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.
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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:
REFRIED BEAN RECIPE FAQS
Why are my refried beans watery?
Set aside most of the cooking liquid before blending, and only add back a little bit at a time. Try using a food processor or immersion blender for this refried bean recipe. A traditional blender will need more liquid to operate correctly, which means thinner refried beans.
Are refried beans junk food?
Not these homemade refried beans! They’re made with simple, real food ingredients and lots of flavor. Skip the preservatives and high sodium content you get in a can and make this easy refried bean recipe instead.
Can I convert this recipe to make Instant Pot refried beans?
Yes, you can convert this crock pot refried bean recipe! Here’s how to convert slow cooker recipes to cook in the Instant Pot for when you forget to soak the beans overnight or start them early! A pressure cooker is my kitchen lifesaver!
What is the best way to make refried pinto beans from scratch?
In the crock pot, of course! It’s so easy! I suggest soaking your beans overnight in a large pot. It’s the best way to ‘de-gas’ the beans and is good for those who have a sensitive digestive system.
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
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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!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 5–7 cups 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Slow Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry pinto beans, thoroughly rinsed OR soaked overnight using this method, OR 6 cans cooked pinto beans, drained and rinsed 3 times
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 jalapeno, top cut off and quartered
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 9 cups water (up to half of the water can be substituted with chicken stock)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a large slow cooker. I have this 6 quart slow cooker, but I wouldn’t use anything smaller than a 4 quart.
- Cook on high for 8 hours if using dry or soaked beans. Cook on high for 4 hours if using canned beans.
- Place a colander over a stock pot and drain as much water as you can from the beans.
- Using an immersion blender (or potato masher, or alternating in a blender), mash the beans until they reach your desired consistency, using some of the cooking water to help thin. Remember that you can always add more water to thin, but you cannot make them thicker again.
- Serve hot, or prepare for storage.
Notes
Adapted from allrecipes.
- 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.
Nutrition
- Calories: 333
I was recently given your recipe as I have gone plant based eating and I am now venturing out on trying to make things more healthy homemade rather then store bought. These are amazing and easy….thanks!
You’re very welcome Christine!
I’m planning to make this for a church luncheon on Sunday- can I make it on Saturday then reheat in crockpot sunday morning? Or should I set my alarm for 4am (eek early!) to have it ready by noon? thank you!!
Definitely re-heat. Save some cooking water so you can thin as needed b/c the beans will get thicker as they stand. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for such a quick reply! You saved me much needed sleep with a 12 week old! Can’t wait to try this!
You’re so welcome!! Enjoy those cuddles. ♥
Made this recipe, it was really good and easy. Thank You,😘
You’re welcome!
Is soaking & rinsing enough to de-gass the beans?
To de-gas dry bean, yes! Just follow the soaking method I have linked in the recipe.
You have something red in the picture but it is not mentioned in the recipe. Is it chipotle, chili powder, paprika? I have made these and absolutely love them!! (without the red whatever) I use Pueblo hot chilies, but have to use them sparingly or it gets too hot to eat!
That’s paprika Marian, but I didn’t include it in the actual recipe because I liked them better without it. 🙂 So glad you like this recipe!!
I made these for the first time on Easter this year. I have made them two more times since then, and we’re having them again tomorrow. This recipe is perfect!
I’m so glad you like the recipe Nissa! It’s one of my favorites too. 🙂
Have you converted this recipe for the Instant Pot?
Not officially, but a lot of readers have done it successfully. I’d cook for 45 min in the IP!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! My kids usually don’t care for beans, but this recipe they love, I used black beans and divided the 9 cups of liquid between water and chicken stock, it turned out great will definitely use more in the future.
Yay!! So glad you liked this Karren!
I used the 3 cans of pinto beans method and ended up with bean soup. 9 cups is too much liquid if the beans are already cooked.
Angela – one pound of dry beans is equal to 6-7 cans of beans, so you should have doubled your beans. You can reduce the liquid if you’d like, but then you might risk burning the beans. Since you drain the liquid at the end anyway, it’s better to start with too much liquid than too little.
