Name: Crockpot Refried Beans
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 360 min
Ingredients: 1 Pound Dried Pinto Beans; 3 Cups Chicken Stock; 1 ½ Cups Water; 1 large Jalapeno (seeded and quartered); 1 medium White or Yellow Onion (quartered); 1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning; 2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic; 2 Teaspoons Salt

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

If you’ve never made your own refried beans before, this crockpot refried beans recipe is about to become one of your favorite things to make on a lazy weekend. Forget the canned stuff sitting in your pantry, once you taste homemade refried beans made low and slow in your crock pot, there’s really no going back. This is an easy recipe that takes just fifteen minutes of prep, and your slow cooker does the rest of the work while you go about your day.

Refried beans (or frijoles refritos, as they’re traditionally known) are a staple in Mexican food, and they show up in everything from bean burritos to bean dip to a simple bowl scooped up with tortilla chips. Making your own homemade refried bean recipe at home means you control the flavor, the salt, and the consistency of the beans, and honestly, it’s easier than most people think.

A bowl of crockpot refried beans garnished with sliced jalapeños, crumbled cheese, and chopped herbs, with two whole jalapeños beside the bowl on a white surface.

Why Make Slow Cooker Refried Beans?

There’s something special about slow cooker recipes, and this one is no exception. Using a crock pot to cook dry beans low and slow gives you a much deeper layer of flavor than the quick-cook methods. The beans have plenty of time to soak up the chicken broth, garlic, and taco seasoning, resulting in beans that taste like they came straight from your favorite Mexican restaurant.

This easy slow cooker method is also incredibly hands-off. Once everything is in the crockpot, you don’t need to babysit it. Just let the cooking time do its thing, and you’ll come back to tender, flavorful pinto beans ready to be blended into the refried beans you know and love.

Top-down view of crockpot refried beans ingredients, including pinto beans, chopped onions, jalapeños, seasonings, minced garlic, and liquids arranged in small bowls on a marble surface, with a wooden spoon and a yellow cloth napkin.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s a summary of what you’ll need. Jump to the recipe card below for the full recipe.

Dried pinto beans
Chicken stock
Water
Jalapeno, seeded and quartered
White or yellow onion, quartered
Taco seasoning (buy it, or make your own using my homemade taco seasoning recipe)
Minced garlic
Salt

A white slow cooker filled with crockpot refried beans, garnished with chopped green herbs. Surrounding items include onions, green peppers, a yellow cloth, salt and pepper shakers, cilantro, and a wooden spoon.

Equipment: A 6-quart crockpot

A quick note on the jalapeno: don’t let it scare you off. This recipe does not turn out spicy, the jalapeno adds a wonderful layer of flavor without the heat. If you’d still rather play it extra safe, swap it for a milder green pepper.

You can also switch up the liquid here. While chicken broth adds a rich, savory backbone to these beans, vegetable broth works well too if you’re going meatless, or you can use chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in water if that’s what you have on hand.

A bowl of crockpot refried beans topped with sliced jalapeños, crumbled cheese, and herbs sits on a white surface next to two whole jalapeños, a black spoon, and a yellow-striped towel.

How to Make Crockpot Refried Beans

Follow these instructions below, or jump to the recipe card below for the full recipe:

A slow cooker filled with dry pinto beans, ready for crockpot refried beans, is surrounded by sliced jalapeño, onion chunks, a wooden spoon, garlic, seasoning, liquid in a bowl, and a yellow striped towel on a white surface.

A slow cooker filled with crockpot refried beans made from pinto beans, onion, garlic, jalapeños, spices, and salt sits on a white surface, surrounded by small bowls of seasoning and a yellow cloth.

Sort and rinse the beans. Pick through your dry beans and remove any debris or shriveled pieces, then rinse well. Add them to the bottom of your crockpot insert.
Add the remaining ingredients. Pour in the chicken stock and water, then add the jalapeno, onion, taco seasoning, minced garlic, and salt.

A measuring cup pours broth into a slow cooker containing onions, green peppers, spices, and lentils for a flavorful base—perfect for serving alongside crockpot refried beans.

