This Restaurant Style Refried Beans recipe is the best-refried beans recipe! They’re made in the crock-pot and taste just like they came from your favorite Mexican restaurant!
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Slow Cooker Refried Beans Recipe
Warning: Once you make my Restaurant Style Refried Beans Recipe you’ll never go back to canned beans because this is an easy, authentic refried beans recipe!
I have been tinkering with this easy refried beans recipe for a couple of months now. I am happy to report that I’ve SO nailed it! They’re incredibly easy to make and so tasty. Not to mention they cost a fraction of the canned refried beans. And who knew refried beans and healthy could be used in the same sentence?! Because they definitely could with this recipe!
I always have a few…ten…pounds of pinto beans in my pantry (Thanks, Costco!). My kids love these beans. And I mean LOVE! They shovel them in by the spoonful. 
Cook’s Note – Homemade Refried Beans Recipe:
- *** If you use Chicken broth instead of the chicken bouillon granules then you will need 6 cups of broth and 1 cup of water!
- To make this refried beans recipe you’ll need an immersion blender. You can use a standard blender and run small batches through it, but it will take a while. (Also if you go this route you’ll need to hold the lid to the blender on SUPER tight!) The immersion blender that I use will run you about $40. I use it all the time, especially for soups!
- When rinsing the beans throw out any that float or that are discolored. Also keep an eye out for small stones, especially if you buy cheaper pinto beans.
- This recipe makes roughly 12 cups of beans which translates to about 6-7 cans of refried beans!
- These beans can be frozen in Ziploc bags in small batches. They will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. When reheating the beans you may need to loosen them with a couple tablespoons of water.
Cook’s Tools – Restaurant Style Refried Beans Recipe:
- Crock-Pot This is the 3rd one I’ve own and it’s my favorite. Lots of bells and whistles without a hefty price tag! I love that when the timer goes off, the slow cooker automatically switches to warm for 4 hours.
- Immersion Blender: I love this immersion blender for making SO many recipes like salad dressings, creamy soups, and these refried beans. Clean up is so much quicker than using a blender!
How to Make Refried Beans Recipe Video:
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Restaurant Style Refried Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried pinto beans rinsed and picked over
- 7 cups water
- 2 Tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
- 1 medium white onion finely diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
GARNISHES:
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend optional
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients, except for the salt and pepper to the crock-pot.
- Cook on high for 9 hours. At this point, the beans will be tender and a bunch of them will have popped open.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the beans until smooth. Add more water as needed, or if you're feeling decadent add a couple tablespoons of butter! Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with shredded Mexican cheese (optional).
Video
Nutrition
Try serving these beans with some of my favorite Mexican dishes:
Overnight Breakfast Enchiladas
S’mores Cookie Bites
Christina
I followed the recipe exactly, except I soaked mine for 10 hrs. I went to blend them, and they were basically soup. What happened?
Jillian
I think where you went wrong was with soaking the beans. You don’t soak the beans overnight for this recipe. When you soak the beans they start to absorb water, and then when you cooked the beans they didn’t absorb as much water as they do when they are not soaked. That’s why you had bean soup instead of refried beans. Sorry that happened to you. 🙁
Leslie
This was the best added lard at the end no more canned beans thankyou so much.
Jillian
So glad you loved this recipe!
JULIAN
This recipe is as good as it gets for refried pinto beans; period (for what its worth, I am likely a refried pinto bean addict). Easy, inexpensive, reasonably “healthy”, and always nails.
I have made them many times now with numerous variations including peppers (hatch chilis, etc.), hot pepper powder, different broths/better than bullion, different onions even shallots, etc. and I always use fresh garlic, chili powder, up the cumin, and usually toss just a little fatty pork in as well. Again, always fantastic.
The time/volume/etc. are less relevant than just getting them to the consistency/level of moisture you have perfectly pictured in the article. You can always add water or boil it off. Also, as Jiliian has indicated, the beans don’t care how you mush them; blender works great for me.
If you have any interest in making refried pinto beans and opportunity to plan ahead (i.e., have time), there is no question you should give this method a try.
Well done and thanks very much for sharing.
Jillian
Julian, thanks for your thorough review! I love throwing chilis in with mine, too!
Connie
So we are doing tacos for lunch tomorrow on Mother’s Day. I am making these. If I make them today I would just warm them up with a little bit of water so they aren’t so thick right because I don’t want to have to get up at 3 am to fix them!
Sandi Meyer
Jillian, How many does this recipe serve? I’ve made it before, but it was for just 4 people and I can’t remember how much I had left. I am making a big pot of chili verde for a big party (40 or so people) and need refried beans too, for making burritos. Should I double or triple or even quadruple the recipe? Thanks!
