Slow Cooker Refried Beans

Skip the can and make these authentic and easy slow cooker refried beans instead! This hands-off recipe made with simple ingredients is packed with flavor, and easy to just dump and go. Pair with Instant Pot Spanish Rice and Homemade Tortillas for your next burrito night!

In my opinion, crockpot refried beans ALWAYS taste better.

While canned refried beans are fine in a pinch, nothing beats the flavor of home-cooked. It’s worth it to skip the store-bought for this healthier version of Mexican refried beans!

This crockpot refried beans recipe DOES take all day long to cook, but it’s so easy to make! You simply dump your ingredients in the slow cooker and go about your day while the beans soak up all that yummy flavor into every little ounce.

SLOW COOKER REFRIED BEANS

Besides the fact that slow cooker refried beans are absolutely delicious, here’s why you should make them:

• Taste authentic
• Made with simple, real food ingredients
• Homemade
• Freezer-friendly
• Hands-off: just add all the ingredients to the crockpot and go!
• Budget-friendly: Dried beans are one of our frugal favorites.
• Pair well with other meals and sides

EASY REFRIED BEANS RECIPE INGREDIENTS

• Dry Pinto beans. Most recipes for refried beans are made from pinto beans for that authentic Mexican flavor. But you can make refried beans with black beans also!
• Onion + Jalapeno. For flavor and a bit of a kick!
• Garlic + Salt + Pepper + Cumin. These spices are a must! If you use canned pinto beans for this recipe, you may want to decrease the salt.
• Water (up to half of the water can be substituted with chicken broth)

Note: Some people like to add chili powder to their refried beans recipe, especially when making bean tacos, but I didn’t for this recipe. But you certainly can customize this recipe as you go, especially if you are freezing portions for future meals.

Psst…Did you know that many salts contain MICROPLASTICS? It’s a sneaky toxin that may be in your everyday salt, and thus your everyday food (um, gross). I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because their salt is FREE of microplastics, and it tastes delicious! (PLUS, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt – just pay shipping and handling!)

HOW TO MAKE REFRIED BEANS

Step 1. Place all the ingredients in a large slow cooker. I have this 6-quart slow cooker and highly recommend it!

Step 2. Cook on high for 8 hours if using dry or soaked beans (reduce the cooking time to 4 hours if you use canned cooked beans).

Step 3. Once tender, drain as much water as you can from the beans and temporarily set aside.

Step 4. Using an immersion blender, mash the beans until desired consistency, adding cooking liquid (bean broth) as needed. If you want your beans to be thick, use very little liquid. If you like the beans to be thinner, add more liquid. You can use a potato masher instead for chunkier texture refried beans, or alternate batches in a blender, although a blender may need more liquid.

Step 5. Serve your homemade refried beans hot or prepare them for storage in airtight containers.

REFRIED BEANS FOR THE FREEZER

It’s so easy to freeze refried beans. And they hold up really well for future meals. I suggest freezing in ½ cup portions in silicone muffin liners in a muffin tin. Using this method, it’s EASY to:

• Measure
• Reheat
• Store long-term

Once the refried beans are frozen, pop them out of the muffin liners and store refried beans in a resealable freezer bag.

You can also measure 1 to 2 cups into resealable sandwich bags, flatten them out after sealing, and freeze them that way to take up less space.

To reheat, thaw the refried beans in the refrigerator overnight, and heat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a bit of water or chicken broth until heated through.

HOMEMADE REFRIED BEANS RECIPE TIPS

Want to customize these homemade refried beans?

• Use chicken stock or chicken broth. Substitute chicken broth for up to half of the water in the recipe. I wouldn’t go any more than that though, otherwise, you’ll lose the bean flavor. We make homemade chicken broth in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot!
• Make it mild. Substitute a 4 oz can of diced green chilies instead of the jalapeno. You can also keep the jalapeno for flavor but remove the membranes and seeds first for less of a kick.
• Make it hotter. Keeping the membranes and seeds of the jalapeno will definitely make it hotter. You can also add a second jalapeno pepper or choose a hotter pepper altogether like a ghost pepper. As a general rule of thumb, the more wrinkly the pepper is, the hotter it is.
• Use different beans. Like refried black beans? Swap them for the pinto beans and you have an entirely new, yet delicious, recipe.
• Soak beans. I’ve made this recipe with beans soaked overnight (to reduce the gaseous aftermath) and with freshly rinsed dry beans. You can’t go wrong either way, so do whatever you prefer.

TO SERVE SLOW COOKER REFRIED BEANS

Need some Mexican food meal ideas to put these slow cooker refried beans to good use? How about…

• Burritos, quesadillas, or tostadas made with Homemade Tortillas
• Topped with Slow-Cooker Shredded Chicken, cheese, and Homemade Salsa
• Whip up a batch of Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice and have a beans and rice dinner! You can also sprinkle your refried beans with extra cilantro and fresh lime juice for even more yummy goodness.
• Make loaded nachos with all of your favorite nacho toppings or use your refried beans as a bean dip for your tortilla chips.

I love refried beans as a side dish with:

• Fried Sweet Potatoes and Runny Eggs
• The Best Slow Cooker Carnitas
• Enchilada Casserole

REFRIED BEAN RECIPE FAQS

MORE EASY BEAN RECIPES

• Slow Cooker Beans
• Spicy Citrus Black Beans
• Instant Pot Beans
• Our Favorite Beans and Rice Recipe
• Instant Pot White Bean Soup with Sausage and Kale
• Black Bean Brownies

WATCH HOW TO MAKE CROCKPOT REFRIED BEANS