Martha’s Slow-Cooked Tex-Mex Chicken & Beans
April 13, 2010
Updated to add: I used a 16 oz. jar of medium salsa, which is more than the original recipe calls for. Also, I did get some slight burning of the beans around the bottom edge of the crock, but not enough to bother me or really detract from the recipe.
I bookmarked this Martha Stewart recipe for Slow-Cooked Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans a couple of months ago because I wanted to start experimenting with using dried beans in my slow cooker. I wound up starting it late — it was almost 11 AM — and I was worried about the beans finishing in time. So I cooked it on high for 3 hours, and then once I saw that the beans were softening enough, I switched it to low for another 3 hours (yes, I open my Crock-Pot during cooking).
I used vegetable stock instead of water, and omitted the canned chipotle chiles because I was hoping to make something mild enough for the kids to eat. I liked it a lot; it’s a solid recipe that doesn’t take on that generic mushiness that some slow cooker recipes have. The dried beans hold their texture, and I find that the dark meat of the chicken holds up better than white meat does. My preparation wasn’t bland, but I do think it would have been a lot tastier with the chipotle, or with some chili powder or other spices added. As leftovers today for lunch, the pintos reminded me of refried beans, which I like. I’ll definitely make this dish again.
If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I offered A. 25¢ to try the meal. He bargained me up to 50¢, and took a bite. Then he took several more bites because apparently it wasn’t quite as horrible as he’d expected. I’ll take it as a small victory.
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I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two school-aged boys and husband. Feeding my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more 
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4 Comments
1.
Carol | April 13, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Oooh, this sounds good. So you didn’t soak your beans at all? I’ve not had success making soups/stews in the crock pot w/out soaking my beans first. I think I’m going to try this at some point.
I did not soak mine because I didn’t buy the ingredients until that morning! All the comments on the original recipe say soaking is necessary. I think next time I would soak overnight in water, drain, and then throw them in for 6 hours on low. Also I’m sure you could use chicken breasts if you don’t like thighs, but I definitely prefer the way the dark meat cooks up in the slow cooker. — Dara
2. chickinthekitchen.com &ra&hellip | April 18, 2010 at 9:32 pm
[...] made two new chicken dishes this past week that will definitely be repeated. First, we had Slow-Cooked Tex-Mex Chicken & Beans, which combines boneless, skinless chicken thighs, salsa, and dried pinto beans for a dish that is [...]
3. chickinthekitchen.com &ra&hellip | May 24, 2010 at 5:36 pm
[...] Martha’s Slow-Cooked Tex-Mex Chicken & Beans, green salad, tortilla [...]
4. chickinthekitchen.com &ra&hellip | December 29, 2010 at 5:59 pm
[...] Recipes that weren’t as popular, but that I want to make again this year include Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Flanken, Honey Spiced Chicken Thighs, Farro with Roasted Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese, and Martha’s Slow-Cooked Tex-Mex Chicken & Beans. [...]
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