These slow cooker refried beans are hearty, creamy, and packed with flavor. Perfect for stuffing into burritos and tacos, serving over rice, or scooping up with chips. Best of all? They're ridiculously easy to make!
My vegan refried beans and refried black beans are two of my favorite staple recipes. I love keeping batches on hand for tacos, burritos, or rice and beans on those nights when I can’t figure out what to make for dinner, or for pairing with chips when I need a quick appetizer for company. And the best part? They’re both really easy. But you know how you can make an easy recipe even easier? You got it… today we’re making slow cooker refried beans.
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This recipe is almost completely set-it-and-forget-it. You’ll cook the beans in a generous amount of water, since slow cookers can vary in how much evaporation they allow. After a long simmer, you’ll drain off some of the excess liquid, stir in the seasonings, and mash the beans. That’s it! Just a handful of ingredients and a few simple steps, and they taste like they came straight from a restaurant.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Dried pinto beans. We're using dried beans, because they're cheap and they work well with the low simmer that a slow cooker provides.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Spices. We're using ground cumin, dried oregano, and smoked paprika, for a classic Tex-Mex flavor blend.
- Lime juice. Stick with fresh lime juice for optimum flavor.
- Salt.
How They're Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Soak the beans. Place them in a large bowl and cover them with plenty of water, keeping in mind they'll expand by 2 to 3 times their size. Soak them for 12 hours or overnight.
Step 2: Cook. Drain and rinse the beans, then add them to the slow cooker along with chopped onion, minced garlic, and water. Cover and cook everything until the beans are tender.
Steps 3 and 4: Drain, season, and mash. Ladle off the excess water, then add your spices and mash the beans.
Tip: Keep the water that you drain off the beans, and, if necessary, add some of it back if the mixture ends up thicker than you'd like. The water contains bean starches that will give the finished dish a nice, creamy texture.
Steps 5 and 6: Finish the dish. Optionally, you can let your mashed beans cook uncovered for a bit, if you'd like them thicker. Finish the beans by seasoning them with some lime juice and salt.
Step 7: Serve. Your slow cooker refried beans are ready to enjoy!
Variations
- Extra creamy refried beans. For super creamy, restaurant-style refried beans, whip them with an immersion blender instead of mashing.
- Add some heat. Spice up your refried beans with a bit of cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce.
- Spicy chipotle refried beans. Add a minced chipotle or a few tablespoons of adobo sauce for extra spicy, smoky flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yup! The recipe as written includes no gluten-containing ingredients.
It sure is!
Sure! Pinto beans are traditional, but black beans also work great.
Leftover slow cooker refried beans will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Refried Beans
Equipment
- Slow cooker (4-quart or larger)
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups water, plus more for soaking the beans
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Place the pinto beans into a large bowl and cover them with water, making sure the water level is two to three times the height of the beans (they will expand a lot). Soak the beans for 12 hours, or overnight (Note 1).
- Drain and rinse the beans, then place the beans, onion, garlic, and 5 cups of water into your slow cooker. Stir everything well, then cover the pot and cook the mixture until the beans are very tender, about 3 to 4 hours on high, or 7 to 8 hours on low.
- Uncover the pot and ladle out any excess water. You want the liquid level to sit just at or slightly below the top of the beans.
- Stir in the cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika, then mash the beans using a fork or potato masher. You can leave them a bit chunky, or mash them completely smooth — cook's choice.
- If the mixture seems too loose at this point, you can optionally continue cooking the beans, uncovered, for 10 to 20 minutes to reduce the liquid a bit.
- Stir in the lime juice and salt.
- Serve.
Notes
- Do not skip this step. Soaking is non-negotiable, as many slow cookers don’t heat up enough to safely cook unsoaked beans.
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