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Homemade Slow Cooker Refried Beans

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Homemade Slow Cooker Refried Beans is an easy side dish. So much tastier and so inexpensive compared to the store-bought beans. Made from scratch!

Slow Cooker Refried Beans are piled in a blue bowl with a spoon waiting to dish them up. Tortillas on the side.

Refried Beans is a great side dish that often gets overlooked. Don't let this happen to you because you deserve to have some extra choices in your meal planning.

I feel very fortunate to have grown up in the southwest where Mexican style food was in our family's meal planning regimen.

It never occurred to me that everyone was not eating enchiladas and tortillas.

The move to a small town in Georgia introduced me to a shocking realization. There wasn't a tortilla insight or even a can of refried beans.

Granted, this was many years ago but I still had to have Mexican food!

An overhead photo of Slow Cooker Refried Beans on a blue cloth with spilled dried beans.
 

Salsa I could manage but tortillas and refried beans? Luckily, I had Diana Kennedy's first cookbook, The Cuisines of Mexico.

So, I rolled up my sleeves and got to cooking. The recipes were so darn good and I was off and running.

Now I have made and created many Mexican style recipes and there are probably eight that are variations on beans.

Just last week we had another southwest side dish called Mexican Cauliflower. It was great served right alongside our homemade refried beans.

 

Slow Cooker Refried Beans are piled in a blue bowl with a spooon waiting to dish them up.
 

What Goes Great with Refried Beans?

Let me show you a picture of one of these recipes just to tempt you.  Let's see ...  Here ya go!

Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce has rich flavors that will make any enchilada combination perfect. Crockpot easy. Try these Vegetable Enchiladas too!
 

Don't you agree?  Refried beans on the side!

I would be being selfish if I didn’t tell you that there is also a recipe for Instant Pot Refried Beans on this blog.  And it's from scratch too!

This crockpot recipe should be in everyone’s arsenal. Flavorful and easy and you'll be spooning up creamy refried beans in no time.

Do You Have to Soak the Pinto Beans Before Cooking?

  • Well, sort of, yes.
  • You don't have to for delicious beans but ...
  • You should to help with, ah hem, intestinal gas.
  • It's the right thing to do.
  • Some beans are kinder than others but it's still a good thing to do.

 

Can You Freeze Refried Beans?

So easily!

TO FREEZE:

Use a freezer container and freeze up to 3 months.

TO PREPARE AFTER FREEZING:

Remove from the freezer and put in the refrigerator overnight because it is a pretty solid mass and will take longer to defrost. Heat, covered, in a microwave or in a saucepan. Add a little more liquid if it seems to dry.

 

Slow Cooker Refried Beans are piled in a blue bowl with a spoon waiting to dish them up. Blue cloth underneath.

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PIN IT to your Slow Cooker or Side Dishes board to save for later!

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Slow Cooker Refried Beans are piled in a blue bowl with a spooon waiting to dish them up.
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5 from 4 votes

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

Homemade Slow Cooker Refried Beans is an easy side dish. So much tastier and so inexpensive compared to the store-bought beans.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Beans, Mexican Style, Slow Cooker
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 319kcal
Author Ginny McMeans

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried pinto beans
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic finely diced
  • 1 onion small, finely diced
  • 1 chile pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Rinse and drain the beans.
  • Put the pinto beans in a large pot with water to cover, about 6 cups of water.
  • Let the pot set all day or overnight and the beans will plump up.
  • Drain water from the beans and put the beans into a slow cooker.
  • Cover with fresh water by about 1 to 2 inches.
  • Turn on high for 3 hours.
  • While the beans are cooking prepare the vegetables.
  • In a large skillet add olive oil and onion. Sauté onion until translucent.
  • Add garlic and chili pepper. Cook 2 more minutes.
  • Add all the spices to the pan. Cook another minute stirring occasionally. Set aside.
  • When the beans are done, mash in the crockpot with a potato masher.
  • Add the onion mixture and mix well.
  • If it is too dry you can add some more water.
  • Turn the slow cooker back on to the low setting. Cook 1 hour.
  • That's it! The best refried beans and so much healthier than the canned beans.

VARIATION:

  • If you need to add more liquid at the last hour of the final cooking process you can add some tomato juice or diced tomatoes. Even a little salsa can be added if your family likes the extra spices.

Notes

TO FREEZE:
Use a freezer container and freeze up to 3 months.
TO PREPARE AFTER FREEZING:
Remove from the freezer and put in the refrigerator overnight because it is a pretty solid mass and will take longer to defrost. Heat, covered, in a microwave or in a saucepan. Add a little more liquid if it seems to dry.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Refried Beans
Amount Per Serving (1 Cup)
Calories 319 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Sodium 401mg17%
Potassium 1117mg32%
Carbohydrates 50g17%
Fiber 12g48%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin A 120IU2%
Vitamin C 17.5mg21%
Calcium 99mg10%
Iron 4.3mg24%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

 

Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Ginny McMeans

    I would go with a jalapeno chili pepper for the heat or Anaheim chili pepper for a milder flavor. It's okay that the Anaheim Cili is so much larger. It will work well. If you use the jalapeno pepper then use gloves and get rid of the seeds.

  2. Ivy

    What kind of pepper do you recommend?

  3. Ginny McMeans

    Hi Laura. I have not made it in an instant pot yet but I am working on one. Its actually going up on the blog Sept. 1st, Labor Day Weekend!

  4. Laura

    Can I make this in the instant pot? Wanted to make this for guest tomorrow.

  5. David

    I soaked overnight (12 hrs) and sloe cooked til very tender in FOUR HOURS? My speckled pinto beans turned white while cooking? I make bacon butter by adding 2 table spoons of bacon grease to 1 stick of unsalted soft butter and whipping it. I added 2 Tblesp of it to my refried beans. Ummmm! That may not sit well with you began! Next time I am going to add a 10oz can of diced tomatoes/Chili's (Rotel)

  6. Amy | The Cook Report

    I love refried beans but never tried making them myself, this slow cooker method looks awesome

  7. Hannah Hossack-Lodge

    I've never thought to cook refried beans in the slow cooker before but it is a brilliant idea and I will definitely be giving it a try!

  8. Annie @ Annie's Noms

    I love refried beans so much I can eat them alone, but I've never made them from scratch or in the slow cooker; these look wonderful and I need to try them!!

  9. Jillian

    I love homemade refried beans and the freezer information was really helpful!

  10. Ginny McMeans

    Yes, you sure can Gemma. Cook the beans up to 8 hours on low but add an extra cup of water, to be safe. You are going o drain them in the end anyway.

  11. Gemma

    Do you think this would cook well on low for a longer amount of time?

  12. Ginny McMeans

    Yes, I personally like more onion and spice. We think alike! I am glad you got to try it and will be making it again. Thanks.

  13. Dana

    I really liked the refried beans. I would add more onions and spice. I will be making this again!!! 🙂

  14. Anonymous

    Thank-you so much for sharing your refried bean recipe, it was amazing and easy to do.