure time doesn’t change with batch size — 35 minutes is set by doneness, not quantity. A full pot just takes longer (~15–20 minutes) to come to pressure.
• Texture: 35 minutes plus a full natural release gives soft, creamy beans that hold their shape. Cook 40 minutes for more breakdown, or 28–30 minutes for firmer beans.
• More onion presence? Reserve half the onion and stir it in during a 5-minute Sauté at the end instead of cooking it all under pressure.

Scaling Notes

IMPORTANT: Salt and baking soda do not scale linearly with batch size.

For 1 Cup Beans (half batch, serves 4):

• 200g (7oz) dried beans
• 1 teaspoon (6g) salt
• 1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
• ½ medium red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
• 720ml (3 cups) water

For 3 Cups Beans (1.5x batch, serves 12):

• 600g (21oz) dried beans
• 2 to 2.5 teaspoons (12–15g) salt
• 2 to 2.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 1½ medium red onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2.2L (9 cups) water

Why not linear? In larger batches, salt distributes more efficiently through greater liquid volume, and excessive baking soda can make beans mushy with an unpleasant soapy taste. Start with the lower amount and adjust salt to taste after cooking. For the Instant Pot, keep baking soda to ½ teaspoon or less at any of these sizes.

Notes

• No soaking required: The baking soda helps soften the beans without overnight soaking.
• Baking soda purpose: Creates an alkaline environment that breaks down the beans’ cell walls, reducing cooking time and creating a creamier texture.
• Don’t skip the sorting: Dried beans often contain small rocks that can damage teeth or your cooker.
• Salt timing: Adding salt at the beginning is fine for slow-cooked beans. The long, gentle cooking doesn’t toughen them.
• Texture preference: For firmer beans, reduce slow-cooker time by 1-2 hours. For very creamy beans that break down more, cook for 9-10 hours.
• Altitude adjustment: At high altitudes, you may need to add 1-2 hours to the slow-cooker time, or about 5% per 1,000 ft above 2,000 ft to the pressure time.

Variations

• Southwestern style: Add 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 2 minced garlic cloves with the other ingredients.
• Herbed beans: Add a bay leaf and fresh thyme sprigs to the pot before cooking. Remove aromatics before serving.
• Smoky beans: Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or a few drops of liquid smoke.

Storage

Store cooled beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze in portion-sized containers for up to 3 months. The texture remains excellent after freezing. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding water as needed to restore desired consistency.