Water being poured from a measuring cup into a slow cooker with broth, onion wedges, and green peppers inside—perfect for prepping crockpot refried beans.

Stir, cover, and cook on high for 6 hours. If you prefer a lower and slower approach, this recipe also works well on low for 8-10 hours, or on high anywhere from 5-6 hours depending on how soft you like your beans and how strong your particular crockpot runs.

A food processor bowl filled with crockpot refried beans, pinto beans, and onions sits on a marble counter near a wooden spoon, a green chili, yellow towel, and a box of onions.

Overhead view of crockpot refried beans in a food processor bowl, surrounded by a wooden spoon, yellow towel, whole jalapeño, and a tray of onions on a marble counter.

Blend the cooked beans. Working in batches (it took two batches with my food processor), transfer the cooked beans to a food processor and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes per batch. Be sure to include the softened onion and jalapeno pieces, they blend right in and add tons of flavor.
Combine and serve. Stir the blended batches together, taste, and adjust the salt if needed. Serve and enjoy!

A wooden spoon scoops creamy crockpot refried beans topped with chopped herbs from a white dish.

Getting the Right Consistency

One of the best parts about making your own homemade refried beans is that you get to decide exactly how they turn out. If your beans seem too thick after blending, don’t worry, this is an easy fix. Just add a splash of the reserved cooking liquid (or a little new water) until you reach your desired consistency. Go slow and add the additional liquid a little at a time; it’s much easier to thin beans out than to fix beans that have too much liquid.

On the flip side, if you want a chunkier texture instead of a completely smooth dip, you have options beyond the food processor:

A potato masher gives you rustic, chunky refried beans with almost no cleanup.
An immersion blender (also called a handheld blender) lets you blend right in the crockpot insert for smooth beans with minimal dishes.
A regular blender works too, just be careful to blend in small batches and vent the lid, since hot liquids can build up pressure.

No matter which tool you reach for, the goal is the same: beans blended just the way you and your family like them.

A white crockpot filled with creamy refried beans sits on a white countertop, surrounded by fresh onions, jalapeños, cilantro, and a wooden spoon.

Serving Suggestions

These crockpot refried beans make a great side dish for taco night, alongside enchiladas, or as part of a bigger Mexican-inspired spread. They’re honestly the perfect side dish any time you’re craving Mexican dishes at home instead of heading out to a restaurant.

A few ways to serve them:

Scooped up with tortilla chips as a simple bean dip
Spread inside bean burritos
Topped with sour cream, green onions, and a sprinkle of black pepper or chili powder
Alongside rice, grilled meats, or fajitas

Prefer black beans? This same method works beautifully as a base for refried black beans too, just swap the pinto beans and adjust the cooking time slightly, since black beans tend to cook a bit faster.

A bowl of crockpot refried beans topped with sliced jalapeños and crumbled cheese sits next to a spoon, yellow napkin, fresh jalapeños, cilantro, onions, and a slow cooker filled with more creamy beans.

Storing Leftovers for Later Use

One of the great things about this recipe is how well it stores, which makes it perfect for meal prep and future meals. To store leftovers, place the cooled beans in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Want to save a batch for later? Portion the beans into freezer containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, just thaw and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, stirring in a splash of the bean broth or a little water if they’ve thickened up in the fridge or freezer.

A white crockpot filled with creamy refried beans topped with chopped herbs sits on a white surface near an onion.

A Few Extra Tips

If you like a little extra richness, stir in a drizzle of olive oil after blending.
Taste your beans before adding extra salt, the chicken stock and taco seasoning already bring plenty of seasoning to the pot.
Don’t discard your cooking liquid right away. Reserved liquids from the crockpot are great for thinning beans later or adding a boost of flavor to rice or soups.
No crockpot? A pressure cooker or Instant Pot can cook the dried beans much faster, though you’ll lose some of that deep, slow-cooked flavor that makes this recipe so good.

Once you make your own refried beans in the slow cooker, you’ll understand why so many people consider this one of their favorite recipes to keep on repeat. It’s simple, budget-friendly, and endlessly versatile, everything you want from a good refried beans recipe.

More Recipes You’ll Love: