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These Crockpot Refried Beans are SO good (even if they aren’t actually “re-fried.” Make them in the slow cooker or the pressure cooker and the whole house smells amazing!
So guess what? I discovered that you can eat refried beans that don’t come from a can! You can make a big batch of crockpot refried beans that taste delicious and are WAY cheaper than buying a can of Rosarita’s.
We had Creamy Chicken Taquitos the other night, and I served them with some rice and these beans. These turned out so well, I may even take it another step and can them next time. Or at the very least, make a double batch and just freeze a few containers!
I used a recipe from Six Sisters’ Stuff as my starting point for these beans. I just adjusted a little so I didn’t make such a huge batch and played with some of the flavors just a touch.
This recipe will yield 5 cups of mashed (and delicious) beans. We like it so much, I have a double batch in the slow cooker right now!
I plan to freeze a couple containers and we’ll gobble up the rest in various Mexican dishes over the next week or so. 🙂 I’ve also made the recipe in my Crockpot Express and I love how quickly I can have homemade refried beans on the table. Either way, these are a winner!
Another great use for these Crockpot Refried Beans: Easy Freezer Burritos
Crockpot Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 1 onion peeled and halved
- 1 lb. pinto beans rinsed
- 1/2 jalapeño ribs and seeds removed
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp pepper
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- 1 onion, 1 lb. pinto beans, 1/2 jalapeño, 1 clove garlic, 1 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp pepper, 1 tbsp cumin, 3 cups chicken broth, 3 cups waterPlace everything in the crockpot and stir to combine. Cook on High for 6-8 hours. (Mine were done by 6 hours but dinner wasn’t ready, so I left them in there-you’re just going to mush them up anyway) 🙂 If the liquid seems low while you’re cooking, just add a little extra chicken stock or water.
- Once the beans are cooked, remove the onion, strain them and reserve the liquid. Use a potato masher to smash them into gooey bits. Add the reserved water to get the consistency you want. Serve hot and topped with onions, cheese, sour cream, in a tortilla, use for bean dip…you get the idea. 🙂
To cook in the Crockpot Express (or other pressure cooker)
- Add all the ingredients to the pot, press Beans/Chili and adjust time to 50 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release when cook time is up. Transfer to another bowl and follow instructions above for mashing.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nina Caldwell says
Nicole, thanks much for this! Having recently moved to Portugal permanently, I can only find refried beans (Rosarita) in the international section of our wonderful large supermarket, which we now bicycle to, having decided to live without a car! But, only so many cans fit in my panniers! 😉 Thanks to you, I can now make delicious refried beans in my cpe! I substitute Piri piri pepper for jalapeño and luckily I can switch your recipes to Metric… Life is Beautiful here in Portugal, but I must have refried beans…having lived in Texas, Arizona and California before moving here. Muito Obrigada!
Nicole Burkholder says
Wow, what an adventure! I’m glad you can get something similar to what you’re used to 🙂
Frank says
Hi Nicole, I would very much like if you did an article on cooking dry beans in the Crockpot Express and any recipes please. I would like to make a bean salad, but would rather use dry beans instead of having to use canned ones. Thanks
Nicole Burkholder says
I think that’s a great idea! Like an informative post about cooking pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, etc.? I will get working on that. In the meantime, my default time is about 60 minutes for dry beans that haven’t been soaked. Then a full NPR (sometimes up to 20 minutes) and I’ll go from there. If they are done, great. If not, I can add a few more minutes as needed. But I do agree that some beans take longer than others. I’ll write something up hopefully in the next week or so 🙂
Tricia says
I have the crockpot express and I don’t want to make retired beans I just want Pinto beans. Do I need to adjust the time so they won’t be too soft? My son don’t like beans that are too soft and I want to make these today.
Nicole Burkholder says
The beans are still whole when done, so I don’t think you’d need to adjust the time, really. They are soft enough to mash, but they don’t turn to mush or anything. However, it’s simple enough to test. You could take 5 minutes off the cook time and when it’s done, try them. If they still have too much “bite” and don’t feel done, close it back up and cook for a few more minutes. It doesn’t take long at all for the pot to reheat and start cooking again since it’s already quite hot inside.
Susan Mannion says
Hi. Nicole,
This recipe sounds delicious and I’m looking forward to trying it. One question: did you remove the jalepeno along with the onion before mashing?
Nicole Burkholder says
Yes, remove both the jalapeno and onion before mashing! Enjoy 🙂
Easy Peasy Life Matters says
Looks and sounds so amazing! 🙂
Melanie Poteat says
I made this today & it was actually amazing without even having to mush up the beans! Reminds me of the bean side dishes that southern restaurants serve, but much much yummier! I used homemade chicken broth. I will be using this recipe lots more in the future!
Nicole Burkholder says
Thank you for coming back to tell us about it! I love it when I hear back from readers- especially when it’s positive 🙂 The homemade chicken broth sounds delicious!
Jess @HungryHarps says
My sons LOVE bean burritos. It’s almost to the point of needing an intervention. 😉 Gonna be trying this recipe very soon – dried beans are so much cheaper, it’s a shame I haven’t been making these all along. Pinning right now, thanks for sharing at #GetHimFed Fridays!
Nicole Burkholder says
I just finished the leftovers yesterday! They last a long time and taste delicious! I added a tablespoon of water while reheating to get the right consistency again. Hope you like them!
Judy Loza says
Looks yummy will have to try this tomorrow. .. thanks girl
Nicole Burkholder says
I always avoided pinto beans because you have to soak them overnight, blah blah workity work. But this? So easy! 🙂
Marjie says
My crockpot cooks so hot, I would use low temp for the cooking. These freeze up very well too. I just put them in a quart sized freezer bag, remove all air, with a straw, and flatten out to place in freezer. They only take up inches. To thaw keep in freezer bag in refrigerator overnight, or place bag in a bowl of cold water until thawed. (usually less than an hour)
Nicole Burkholder says
You can always start with High and then switch to low if your liquid is evaporating too fast. I thought High for 8 hours (what the original recipe called for) seemed like a long time. My recipe was smaller but it still took a good 6 hours to finish. I just switched to low and left them in for a total of 8. Great idea for freezing them!!! Easier than canning 🙂