A slow cooker makes homemade refried beans so easy, and homemade is so much better – recipes are customizable, and the food is better tasting and healthier, especially the salt content. Canned foods often have so much salt added as a flavour enhancer and preservative but that’s not so great for our health. This recipe does add some salt, but you can lower or even remove the salt and still get tasty homemade refried beans, and you can adjust the other seasonings to compensate for the lost salt if you wish.
We’ve been using this recipe faithfully since 2008, and I added it to the website on January 6, 2009. We’ve adjusted the seasonings since and the recipe below is the best version we’ve ever made! For the last several years, I’ve make a double batch and freeze it in 1 cup amounts to use like I would canned. Just take them out of the freezer in the morning and they’re ready to use in the evening, or you can thaw in the microwave (stir every minute).
To use in layered dips, let completely cook so it’s thick enough to form a layer. For most other recipes, you can use right after the beans have been blended smooth. We love it with taco beef using my Taco Seasoning, or with my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork and Spanish Rice – with lots and lots of cheese of course! Don’t forget to offer Guacamole on the side with sour cream and salsa, and you’ve got a great meal with happy tummies.
Homemade Refried Beans
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 1 onion medium, peeled and halved
- 3 cups dry pinto beans rinsed
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1½ tsp ground black pepper
- 9 cups water divided, see instructions
Instructions
- Place the cut onion, 2 cups rinsed pinto beans, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp cumin, and 1½ tsp ground black pepper into a slow cooker.
- Pour in 4 cups of water and stir to combine.
- Cook on High for 8 hours, checking and stirring every 2 hours, adding just enough water as needed to keep beans barely covered.
- Once the beans have cooked, mash the beans and onion with an immersion blender until as smooth (or chunky) as desired. Will thicken significantly when cool.
- Serve hot, or let cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage, up to 3 months.
- For authentic refried beans (frijoles refritos), fry the mashed beans in an oiled skillet until a super thick paste forms.
Notes
Nutrition
Authentic Recipes
We guarantee that all of our recipes are authentic recipes; they're developed, cooked or prepared, and enjoyed in our home. We are not professional, or even mediocre, photographers, and occasionally create AI images when photos don't turn out. None of the recipes on this website are created or modified using AI, and they never will be.
- Ham & Bean Soup - February 2, 2025
- Imbolc and Groundhog Day - February 2, 2025
- Reduce Dependence on Imported Vegetables - February 1, 2025