Slow Cooker Smoky Breakfast Beans
This could be my favourite recipe of 2025. Forget the tin – Smoky Breakfast Beans are here to revolutionise your breakfast or brunch. This slow-cooked version of classic baked beans is loaded with flavour. A combination of beans simmered in tomato sauce with smoky chorizo and chipotle paste.
Let’s face it – no one’s waking up at dawn to slow cook breakfast beans. The great thing with this recipe, is it’s perfect for a big batch-cook and freezing. Make a load of these smoky and subtly sweet beans, freeze them and enjoy them over and over!
The magic here comes from simple ingredients working together. Mixed beans – I use haricot, butter, and cannellini – give a great mix of textures and soak up all the flavours. Using three types isn’t mandatory, but it makes each bite interesting. For the signature smokiness, diced chorizo is key: it releases paprika-rich oils as it cooks, infusing the sauce with a deep savoury flavour. Skip this step or use a vegan alternative if you want to go meat-free. A spoonful of chipotle paste brings gentle heat and extra smokey flavour. To balance it all out of the passata, there’s a bit of brown sugar and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
All the ingredients go straight into your slow cooker, then just give it a stir and put the lid on. Cook it on high for about 3 hours (or low for 5-6 hours) and let the slow cooker work its magic. As it simmers, the beans will turn beautifully tender but not mushy (canned beans hold up well in the slow cooker).
Make these breakfast beans your own
- Want it vegetarian? Leave out the chorizo (you could add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to keep that smokiness) and ensure your Worcestershire sauce is veggie-friendly.
- Want a spicy kick? Add some jalapeños for truly spicy beans.
- Want different beans? Mix it up. Try pinto or kidney beans, or just use all haricot beans for a closer remake of classic tinned baked beans.
- Make it BBQ? If you’re a BBQ sauce lover, stirring a tablespoon of your favourite BBQ sauce into the mix can give this a barbecue twist.
To serve, I spoon these over slices of buttered toasted sourdough bread. I then top with a runny fried egg and freshly chopped parsley.
If you love hearty bean dishes, you’ve got to try my Slow Cooker Chicken Sausage and Bean Casserole and the Braised White Beans, Sausage, and Kale Stew next. These dishes are slow-cooked comfort in the same spirit.
Smoky breakfast beans
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 400 g Tin haricot beans drained
- 400 g Tin butter beans drained
- 400 g Tin cannellini beans drained
- 500-600 g Tomato Passata
- 110 g Chorizo Diced small, 110g=1/2 ring Chorizo
- 1 tsp Chipotle paste
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp Brown sugar
- Large Pinch Salt
Instructions
- Drain your tinned beans and chop chorizo into small chunks.
- Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Stir well.
- Cook on high for 3 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition calculations only account for the ingredients in the slow cooker recipe. Sides like toast or extras are not included, so remember to consider those additions.
