Slow Cooker Refried Black Beans
22 Comments Sep 11, 2017
Updated Jun 25, 2025
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These Slow Cooker Refried Black Beans are great a fun change from pinto bean refried beans.
I love pinto bean homemade refried beans but I often skip serving refried beans with a meal if my only option is canned. There is something special about homemade refried beans, they are creamier, and of course, they don’t have that tin flavor that the canned beans have.
You will see a different way I do my onions for this recipe. Years ago my mom gave me an old Mexican cookbook (which I’ve misplaced) in this old cookbook for their refried beans they said to burn onion slices in a skillet, this adds flavor to the beans.
I don’t burn my onion, but I give the slices a nice char. You won’t believe the flavor the onions give to the beans and the great aroma they put off while cooking all day in the slow cooker.
The next step after the beans have cooked is to blend up the beans. A friend of mine made pinto refried beans in her crockpot for a teacher appreciation luncheon, they had so much flavor.
She told me her secret was butter! That makes sense because smashing the beans in the crockpot instead of frying them in a pan you miss out on the added fat flavor.
When I blend up the beans with my emulsion blender, I take out half of the liquid, then add a half stick of butter, blend it up until almost smooth. I like my refried beans to have some texture still.
Can I freeze these beans?
- Yes, these beans freeze well. Put in small plastic containers with about a half-inch of room at the top, place lids on them. Freeze for up to three months.
- Thaw in fridge when ready to serve (about 24 hours before you need them).
- To reheat, cook in the microwave or on the stove-top.
Slow Cooker Refried Black Beans
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb. black beans, soaked overnight before starting recipe, see below
- 1 large white onion, thick sliced
- 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 4 chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 whole garlic cloves
- 5 cups water
- 1/4 cup butter, ½ a stick
Optional Toppings for Garnishes
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight in more than enough water to cover.
- In the morning, drain the beans and add to the slow cooker.
- In a large skillet set to medium high heat, add the cooking oil. Add the thick sliced onion rounds and brown them on both sides until they are really toasty. Add the onions to the slow cooker.
- Add the cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic cloves, chicken bouillon cubes, and water. Stir.
- Cover and cook on low for 9 hours.
- When the cooking time is done, take out at least half of the juices from the beans, and set aside, you can use this if too much liquid was taken out.
- You can either put the beans in a blender, mash by hand with a potato masher, or use a emulsion blender like I did in my video. If your beans seem too stiff, add some of the reserved liquid. Add the butter into the mashed beans.
- I did not need to add any salt for my beans, but if you think they need a bit of salt this is the time to add it to taste.
- Top with the optional cheese and cilantro, if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More mexican style recipes
Bold and flavorful, Mexican Shredded Beef is perfect for tacos, burritos, or rice bowls, while Slow Cooker Black Beans make an easy and tasty side.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole layers tortillas, cheese, and sauce for a no-fuss Tex-Mex dinner straight from the crockpot.
Add some heat to your plate with Slow Cooker Spicy Pinto Beans, or keep things simple and satisfying with one-pot Fiesta Chicken made with salsa and corn.
Can’t stop eating it. So good. I added 1/2 tsp of cumin to give that extra flavor.
So glad you made this! I love it so much.
I’m in love with these beans! So flavorful and delicious. Can you please tell me the serving size measurement? Is it one cup?
Hi! I don’t have a measurement, I apologize.
Hey there! I am so excited. I doubled the recipe and the mixture is pretty close to the top. In your video it doesn’t look like the mixture expands or rises at all during the 9 hours…..right? Haha 🙂
It may work! Let us know!