Crockpot refried beans require no soaking. They’re easy to make and taste way better than beans from a can!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Not only are these “refried” beans better tasting than canned, they are much more economical.
How long it takes: 5 minutes to prep, 8 hours in the crockpot
Equipment you’ll need: slow cooker, strainer, immersion blender
Servings: makes 12 cups
Creamy and delicious refried beans can easily be made in a crockpot. Now, before you go crazy on me, I know these aren’t traditional refried beans. They aren’t fried at all and there’s no bacon fat or lard, no fat at all, in fact.
However, I would say that these beans are very tasty due to a hearty amount of onion and garlic, lots of cumin, a hint of smoked paprika, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. They are low in sodium and totally nonfat, vegan and vegetarian, with only 134 calories per half cup serving.
Homemade refried beans have much sodium. Why not just eat refried beans from a can? Good question! They taste okay and they’re pretty cheap. Well, here’s one good reason: Canned refried beans contain 440 to 540 mg of sodium per serving. A serving of my homemade refried beans comes in at 204 mg.
Crockpot refried beans are economical. A two pound bag of dried beans runs a couple of bucks. Two pounds of beans makes 12 cups of refried beans. A 16 oz. can contains one and three-quarters cups and will cost you about $1.50 so there’s a significant savings when you make your own.
Refried beans freeze really well. Twelve cups of refried beans may sound like way more beans than your family can eat. More good news! You can freeze the extra beans so you always have homemade beans on hand.
And lastly, isn’t it a tiny bit gross how the beans come out of the can shaped just like the can, ridges and all, sort of like canned dog food?
About These Slow Cooker Refried Beans
The dried beans don’t have to be soaked before cooking. This is one of the big advantages of using a slow cooker. If you cook beans on the stove, they need to be soaked overnight first which isn’t a huge deal but it’s one more thing to do, right? Plus, you have to think of it ahead of time.
There is a caveat to not soaking the beans. According to The Bean Institute, if beans tend to give you gas, you should soak them overnight, discard the soaking water, and proceed with the recipe. I’m sorry to be talking about gas but I thought it might be pertinent to some of us.
So let’s get started! This is an easy recipe and you’ll have those beans cooking in no time, 5 minutes or so.
What You’ll Need
- Dried Pinto Beans: Buy a two pound bag which is about 4 cups of beans. Be sure to rinse the beans and pick out any pebbles or shriveled beans. It’s rare but I have found little stones mixed in the beans and you don’t want to crack a tooth.
- Onion: Yellow cooking onions are fine for this recipe. They are economical and keep well in your pantry. They cook right down so you won’t notice pieces of onion in the finished product but they do add lots of flavor and nutrition.
- Garlic: The recipe calls for 3 cloves. You can add more or use less, depending on how much you like garlic.
- Salt & Pepper: The beans are seasoned with a fair amount of kosher salt and coarse black pepper.
- Ground Cumin: This warm spice is used in so many cuisines. It’s a little earthy and nutty flavored.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: For just a little bit of heat! Add more or less, if you want.
- Smoked Paprika: There’s just a quarter teaspoon in these beans to give them a hint of smokiness (since we’re leaving out the bacon).
- Water: The beans need quite a lot of water to cook, at least 10 cups. For even more flavor, you could use chicken broth or vegetable broth. Adjust the salt accordingly.
How To Make Crockpot Refried Beans
Get your crockpot out and plug it in. Rinse and pick over the beans and add them to the pot. Chop the onion and mince the garlic and add them to the pot.
We’re on a roll here. Measure out the salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika and add them to the pot.
Okay, now pour in 10 cups of water. Stir it all up, put the lid on, and turn the crockpot to High. Cook for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beans are soft and tender. Cooking time varies depending on how long the beans have been in storage. Spoon a few out and see if they mash easily. If they do, they’re ready!
You’re not quite finished yet. The beans are ready to eat and you could use them for recipes that call for whole beans but today we’re going to mash them.
We want just the right consistency for the refried beans: soft but not too runny. To get it right, drain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid.
Put the beans back in the crockpot and use an immersion blender or potato masher to mash them. Add the reserved liquid, as needed, until the beans are just the way you want them. Keep in mind that they do thicken up a bit when they cool down.
You can also take the beans out and mash them in a bowl if it’s easier.
That’s it! You can eat the beans as they are or try them in one of the recipes listed below. Freeze the extra beans (if you have any) for later use.
Ways To Use Refried Beans
- Make a healthy dip. Use refried beans as a dip for tortilla chips. Make your own baked tortilla chips or air fryer tortilla chips from corn tortillas, if you like. And, with the addition of cream cheese and a few other ingredients, you can easily turn plain refried beans into popular refried bean dip.
- Fill a bean burrito. Spread warm refried beans on a flour tortilla, and add shredded cheese and chopped tomatoes, to make a bean burrito. Add refried beans to beef or chicken burritos, too.
- Add refried beans to tacos, quesadillas, or tostadas.
- More ideas: 7-layer dip, vegetarian baked taquitos, bean and cheese taco rolls, vegetarian taco cups.
It depends on the cooking method you choose. If you’re cooking beans on the stove, you should soak the beans overnight or use the quick soak method. If you’re using a crockpot/slow cooker or an Instant Pot pressure cooker, there’s no need to soak them.
Note: If beans tend to make you gassy, it may help to soak them, discarding the soaking water.
In English, the word “refried” makes it sound like the beans are fried twice which can be puzzling because they aren’t. They are cooked twice, but not fried twice.
However, in Spanish they are called frijoles refritos which means well-fried beans. I guess you could say “refried beans” is basically a bad translation.
How To Soak Beans
To soak beans overnight, put beans in large container and cover generously with water. Soak for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse with fresh water when ready to cook. For a quick soak, add 6 cups of water to 2 cups of beans in a large pan. Over high heat, bring to boil and boil for 3 minutes. Turn the heat off, and cover the pan. Let set for one hour. Drain beans and rinse. Note: Some recipes may not require soaking the beans before cooking.Make It Your Own
- Make Instant Pot refried beans if you prefer. Same idea, but faster!
- Use black beans instead of pinto beans if you like those better.
- Change up the seasoning. They’re your beans so make them just the way you like them. Chili powder is a good addition.
- Love pinto beans but not a fan of refried? Try frijoles borrachos (drunken beans). So juicy, flavorful, and good! You’ll find yourself slurping up the juice.
- Rather have traditional refried beans? Make the beans as directed but don’t mash them. Heat a quarter up of cup lard or bacon fat in a very large skillet and add drained beans, cooking and stirring. Use a potato masher or fork to mash the beans to the right consistency, adding bean liquid as needed.
- For restaurant style refried beans: Stir together ⅓ cup sour cream and 2 cups beans, along with a dash of hot sauce, to taste. Heat and top with shredded cheese.
Since this refried beans recipe makes a lot, it’s a great food prepping tool. Keep them in the refrigerator or freezer to use for later meals.
Refrigerate/Freeze: Refried beans will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days. Freeze them in serving size freezer containers for up to 6 months. Spray the containers with nonstick spray before filling them and the beans will pop right out.
Reheat: Microwave individual portions. For larger amounts, heat the beans in a skillet on the stove.
More Beany Recipes
Crockpot Refried Beans – No Soaking Required!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds dried pinto beans (approximately 4 cups), rinsed and any foreign matter sorted out
- 1 medium to large yellow onion, diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (more to taste)
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 10 cups water (more if needed)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to 6-quart slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on high for 6 to 8 hours or until beans are soft and mash easily. Add more water if necessary during cooking to keep beans fully submerged in liquid.
- Reserving the liquid, strain the beans out into a large bowl (see note). Mash with a potato masher or immersion blender. Add the reserved liquid until you reach the consistency you desire.
- Serve, or cool completely and freeze in portions appropriate for your family.
Notes
- Makes 12 cups or 24 (½ cup) servings.
- These taste significantly less salty than the canned version. Make sure to check for seasonings and add salt as desired.
- Reserve some of the beans before mashing if you would like to use them whole for other recipes.
- Refried beans will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. Freeze them in serving size freezer containers for up to 6 months. Spray the containers with nonstick spray before filling them and the beans will pop right out.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Hello, Thank you for your recipes, but
2 tsp salt is about 4800mg sodium, so that is a lot of salt.
