• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Binky's Culinary Carnival
  • Recipes
    • Food Preservation
    • Venison &Game
    • Main Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Appetizers
  • What’s for dinner?
    • Venison & Game
    • Poultry
    • Pork
    • Seafood and Fish
    • Beef
  • Food Preservation
    • Water bath canning
    • Pressure canning
    • Freezing
    • Drying etc.
  • Contact
    • Work with me
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Work with Me
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Grocer to Table » Slow Cooker Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)

    Slow Cooker Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)

    Posted on April 7, 2021 By Beth Neels

    102 shares
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Crockpot refried beans Pinterest image
    Crockpot refried beans Pinterest image
    Crockpot refried beans Pinterest image
    Crockpot refried beans Pinterest image
    Crockpot refried beans Pinterest image
    Cinco de Mayo Pinterest image with text overlay.
    Cinco de Mayo Pinterest image with text overlay.

    These Slow Cooker Refried Beans take only 5 minutes prep, turn on the slow cooker and leave them! No soaking the beans is required.

    Bowls filled with mashed beans. Refried beans style.
    Slow Cooker Frijoles

    I don’t know if you are like me, but if you are, you hate cooking dry beans! I have tried them so many times. They are soaked over night and rinsed thoroughly. Then I place them in new water or stock.

    They are then brought to a boil, the heat is reduced and then they are simmered. For 1 hour, taste them, they are not even close to done. For 2 hours they are a little better but still not even close.

    So I let them go for 3 hours and they are still slightly crunchy. It drives me nuts, so I just end up using canned beans to make frijoles.

    The only thing that draws me back to dried is that dry beans are so cheap and being the cheap-skate that I am, I always want to give them another try.

    I usually end up disappointed. For this reason when I learned to cook the beans in the slow cooker, I was elated. Feel free to tweak the spices to suit your taste.

    Here is a quick YouTube Video to show you how to go about the process.

    What you need

    • dry pinto beans
    • water or chicken broth
    • white or yellow onion
    • mild pepper (optional) or substitute jalapeno pepper if you’d like the beans hotter
    • granulated garlic or fresh cloves garlic
    • cumin
    • chili powder
    • adobo seasoning
    • salt & pepper
    Ingredients for beans. Pinto beans, garlic, bay leaf, pepper, onion, salt, pepper.

    How to make them

    • Rinse and sort beans. Remove any small stones or foreign objects.
    • Place beans in slow cooker.
    • Chop vegetables.
    • Add remaining ingredients.

    Cook beans on low for 6-8 hours until tender. Drain, reserving liquid. Mash beans with a potato masher or use an immersion blender, adding enough of the cooking liquid back to the beans to make them the desired consistency.

    Traditionally, after the beans were cooked they were “refried” in a frying pan with lard (you can substitute olive oil).

    How to serve them

    Beans are delicious served with shredded cheese and used as a bean dip for tortilla chips. Use them in tacos, taquitos, burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas and more.

    Serve with all of your favorite Mexican dishes. See a list below.

    In a hurry for beans? Check out these Instant pot pinto beans. They are as easy as these but take about 30 minutes total to cook. A perfect time saver when you’re in a hurry.

    Here are more delicious recipes to serve with frijoles.