The recipe says to use 1 lb dry beans or 3 cans cooked beans. Should it say 6 cans cooked beans instead?
I made these according to the recipe with 3 cans and 9 cups of liquid and I agree that it was a lot of extra liquid to discard, but the flavors seemed right. If I doubled the beans, that would effectively halve the spices/onion/pepper which doesn’t seem right either. But maybe a lot of those are getting tossed out with the water, and more beans would more effectively soak them up?
I’m going to test out the recipe as written but with half the water and see how it goes =) My family loved them the last time I made them! Thanks for the recipe.
You are correct Natalie! And I’m so sorry for the error! I’m updating the recipe right now. Glad you guys like the flavor!
My husband, my boy’s and I just love this recipe. Way better then store bought.
Thanks so much!!
So I just put this together in my crock pot and I’m wondering…do I blend the jalapeno up in the beans in that last step? Or remove it?
Blend it up!
Hi Tiffany,
First off, I love your recipes! I just finished the 2nd part of soaking – meaning just about boiled, then turned off and put on a lid (for 2 1/2 hours). Using this method, do I still cook in crockpot for 8 hours?
Hey Lynn! Thanks so much! If the beans are just about boiled, you probably won’t have to crockpot for the full 8 hours. You CAN, if you’re going to go refried (b/c texture doesn’t matter quite as much). Personally, I’d check around the 6 hour mark. 🙂
So I’m 34 and have NEVER made anything with beans before….like ever. lol However, my 6 year old daughter does a cooking online program and learning how to soak beans was in there so I had to figure out what to do with them and here I am! Just finished and they are AWESOME!!! I’m so excited. Here’s my question:
QUESTION: What do you do with the strained out liquid (I saved it). It seems like such a waste to throw it out (I did use 4.5 cups water and 4 cups chick stock). Can I use it as a base of a soup or something? I haven’t tasted it yet just wondering if I can make it into something else since I have so much of it 🙂
THANK YOU for the amazing recipe!
Hey Jess! I usually toss the liquid because I use water, but you can certainly keep it for soup!! I’m so glad you liked this recipe!
I am a Yankee living in the south, love all thing southern, but do not like pinto beans, oh shame, anyways when hubs told me refied beans are made from pinto beans I had to go to our little country store where they are in a big barrel. Found your recipe and have been making ever since, followed your directions exactly, oh happy day, will never use any other recipe, these are the best, thankyou so very much for sharing!
You’re very welcome Gail!
So do you have any idea just how many slow cooker refried bean recipes there are out there in internet-land? Zillions. And of those zillions, approximately 99.8% of them have all these crazy, and totally unnecessary, ingredients. I must admit, I thought you were crazy with 2T of minced garlic, but hey – it’s hard to ever have too much garlic, so I trusted you. I used a pretty big jalapeno but cut out the seeds and membranes. I also used all water (cheaper and easier – I’m on board). Got home from work…drained and immersioned the bean and other ingredients, toasted two corn tortillas with a bit of cheese on each, and topped with generous portions of these beans and HOLY COW!! These are awesome! Much better than anything store-bought, and in fact rivaling restaurant quality. Definitely a keeper recipe! PS – I LOVE the freezing ideas too!!
Love this review Janice – thank you for sharing with me!! ♥
So remove the onion or leave in when mashing?
Leave it in 🙂
Ok thanks!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. My family devoured it. Will definitely save this one.
So glad you liked it!
Delicious recipe! I use over and over!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
This recipe is so wonderful! I add a tablespoon of bacon fat to it and it becomes heaven. 🙂 thank you for the recipe!!
You’re very welcome!
Is it really 8 hours on high weather there dried or soaked? I feel like soaked beans would need less time.
Yes ma’am!! For this recipe, it’s not so much until the beans are “done,” rather you want them to absorb as much of the flavorful cooking liquid as possible!