Have you ever had refried beans that were so good that you wanted to just eat them plain out of a bowl? If you’ve been getting your refried beans out of a can, I’m going to guess you haven’t.
These (not) refried beans are that delicious. They have an incredibly complex flavor thanks to the jalapeño, chili, and other spices. The beans are so good and so flavorful, you’ll be tempted to serve them as your main dish. Dress them up with some roasted corn, crumbly cheese, and maybe some grilled zucchini and you can make a bowl out of them!
How to Use (Not) Refried Beans
This recipe makes about the same amount as three standard 15oz. size cans of refried beans. The left overs can be frozen so don’t worry about the large volume. You can use them as a chip dip, in a quick batch of Weeknight Enchiladas, to fill burritos, layered into a 7 Layer Dip, or more. These beans are versastile, so you’ll be glad you made a big batch!
How to Freeze Refried Beans
To freeze these beans first make sure you cool them completely in the refrigerator. Then, simply spoon them into a freezer bag in recipe-sized portions, squeeze out the air, and transfer to the freezer. I suggest about 1.5 cups per bag because this is roughly the same amount as a can of refried beans. Oh, and don’t forget to label and date the bags!
How to Make The Beans Less Spicy
My batch was just a tad on the spicy side, but I know not everyone is as big of a fan of spicy as I am. So, to make your refried beans less spicy, use half of a jalapeño and making sure you scrape out ALL the seeds. The jalapeño brings a lot of flavor with its heat, so I wouldn’t suggest nixing it all together. Just be sure to remove ALL of the seeds and white ribs on the inside of the jalapeño because that is where most of the heat lives.
Serve With: Homemade Tortilla Chips, Weeknight Enchiladas, Spiced Chickpea Tostadas
(Not) Refried Beans
Servings 9 about 1/2 cup eachIngredients
- 1 lb. dry pinto beans ($1.45)
- 1 medium onion ($0.42)
- 1 medium jalapeno ($0.13)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 tsp cumin ($0.10)
- 1/2 Tbs chili powder ($0.15)
- 10-15 cranks cracked black pepper ($0.05)
- 6 cups water ($0.00)
- 2-3 tsp salt ($0.05)
Instructions
- Spread the dry beans out onto a baking sheet to pick through them and remove any stones or bad pieces. Place the beans in a colander and rinse with cool water.
- Dice the onion. Cut the stem off the jalapeño, slice it open lengthwise, and remove the seeds and ribs by scraping with a spoon. Dice the jalapeño and mince the garlic. Place the onion, garlic, and jalapeño in the slow cooker along with the cumin, chili powder, and black pepper. Do not add the salt.
- Add the sorted and rinsed beans to the slow cooker along with 6 cups of water. Stir everything to distribute the seasoning. Secure the lid and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8. It’s okay if they cook longer, they’ll just be easier to mash.
- After cooking, remove about 1 cup of the water and reserve it in a bowl. Mash the beans and add the reserved water back in as needed. Make the beans a little thinner in texture than you’d expect because they will thicken as they cool. Season the mashed beans with salt, beginning with one teaspoon and adding more to taste. I used approximately 1 Tbsp but add a little at a time until you’re satisfied. Serve warm!
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Equipment
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!The slow cooker I use is an older model, but the newer version of the same model is this Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker, 6 qt.
How to Make Slow COoker Refried Beans – Step By Step Photos
Start by sorting through one pound pinto beans to remove any stones or debris. Transfer the beans to a colander and give them a good rinse.
Dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Cut the stem off one jalapeño, then slice it open lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and ribs. Dice the jalapeño. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to the slow cooker along with 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 Tbsp chili powder, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).
This is the chili powder that I use. It’s completely mild and contains very little salt. If you use another brand, it may have spicy red chiles in it, so be aware of the amount that you’re using and adjust accordingly.
Add the rinsed beans to the slow cooker.
Add six cups of water and give everything a stir.
Secure the lid and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8 hours. After, it will look a little something like this. The longer it goes, the better because the beans will become more tender and easier to mash.
Stir everything up to see how much extra liquid is in the pot. Remove about one cup of water, but don’t throw it away.
Mash the beans with a potato masher or even use a hand mixer. Add more of the reserved liquid back in as you mash if needed. Mash until the beans are fairly smooth. Make them a little thinner than you’d think because when they’ll thicken up some when they cool down to eating temperature. Once mashed, it’s time to finally season with salt. This is when you’ll see the flavors pop. Start by adding 1 tsp of salt at a time until they get to where you like. I ended up using about 1 tablespoon (or 3 teaspoons) of salt.
Eat them with chips, in a burrito, or just with a spoon like I did! :P
I have made these twice and love them.
My husband has made these beans about four times since this recipe has been posted…and he usually at least doubles it. So, I guess you can say it works out well for us. I’ve NEVER liked refried beans before these! Wow! I’m going to make another batch now to make into freezer burritos that he can take to work.
We have found that the time it takes to cook the beans all the way down is worth it in flavor. Not absolutely revolutionary, but there’s a noticeable impact. Hubby forgot to skim out the water one time before he mashed them, so we just let it cook down. That “bean water” makes a difference!
I just made these tonight for dinner!! They are absolutely the best (not)refried beans I’ve ever had! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Thanks for the recipe. I found this on Pinterest and tried it over the weekend. Made taco pizza tonight and burritos for tomorrow. I think I need a better mashing technique next time, mine didnt end up as smooth as I’d have liked. But, they were tasty. Def. Worth the effort. Thanks!
This is an amazingly easy, cheap and DELICIOUS recipe! Thank you so much :) I just made my second batch and it’s my new favorite recipe. I’m trying out a wheat-free diet, so this plus corn tortillas is a delicious, healthy winner. Yays!
I made this recipe with black beans and it was delicious. I served it with some cojito cheese on top. This is a keeper. Thanks for your delicious and easy recipes!
Rose – about 5 days or so (until it gets that bad bean stink!) But, it freezes wondefully!
How long will this last in the fridge? I can’t wait to try this!!
Shalin – Unfortunately I don’t know much about canning :( But dry beans should stay good in your pantry for quite some time as long as you keep them sealed tight… or you can make a big batch and just stock your freezer.
I have been looking for a (not) refried bean recipe that I can use for canning. Would you know how I could change it around to do that? I have a HUGE bag from Costco and need to can them really soon!
I live on the Gulf Coast and it’s hard to buy things such as potatoes, onions, bread, etc. I keep my beans, any kind in the fridge. It seems to help them last longer.
This was great! Thank you for sharing. I also really enjoy the aspect of no added fat.
Great!! One of your best to date. You keep coming out with great food. A++
Thank you SO much!! This looks like a great recipe! I love working with dry beans & love the slow cooker. I have discoverd (slowly as I’m not a very good cook) how yummy homemade food is and I especially like that I can control fat & sodium intake and so forth. Great blog!
JSMDOLL – yep, it will work with black beans! I was planning on doing that in the near future, too :) I love refried black beans from the can so I can only imagine how awesome they’d be made fresh!
Will this work with black beans does everyone think? I don’t really like the flavor of pinto beans…at least I don’t think I do. I’ve never had anything other than mass-produced pinto bean foods…Scratch that – I think I’ll try it anyways and see:o)
PS: LOVE LOVE LOVE the new hairdo!