Slow Cooker Refried Beans
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!
Servings: 10
Calories: 166kcal
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 668mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 108IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 3mg