    Burritos with Leyden Cheese Sauce
    Cumin spiced Leyden Cheese makes these burritos extra special!
    Make This
    Sliced burritos smothered in cheese sauce.
    Chicken Nachos
    Nachos are great, easy dinner for those busy nights or a great appetizer for a crowd!
    Make This
    Chicken nachos on blue pewter plate topped with lettuce and tomatoes.
    Chorizo Huevos Rancheros
    Chorizo Huevos Rancheros, literally takes less than 10 minutes! Chorizo Huevos Rancheros is a Cook once, eat twice recipe! Do all the work on day one and enjoy for two days! The first day, you eat Chorizo Tacos.
    Make This
    2 Chorizo Huevos Rancheros on grey plate.
    Chorizo Tacos
    Chorizo Tacos are an a fast, easy, delicious meal for any night of the week! Cook extra Chorizo Tacos, so that you don’t have to cook tomorrow!
    Make This
    close up of chorizo tacos
    Pork Taquitos – Pulled Pork “Little Tacos”
    Taquitos, or little tacos can be made with just about any protein but these pork carnitas taquitos are special!
    Make This
    Stack of taquitos topped with colorful toppings.
    Steak Taquitos
    These Steak and Chorizo Taquitos couldn't be easier and require just a few ingredients. They can be made with any steak or roast you have.
    Make This
    Woman's hand dunking taquitos in salsa.
    Pork Enchiladas with Red Sauce on YouTube!
    Pork Enchiladas are delicious! Try them for Cinco de Mayo, or any day!
    Make This
    Overhead view of enchiladas on white plate.
    Venison Enchiladas
    These Venison Enchiladas are one of our favorite ways to enjoy venison! The venison is slow cooked so it is tender and juicy every time!
    Make This
    Two venison enchiladas on gray plate.
    Turkey Enchiladas Verdes
    Leftover turkey takes on a whole new life with these enchiladas!
    Make This
    Turkey enchiladas verdes on gray plate with colorful garnishes
    Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole
    What is a girl to do when she is craving Chicken Enchiladas but she doesn’t have the ambition to make them? Why come up with an awesome, easy recipe for Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole, of course!
    Make This
    Chicken enchilada casserole in a bowl bowl.
    Slow Cooker Venison Carnitas Tacos or Tostadas
    This is another easy way to prepare some of the leg roasts of venison that tend to be tough!
    Make This
    Taco on gray background.
    Stacked Enchiladas
    These are so easy and delicious! Great for quick week night meal!
    Make This
    Large stack of tortillas with meat and cheese between each layer topping with shrdded lettuce and diced cherry tomatoes
    Instant pot Pinto Beans
    These Instant Pot Pinto Beans are so incredibly easy and so delicious! Perfect on all your favorite Mexican dishes and there is no need to even soak them!
    Make This
    Bowl of whole beans topped with chopped cilantro.
    Canning Pinto Beans
    Canning Pinto Beans from dried beans could really not be easier. You can soak the beans or cook the beans from dry in your pressure cooker.
    Make This
    Multiple jars of beans.
    Homemade Enchilada Sauce recipe
    Home made Red Enchilada Sauce is much easier than you imagine! Far more flavorful than canned!
    Make This
    REd enchilada sauce in glass jars with tray of enchiladas in background.
    Canning Peach Salsa
    Canning Peach Salsa is way easier than you imagine and how nice would it be to have your own homemade salsa? So much better than the commercial stuff!
    Make This
    Canning Peach Salsa Red and green bowl shaped like pepper filled with colorful peach salad, with hand dipping chip into salsa
    Strawberry Salsa
    This Strawberry Salsa is so versatile! You can literally use what you have in the pantry! One of the reasons I love Strawberry Salsa is that it’s so easy!
    Make This
    Strawberry salsa in glass serving dish with tortilla chips.
    Green Tomato Salsa
    What do you do with all of the green tomatoes left on the vines in September, October? Why you make this amazingly delicious Green Tomato Salsa! Green Tomato Salsa couldn’t be easier, and it cans and freezes well!
    Make This
    Woman's hand scooping green tomato salsa onto tortilla chip.
    Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa
    Canning delicious salsas in the summer can save you money all year long!
    Make This
    Colorful corn and black bean salsa in bowl with tortilla chips.
    Chipotle Salsa Recipe
    Chipotle Peppers add a lovely, smoky heat to this hot salsa!
    Make This
    Smoky chipotle salsa in white bowl with tortilla chips.
    How to Can Homemade Salsa
    Canning salsa at home is easier than think and it tastes so much better than the store bought stuff!
    Make This
    Open jar of salsa on white plate.
    Salsa Verde
    We love salsas but this is one of our favorites~
    Make This
    Tomatillo salsa in jars on barn wood background.
    Pickled Peppers
    Easily Pickle Hot Peppers for use all year long!
    Make This
    Colorful pepper in jars.
    Canning Jalapeño Jelly- aka Pepper Jelly
    Jalapeno Jelly is a perfect way to use up lots of peppers from your garden. It is perfect for glazes, appetizers, dips and gifting.
    Make This
    Jar of jalapeno jelly.
    How to Make Chipotle Peppers
    It is easy to make your own chipotle peppers with the jalapenos in your garden! Chipotle peppers are smoked and dried and indispensable in many Mexican dishes!
    Make This
    smoked chipotles on barnwood
    Habanero Recipe- Hot Pepper Flakes
    This habanero recipe is an easy way to use up all of the habanero left on your plants in the fall! Hot Pepper flakes are a great habanero recipe to add to your pantry! Use a little bit of heat in all of your dishes throughout the year!
    Make This
    Habanero pepper flakes in small storage jar.
    Dried Peppers – 4 easy methods
    There are many methods you can use for dried, or dehydrated peppers. A commercial dehydrator, or the oven, your grill, even your air fryer can be used for dried peppers.
    Make This
    Dried peppers in antique canning jars.
    Fermenting Hot Peppers
    Fermenting peppers is not a difficult process! It is quite easy, but patience is required! Fermenting peppers is an essential step in making hot sauce.
    Make This
    Fermenting peppers in quart canning jars.
    Fermented Hot Sauce
    Making fermented peppers at home, to make hot sauce, is easy! Fermented Hot Sauce is a great way to use your all of your chili peppers at the end of the season!
    Make This
    Hot sauce in small bottles.
    Easy Taco Seasoning
    Here is another easy, versatile spice mix to make at home! Making your Easy Taco Seasoning will save you a bunch of money and takes less than 5 minutes!
    Make This
    Spices for taco seasoning on green tray.
    Adobo Seasoning
    Make your own adobo seasoning at home and saves tons of money! 
    Make This
    Spices for adobo seasoning in clear glass bowl.