Jillian
Hi Sandi, this recipe will generously serve 12. I would make 3 batches (in 3 different slow cookers) for the amount of people you plan on serving.
Lindy
I love this recipe. Best ever. Would there be a way to cook them in the pressure cooker just in case I don’t have 9 hours to have the most amazing beans. Would I have to soak first and then cook or just throw everything in the pressure cooker and cook away. Advice?
Jillian
Hi Lindy, I’m not the best at pressure cooking. I’ve tried this recipe a few times in the pressure cooker and each time there’s too much water. I hope to nail down the recipe soon and post it.
Lynda
I’v been searching, and searching through this , but I’m not coming up with the recipe. All I’m finding are the comments on it. Where is the recipe???
Jillian
Hmmm, I’m not sure where you’re looking but the recipe is right above the comments.
https://foodfolksandfun.net/refried-beans-recipe/
Briana
Hi! Do you know if this recipe would work with canned beans? I have at least 20 pinto beans that are canned and I would love to try it with your recipe!
Jillian
Hi Brianna,
I’ve never tried this recipe with canned beans so I’m not sure how it would work. My gut is saying that it probably would. Just reduce the water down a lot (maybe 1-2 cups?) and reduce the cooking time, too.
If you try it, come back and tell me how it turned out!
Maureen Hodson
I saved This recipe weeks ago on my Pinterest page. We eat Mexican weekly and love refried beans.
I fixed this recipe according to directions and even bought the same immersion blender that Jillian uses($29.99 at Walmart / not the red color…that was $49!)
T.H.E. B.E.S.T. Refried Beans we have ever had! So easy and full of great flavor. I did add additional liquid to make them a bit creamier during the blending process.
I will try freezing the left over beans today. THANK YOU, Jillian
Jillian
Maureen! Your comment on this recipe made my day! Thank you for taking the time to stop by and let me know you loved the recipe! 🙂
Nikki
I’m making these as part of my taco bar for my wedding in 3 days. There are so easy and my first taste is so good. I’ m going to leave them a little more watery so when I put them under the sterno to reheat they don’t get to dry. I’ll let you know how the guests like them. My daughter would eat the entire pan if I let her
Jillian
So glad you love this recipe. And congratulation on your upcoming nuptials! 🙂
Rebecca Beck
Great Recipe. Pre-soaked beans (6 hours or over night) put in instant pot pressure cooker with scant (little less than) 4 cups of bone broth (I never use bouillon). Did not add onion. Added spices AFTER cooking beans, Just before mashing. Cooked beans for 9 minutes in instant pot. Perfect beans. Used potato masher, leaving some chunky beans (don’t like it completely pureed). Added spices including 2 teaspoons of Onion Powder instead of the whole onion. It thickens a little as it cools. This is so versatile. You can have it as a side with all kinds of different entrees or on game day with chips and salsa topped with cheese. It freezes very nicely in mason jars.
Jillian
Thanks for adding instructions for making these in an instant pot. I’m going to test it out.
Adam
Is there a method for instant pot that doesn’t involve 6 hours soaking overnight? If I’m going to wait that long I’ll just put them in the crockpot for the whole 9…
Nan
The best beans is to cook them with a ham hock ! They don’t take any mor then 6 hrs on high in a CRockport . When they are done you can mash them and put a couple table spoons of Lard This makes the best Flavor !! Yum !! Enjoy !!
Jillian
Thanks for the tip.
Georgia
I live a half hour away from town so if I am out of anything I can’t just run into town. I needed retried beans for a dish I was making but to my surprise my pantry had none. Well I searched on the internet and found a bunch but most of them called for jalapeño or chili . Then I found this one of yours. I am making it for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. We always have tacos. We are Italian but we love tacos. Thank you for this recipe. It tastes great and I am so excited for my family and their families to taste them. I am not telling them that I made them until I hear their comments. I love making things from scratch because I can control what goes into it. Thank you again.
Jillian
Georgia! I am SO glad you loved this recipe. I too am making Mexican on Christmas Eve! Enjoy and Merry Christmas! 🙂
Katie
If I were to use black beans instead, would the cook time be the same? Making them this weekend for a Mexican potluck girls night!!
Jillian
Use 3 cups of dried black beans and 4 cups of vegetable stock and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7 – 8 hours. All slow cookers vary so the times may need adjusting a little. Keep an eye on them towards the end the first time you make them and add a little extra liquid if they look like they might dry out.