These gigante beans cook in the slow cooker for 6-12 hours with tomatoes, thyme, onions, garlic, and olive oil until they become stewy, creamy, and delicious! If you can’t find gigante beans, the method works well with Great Northern, Cannellini, Lima, or other dried white beans.

Slow cooker gigante beans.

Yesterday, I dropped half a pound of dried gigante beans into my crockpot, followed by half a can of crushed tomatoes, a bay leaf, pepper flakes, water, smashed garlic, chopped onions, thyme, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Then I whisked the kids off to soccer tots, then to the bagel shop, and when we returned three hours later, the house smelled as if I had been working away all morning.

Dried beans in the crockpot for the win! This is where the crockpot really excels: No browning required. No measuring required. The crockpot keeps the one-pot wonder simmering at the steadiest simmer, ensuring creamy, not mushy beans.

The beans cooked all day — they needed 8 hours in the pot — and when the dinner bell rang, I toasted bread, placed a slice in each of our bowls, and ladled the stewy white beans over the top. With a few cracks of pepper and shavings of parmesan, dinner was served.

How to Make Gigante or Other White Beans in the Slow Cooker

First, select your bean. I love gigante beans, but they do take a long time to cook, anywhere from 8 to 12 hours, so plan ahead. Great Northern, Cannellini beans, Lima, or other white beans all work here, and those varieties will cook in 6 to 8 hours. I also love these Rancho Gordo Corona Beans:

A box of corona beans.

Dump all of the ingredients into a slow cooker. (I never add pancetta anymore.)

A crockpot filled with onions, beans, pancetta, bay leave, thyme, and a parmesan rind.

You can use whole peeled tomatoes — simply crush with your hands. Or use crushed tomatoes.

A crockpot filled with san marzano tomatoes.
A crockpot filled with onions, beans, pancetta, bay leave, thyme, a parmesan rind, and crushed tomatoes.

Give everything a stir. Then cover the pot and cook on high heat for 8-12 hours.

A crockpot filled with slow cooker white beans ready to start cooking.
All Clad slow cooker on the countertop.

When done, the beans will be creamy and cooked through, and the broth will be plentiful.

A crockpot filled with slow cooker white beans after 6 hours of cooking.

Ladle the stewy beans over a hunk of bread.

A bowl with a hunk of bread in it.

Shave parmesan over top if you wish.

A bowl of slow cooker large white beans (gigante beans).

Crack lots of pepper over top, too.

A bowl of slow cooker large white beans (gigante beans) aside a hunk of bread.
A bowl of slow-cooker beans with oven-roasted polenta.
A bowl of slow cooker large white beans (gigante beans).
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Slow cooker gigante beans.

Slow Cooker Gigante (White) Beans

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Description

These gigante beans cook in the slow cooker for 6-12 hours with tomatoes, thyme, onions, garlic, and olive oil until they become stewy, creamy, and delicious! If you can’t find gigante beans, the method works well with Great Northern, Cannellini, Lima, or other dried white beans.

Notes:

Adapted from this Dinner, A Love Story post.

If you don’t have a slow cooker, here’s my mother’s oven method. 

Beans: I love gigante beans, but they are hard to find. Use any white bean you like here, such as Great Northern, Cannellini, Lima, Corona, or others. Cooking time will vary depending on the age and type of bean you are using. 

Note: You can soak the beans prior to cooking if you wish, and I recommend doing so if you are using larger beans such as Gigante or Corona beans, but you do not have to. If you do soak, the cooking time may be shorter. Gigante and Corona beans take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours, so plan ahead. 

I love these spooned over this oven-roasted polenta.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz dried white beans, such as Gigante, Corona, Great Northern, or Cannellini (see notes above)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • pinch red pepper flakes (I use 1/2 teaspoon)
  • a few cloves of garlic, smashed
  • two onions, chopped to yield about 2 cups
  • 1.5 cups crushed tomatoes (I love Pomi finely diced tomatoes)
  • a few sprigs of thyme
  • Parmesan rind, if you have one
  • 4 cups water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
  • fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano for serving
  • toasted bread for serving or oven-roasted polenta 

Instructions

  1. Place everything with the exception of the Parmigiano Reggiano and toasted bread or polenta, into your crockpot. Cook on high for at least 6 to 8 hours. Depending on the type of bean you are using, the times will vary. If using unsoaked gigante beans, it may take as long as 12 hours to cook. 
  2. When the beans are done, taste the broth. Add more salt to taste. 
  3. Ladle broth into bowls over toasted bread or serve toasted bread on the size. Shave Parmigiano Reggiano over top. Crack pepper over top. Drizzle more olive oil over top if you wish.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 hours
  • Category: Beans
  • Method: Slow Cooker, Crockpot
  • Cuisine: American