    I’ll leave you with Slow Cooker Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

    Connect with us through our social media ages! Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter.

    If you have any questions or comments, please ask in comment section below. We’d love to hear from you!

    I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

    Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

    Binky's signature
    Refried beans in a white bowl garnished with chives and cheese.

    Slow Cooker Frijoles (Refried Beans) with a Mexican Round-up For Cinco de Mayo

    Such an easy way to make your own tasty refried beans at home in your slow cooker!
    See Step by Step Photos Above!Most of our recipes have step by step photos and videos! Also helpful tips so that you can make it perfectly the first time and every time! Scroll up to see them!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 9 hours
    Total Time: 9 hours 5 minutes
    Servings: 64 1/4 cup servings
    Calories: 60kcal
    Author: Beth Neels
    Cost: $1

    Ingredients

    • 5 cups dried pinto beans rinsed and picked over
    • 7 cups water
    • 2 2/3 cups Chicken beef or vegetable stock (2 – 11 oz. cans)
    • 1 medium white onion chopped
    • 2 tablespoon garlic, granulated
    • 2½ tablespoon ground cumin
    • 1 tablespoon Chili powder
    • 2 teaspoon dry adobo seasoning
    • 2 teaspoon pepper to taste
    • 2 teaspoon salt to taste
    • Garnishes:
    • grated cheddar cheese (optional)

    Instructions

    • Add all of the ingredients, except for the salt and pepper to the crock-pot. Cook on high for about 9 hours. Adjust salt and pepper after about 8 hours. After the 9 hours the beans should be tender and a bunch of them will have popped open. If they are not quite soft, let them go for a while, checking every half hour for done-ness.
    • Use an immersion blender or potato masher to smash the beans to desired creaminess. I like mine a bit chunky. Add more water as needed! Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
    • Traditionally, frijoles refritos were placed in a cast pan with lard and fried (hence the term refried) and mashed by hand, adding lard as you go to make a creamy paste. But I find this step unnecessary.
    • Serve with shredded Mexican cheese (optional).
    • Note This makes a huge batch (about 4 quarts) but the quantities can be reduced or the leftovers can be frozen up to 2 months.
    • Inspiration for this recipe came from Food, Folks and Fun
    crockpot, 4 qt
    See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!

    Video

    Notes

    Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
    Reheat in microwave until hot.
    For longer storage, freeze up to 6 months.
    Thaw in refrigerator. Reheat per above instructions.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 60kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
    Get New Recipes Sent to Your Inbox Every Friday!Sign up to our newsletter Binky’s Culinary Carnival!

    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click the link and purchase something. See FTC Disclosure, here.

    « Instant Pot Pinto Beans -no soaking needed
    Homemade Croutons from Stale Bread »
    102 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rika

      April 09, 2021 at 1:58 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is so easy to make. I love how I can dump everything in a slow cooker! Yummy!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        April 09, 2021 at 3:58 pm

        So glad you them Rika. Thanks for checking out the recipe!

        Reply
    2. Jessica Formicola

      April 09, 2021 at 1:55 pm

      5 stars
      these slow cooker refried beans look so much better than the canned version! I can’t wait to make them!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        April 09, 2021 at 3:58 pm

        They are indeed far superior to canned beans. Thanks for checking out the recipe Jessica!

        Reply
    3. Kristina Tipps

      April 09, 2021 at 1:36 pm

      5 stars
      The beans came out great- my 2 year old couldn’t get enough.

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        April 09, 2021 at 3:57 pm

        Haha! I’m impressed that you have a two year old who eats beans. My second would not have touched them.

