Slow Cooker Refried Beans
By Heather Ledeboer | Category: Healthy Living, Recipes & Kitchen Tips
A friend split a huge order with me for dried beans from Azure Standard last year (if you remember, eating more beans was one of my resolutions last year). One of the kind of beans we bought was pinto beans. Since I had never used pinto beans for anything before, she shared this recipe for Slow Cooker Refried Beans. It sat in my recipe book for many months. Then, when Trent took off to Mexico this month, I had Mexican food on my mind and decided to give it a try. I was thrilled by how easy it was (so typical of slow cooker recipes) and even more so when he returned home and said the end result tasted truly authentic!
6 cups of water or chicken broth (or enough liquid to cover your beans plus about 2 inches)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
1-2 clove(s) of garlic (optional)
1-2 T lime juice (optional)
1 tsp chili powder (optional)
1 tsp cumin (optional)
1) Rinse your pinto beans throughly with cold water.
2) Put them in your cock pot and add your liquid (I prefer the taste of using the chicken broth personally instead of just water).
3) Mix in your salt, pepper, onions, garlic and any other “optional” ingredients that you choose (the ones I use are listed above, there are others listed below that I have not yet tried). Don’t worry about adding the salt at this stage. I have been told that beans stop getting soft after you add salt but I have made this recipe two times now and both times they softened up just fine.
4) Cook on high for 6-8 hours or until the beans are soft and most of the liquid has been soaked up.
5) Use a masher to mash the beans to a refined consistancy.
6) Serve warm (I like to add sour cream).
Servings: 8
Additional optional ad-ins:
-red pepper flakes
-additional garlic
-cilantro
We choose to eat ours on our tortillas but they are also great as a side or served with rice.
Now if you have any other great recipes for pinto beans, will you please share them with me? I am afraid my bulk bag of pinto beans is going to last a LONG time if I only use them to make refried beans 
!
Heather Ledeboer
I am a Christian, wife, mom and the owner of Mom 4 Life. I have a passion for helping moms and encouraging them in their journey through motherhood. I invite you to journey along with me!
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this looks delish. i wonder if you can freeze them…it seems like it makes a ton!
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Heather Ledeboer Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
@jami nato, good question. I have not tried freezing them to know if it changes the consistency at all but my guess is that it would be fine since they are mashed up anyway. You could certainly cut the recipe in half though if you don’t want to have left overs.
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Katie Talbott Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
@jami nato,
I never add all the yummy seasonings listed (I’ll have to try that – glad for the recipe!) but I make mine with just salt and beans and freeze it. It freezes well.
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Katie Talbott Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Oh, and I usually make 4 to 6 cups dry beans at a time.
We love our bean quesadillas!
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mom4life Reply:
January 28th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
@Katie Talbott, great idea to make extra, especially if you freeze some! Thanks for your feedback!
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Bean soup in the crockpot!! Usually I use 15 bean dried bean mix but it tastes awesome with just about any kind of dried beans. Not really much of a recipe buuuuut:
I dump the dried beans into the crockpot with a ham bone or a beef soup bone. Throw in whatever kind of seasoning floats your boat. I love to put onions, garlic and salt and pepper. Cover with a generous amount of water -put on low and walk away. When I say walk away that is literally what happens at our house. I leave for work at around 7am and very often is it after 5 and sometime 6 before I’m home. The soup is about perfect by then. Serve with some fresh cornbread (which I make without sugar and with wholewheat four according to the directions on the side of the cornmeal container)
ENJOY!!! Yum yum
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Heather Ledeboer Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
@Nell, Yes soups are great for beans, thanks for the tip on just mixing some together!
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I freeze my beans, but I do not put lime juice in them. They thaw just fine. I freeze them in 2 cup portions–can be used like a 15 oz can of beans!
You asked for recipes. we like chicken chili verde. You can make your pintos as usual. Part way through the cooking process with the your recipe, remove some of the liquid and add cooked chopped chicken (grilled is the best, but you can just roast a whole chicken or roast some chicken thighs, or use leftover fajita chicken) and two jars salsa verde. You can also add corn if you’d like. Serve with cheese on top.
We eat a lot of beans too! Thanks for sharing your recipe. I will have to try the lime juice sometime!
[Reply]
mom4life Reply:
January 28th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
@Alice, Thanks for your feedback on freezing the beans, that is good to know! Thank you also for the great recipe idea, that sounds really good. I will certainly give it a try:)!
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That’s how I cook my pintos, but then I use the vitamix on low speed instead of a masher. It works great! My boys think it’s “bean dip.”
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mom4life Reply:
January 28th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
@Melissa, isn’t the VitaMix fantastic?! Great idea and yes it is a lot like bean dip:)!
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Guess what, I was just about to make these and the lid fell into the crock pot and it broke the inside. I am so bummed. Oh well. These sure are delish!
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mom4life Reply:
February 22nd, 2011 at 7:31 pm
@selina@CreativeJuicesDecor, Seriously?! Isn’t that the second croc pot you have broken
!??? Bummer. I have an extra croc pot you are welcome to borrow if you like. Just let me know!
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