Slow Cooker Pork and Black Bean Stew
This amazing Slow Cooker Pork and Black Bean Stew is hearty, cold weather comfort food at its best. A pork shoulder roast is cooked low and slow with beans, beer, peppers, and spices until it’s fall-apart tender. Serve with a variety of garnishes for a tummy warming treat.
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Slow cookers are amazing kitchen tools. They’re inexpensive, versatile, and save us lots of time in the kitchen. Mine are used very often and all year round. A slow cooker is the perfect choice of appliances for long-cooking stews like my Slow Cooker Pork and Black Bean Stew.
We really enjoy this stew during the winter months, but honestly, it’s good any time of year. Add some hot, steamed rice, a few lime wedges, some fresh pico de gallo, and tortillas and you have a complete meal in a bowl.
If you want to expand your menu a bit, consider adding a refreshing tomato and avocado salad on the side.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- Easy dump-and-go prep
- Lots of options for serving
- Easily adjust the quantity to feed a crowd
Ingredient Notes
- Pork shoulder roast (Also called called “Boston Butt.” Any kind of pork roast will work.)
- Dark beer (Use a dark beer or stout for this recipe. I always choose Guinness even though it may not be precisely in keeping with the southwestern flavors in the recipe. A good alternate choice would be Negra Modelo, a dark Mexican beer.)
- Jalapeno (Optional, but highly recommended. Remove the seeds and ribs if you want a milder stew.)
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pork and Black Bean Stew
Let’s Go Step-by-Step
I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the recipe card.
Prepare the Crockpot
Lightly spray or grease the inside of a medium (4-6 quart) slow cooker.
Add All Ingredients
Add the black beans, pork shoulder, beer or stout, red bell pepper, and jalapeno. Sprinkle evenly with the herbs and spices.
Cover and Cook
Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
COOK’S TIP
Keep in mind that it’s normal for the pork shoulder to shrink quite a bit during cooking. Also remember that cooking times and heat settings vary from one brand of cooker to another. The times given are estimates only. You may need to shorten or lengthen your cooking time.
Shred the Cooked Pork
Remove the pork from the slow cooker and let it cool enough to handle. Using two forks, pull or shred the pork into chunks. Remove and discard any excess fat.
Finish and Serve
Return the pulled pork to the crockpot and stir well. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Be Sure to Include the Garnishes!
Serve with garnishes of lime wedges, diced green onion, sour cream, diced tomatoes, and cilantro with warm tortillas on the side. The stew is also delicious served over hot, steamed rice.
Substitutes and Variations
- Add a chopped onion along with the peppers
- Add a can of fire roasted tomatoes
- Substitute a poblano pepper for the bell pepper
- Serve with steamed white rice
- Monterey Jack cheese also goes well as a garnish
Storage
Store any leftovers in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat over low heat or in the microwave. May also be frozen for up to three months.
FAQs
You can! This stew is even better when made a day ahead. Just store it covered in your refrigerator and reheat it when ready to serve. You may need to add a little water to get it back to the original consistency.
You can make pork and black bean stew with dried beans if you like. To use dried beans either (1) soak them overnight and drain well before adding to the slow cooker, or (2) add 1 pound of dried beans directly to the slow cooker along with 6 cups of water. Check the beans at the end of the cooking time to make they’re done. You may need to continue cooking for an additional hour.
Some cooks do brown the pork before adding it to the recipe and it does make for a slightly richer flavor in the finished recipe. However, I personally don’t think it makes that much difference so I skip the browning in this instance. If you’d prefer to brown the pork shoulder, feel free to do so.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Pork and Black Bean Stew
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 30 ounces canned black beans lightly drained (2 15-ounce cans)
- 1 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder roast or Boston Butt
- 12 ounces dark beer (or stout) recommend: Guinness (or substitute beef stock)
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Garnishes:
- Lime wedges
- Diced green onion
- Sour cream
- Diced tomatoes
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Lightly spray or grease the inside of a 4-6 quart (medium) slow cooker.
- Add the black beans, pork shoulder roast, beer, red bell pepper, and jalapeno. Sprinkle evenly with the spices.
- Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker and let it cool enough to handle. Using two forks, pull or shred the pork. Remove and discard any excess fat.
- Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and stir well.
- Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Serve with garnishes of lime, diced green onion, sour cream, diced tomatoes, and cilantro with warm tortillas on the side.
Notes
- Pork shoulder roast is also called “Boston Butt.” Any kind of pork roast will work.
- Dark beer (Use a dark beer or stout for this recipe such as Guinness or Negra Modelo.)
- The jalapeno is optional but highly recommended. Remove the seeds and ribs if you want a milder stew.
- To use dried beans, you can either (1) soak them overnight and drain well before adding to the slow cooker, or (2) add 1 pound of dried beans directly to the slow cooker along with 6 cups of water. Check the beans at the end of the cooking time to make sure they’re done. You may need to continue cooking for an additional hour.
- Add a chopped onion along with the peppers
- Add a can of fire roasted tomatoes
- Substitute a poblano pepper for the bell pepper
- Serve with steamed white rice
- Monterey Jack cheese also goes well as a garnish
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