        Reply
    4. Biana

      April 09, 2021 at 12:58 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! Love refried beans, this easy recipe will be perfect for Cinco de Mayo!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        April 09, 2021 at 1:04 pm

        Mexican fare isn’t complete without them IMHO! Thanks Biana!

        Reply
    5. Sarah Baumeister

      April 09, 2021 at 12:17 pm

      5 stars
      I love the ease of making them in a Crock Pot! And the fact that it is only 5 minutes of prep time to have something so delicious. Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        April 09, 2021 at 12:40 pm

        Thanks so much Sarah! I’m so glad you liked them!

        Reply
    6. Gabby

      May 23, 2017 at 4:02 am

      5 stars
      Another one I’ll be trying! I love refried beans. I have some homemade tacos they will go perfectly with!

      Reply
      • Binky

        May 23, 2017 at 10:54 am

        I love homemade tacos but haven’t made them in years! I’ll have to dig out the taco press! Thank you for your comment, my friend!

        Reply
    7. Mayuri Patel

      May 18, 2017 at 1:59 pm

      I so hate using canned vegetables and fruits so try and use fresh and dry beans as much as possible. Unlike any other beans, kidney beans and black beans are a headache to use. Sometimes they don’t become soft even after cooking them in a pressure cooker! I would love to try cooking them in a slow cooker.

      Reply
      • Binky

        May 18, 2017 at 3:39 pm

        They worked out very well! I have always had a hard time with pinto and black beans not getting soft. I don’t have a pressure cooker, it’s on the list! Thank you Mayuri!:)

        Reply
    8. Joyce

      May 17, 2017 at 12:46 pm

      Yay no more canned refried beans! Time to make this at home~! Thanks for the wonderful recipe! 🙂

      Reply
      • Binky

        May 17, 2017 at 1:08 pm

        This is far superior to canned! Thanks, Joyce!

        Reply
    9. Melissa

      May 08, 2017 at 1:32 pm

      Simple and honestly just great beans. Nothing fancy, nothing fake, just great beans. I did use oil to re-fry the beans as instructed and that was great but lard would even be more authentic and oh so, delicious. I had both Oaxaca and Cotija cheese available for topping. Note: when re frying, scoop out the beans without a lot of juice – you can add a bit more bean juice if needed but there will be a lot of extra bean juice in the pot.

      Reply
      • Binky

        May 08, 2017 at 1:37 pm

        Thank you so much for your comment, Melissa! I’m glad you enjoyed them. Lard would absolutely be more authentic but it’s hard to find here. I agree about the water, too. Just add as much back to the beans that you need to achieve a great consistency!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    photo of Beth Neels aka Binky

    Welcome! Thanks for stopping by! I am Beth "Binky" Neels, wife, mother of 2 boys and 3 dogs! I will impart tips and tricks I have learned over the years, to make cooking easier and fun for you!

    More about me →

    Subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss a recipe

    Popular

    • Air Fryer Hot Pockets | Homemade – Frozen
    • How to Dry Cranberries
    • Homemade Cranberry Vinegar
    • Smoked Meatballs

    TRENDING RECIPES

    • Hildabrötchen Shortbread Cookie with Jam
    • Haselnussmakronen, German Hazelnut macaroons
    • Santa Claus Cut Out Cookie Recipe
    • Gugelhupf – Kugelhopf
    • 125+ Edible Gifts – Fun for Any Season!
    • Ischler – Austrian Shortbread, Chocolate & Apricot
    • How to Make Vanilla Sugar {Vanillin Zucker}
    • Jam Filled Cookies
    photo of Beth Neels aka Binky

    Welcome! Thanks for stopping by! I am Beth "Binky" Neels, wife, mother of 2 boys and 3 dogs! I will impart tips and tricks I have learned over the years, to make cooking easier and fun for you!

    More about me →

    Subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss a recipe

    Popular

    • Smoked Meatloaf
    • Roast Wild Duck
    • Blue Hubbard Squash Recipe
    • Canning Apple Pie Filling

    TRENDING RECIPES

    • Hildabrötchen Shortbread Cookie with Jam
    • Haselnussmakronen, German Hazelnut macaroons
    • Santa Claus Cut Out Cookie Recipe
    • Gugelhupf – Kugelhopf
    • 125+ Edible Gifts – Fun for Any Season!
    • Ischler – Austrian Shortbread, Chocolate & Apricot
    • How to Make Vanilla Sugar {Vanillin Zucker}
    • Jam Filled Cookies

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Media Kit

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Check out my Amazon Store!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2014-2022 Binky's Culinary Carnival