I’m trying to cut back on salt so I would reduce the salt considerably. Also, I read that adding salt at the beginning of cooking beans toughens them up and lengthens the cooking time. What is your take on that?
Hi, this makes a very large batch, so the sodium is still far less than store-bought. However, you’re absolutely welcome to cut back on it, that’s the joy of making your own and not buying store-bought! I haven’t noticed that salt lengthens the cooking time, and the beans are mashed so toughness isn’t too much of an issue here. I hope you enjoy these!
I tossed these in my slow cooker and set them on low for 8 hours. The beans didn’t fully cook! I’m not sure what happened, maybe my slow cooker didn’t get hot enough on low, but trying to mash them was an epic battle and they’re kind of full of mostly-but-not-completely cooked beans. I’m going to put them through my nutri-ninja and see if that can’t make a mess of them. The flavor’s good!
Hi Drew,
I’m sorry they didn’t work out for you! As the recipe indicates, these work best when cooked on HIGH for 6-8 hours, not low. That’s probably why yours didn’t fully cook. You could try putting them back in for a while to see if they soften up a little more…you could even simmer them for a bit on the stovetop, but make sure to stir them frequently because they’ll burn quickly on the stove. I hope you’re able to save them!
Hi Rachel, I just made your terrific recipe for Baked Taquitos. My DH went crazy for them. I was wondering if you ever made your slow cooker recipe with black beans. Do you think the seasoning would be the same? Thanks so much. You are a genius!
I’m so happy to hear that! I haven’t used black beans in my slow cooker refried beans, but I think it would work great with the same seasonings! Enjoy! :)
About how many servings do you typically have with this recipe?
Oh man — I’m not sure exactly but it fills up my 6qt slow cooker nearly to the top. I always freeze it in quart-size bags so I have it ready at all times. If we’re talking side servings, I’d say at least twenty. Probably more.
Found this recipe on Pinterest a few months ago. I have made these twice now, adjusting the seasoning a bit to my tastes as I went and they turned out beautifully both times! So easy and such a healthier option than canned. I freeze 1 cup portions and thaw out in the fridge overnight before I plan to use them. Thanks for writing it up!
Oh I’m so glad you like them! I have some in the freezer right now as well.
These sound YUM! I want to make these to accompany my egg whites in the morning. Can you give me calorie stats for 1/2 cup?
Thanks! I love this recipe too. Unfortunately I do not do nutritional analyses on my recipes, but pinto beans themselves are quite low in calories and high in protein and fiber. Enjoy!
Wow made these and they were so good and my husband said they were seasoned just right. Thanks for the recipe. By the way I am thrifty veggie mama’s mama:)
So glad you liked them! Nice to meet you thrifty veggie mama’s mama! I love Jamie. :)
Mexican food has got to be my favorite type of ethnic food to eat out! Fresh tortilla chips and salsa, tableside guacamole, and refried beans always make me giddy. I know – refried beans?? Most people pass on them…even turn their noses up at the blob of brown goop on their plates but I love, love, love refried beans! I’m not sure I can explain why but they are definitely a side dish I’ve been wanting to make at home for a long time, especially since I love making bean and cheese burritos on high fiber tortillas for my work lunches with the leftovers from the canned refried beans we buy from time to time. I guess I never really knew how incredibly easy they are to make at home until I tried them out recently.
I would make one suggestion…soak the beans overnight or do a quick soak (cover beans with water 1 inch higher than beans, boil 2 minutes, turn heat off, cover with a lid and let sit 1 hour, rinse in cold water). This will remove any unpleasant intestinal side effects you may have. I have cooked these beans both ways and trust met taking an hour to de-gas the beans was well worth it!
I didn’t know that soaking them de-gassed them. Interesting! Thanks for sharing!
I’m thinking you wouldn’t even have to mince the garlic. It would cook into mush with the beans. Did I say “mush”? That’s not a very appetizing word, is it?
Thanks for the great idea. As you know, I’m a fan of refried beans. I usually get the fat free vegetarian kind but didn’t realize that they had tons of sodium. They sneak that into everything…
I like that you don’t have to presoak the beans.