Recipe: Slow-Cooker Re-Fried Beans

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The title of this recipe is a little deceiving. The beans are NOT fried at all.  One thing for certain, these slow-cooker re-fried beans are not only easy, but they are bueno dang (translation: dang good)!  They make a great addition to any Mexican meal – including a nice plate of nachos. I even add them to my taco meat for exceptional flavor.  All they take is a just a little planning ahead and you’ll have an amazing pot of re-fried beans within a few hours.

Here are some great reasons to make these homemade re-fried beans instead of buying the canned version:

1. They are inexpensive. Dry beans are very economical to make.
2. YOU know what’s in them. YOU control the salt, fat, etc., and YOU can pronounce all the ingredients (I think).
3. They are high in fiber and a good non-meat source of protein.
4. They can be made fat free and no frying needed.
5. They freeze well.

I could go on, but one thing is certain – you’ll fast realize these are much better than the canned re-fried beans. These are something so easy to prepare and you will feel better about feeding them to your family and friends.

Let’s cut to the chase…I want you to make these re-fried beans, so let’s get them in the slow-cooker – shall we? This is going to literally blow your mind how easy they are. Let me show you, step by step.

<Scroll all the way to the bottom for a standard printable recipe> 

Here are the simple ingredients: dry pinto beans, ground cumin, black pepper, kosher salt, onion, and garlic. Optional: ground cayenne pepper (was an afterthought as I made these) and bacon grease/fat.

Start off by giving your dry pinto beans a good rinse under cold water.  Who knows where they’ve been? 😉

Place the rinsed pinto beans in your slow-cooker. I used a slow-cooker liner for easier clean-up, but it’s optional to use.

Now add the 3 spices – ground cumin (tons of Mexican flavor), ground black pepper, and kosher salt. You can also add a little spice into these by adding a 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper.  As an afterthought, I added 1/4 teaspoon. I may add just a bit more next time.

Next add to the slow-cooker the chopped onion and finely chopped garlic.

Top with the hot tap water. No need to heat up, just from the faucet is just fine.

Mix up a bit with a spoon or clean hands. Any pinto beans that float – discard.

Cover the slow-cooker and set to low for 10 hours. I did this overnight. In the morning I arose to a heavenly Mexican aroma.

At about the 9 hour mark – if you’re around/awake – give the beans a stir. Then take out your masher; you know the kind you use to make mashed potatoes. Mash them up a bit. Cover and let cook for 1 more hour – still on low.

Note: if you miss this step, it’s totally fine. This shouldn’t impact the quality of your re-fried beans at all.

After they’ve cooked for another hour on low, give them another good mash. When you get to the desired chunkiness, stop mashing. You can also blend these with an immersion blender directly in the slow-cooker OR removing in batches and blending in a regular blender or food processor.

To gild the lily, add in a tablespoon or so of bacon grease/fat if you have it. It’s absolutely not 100% needed for these beans to taste good. But if you have it and don’t care about the little added fat – add it. You won’t be sorry!

After you stir in the optional bacon grease/fat, give it one last mash and you’re ready to eat these re-fried beans.

My beans were done in the morning, but I couldn’t wait to eat them. I grabbed a flour tortilla and added a scoop of the re-fried beans. A  MAZ  ING!!!  Add a little shredded cheese, if desired and it’s heavenly.

You can freeze the amount you don’t plan to eat. Just place the cooled beans in a zip-top freezer bag and they should last for 3-4 months in the freezer.

Warning: don’t eat too many in one sitting. It’s tempting because they taste so good, but for obvious reasons (“Beans, beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat, the more you…” You know the rest!)

If you give these a try, please COMMENT below. I’d love to know how they turned out.

Disfrutar de la comodidad de los alimentos! (Translation: Enjoy the comfort of food!)

For more Cinco de Mayo Recipes, click HERE .

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Printable Recipe:

Slow-Cooker Re-Fried Beans

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Serves	16
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	10 hours
Total time	10 hours, 10 minutes
Dietary	Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Meal type	Side Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Region	Mexican

Homemade refried beans are very easy to make in the slow-cooker with dry pinto beans. Once you make these, you'll never buy canned again. Easy to freeze too. Recipe URL: https://recipesingoodtaste.com/?recipe=recipe-slow-cooker-re-fried-beans

Ingredients

• 1lb dry pinto beans
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt (start with 1 tablespoon and add more if you wish)
• 1 Medium onion, chopped (white, yellow, or red)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
• 5 cups hot water (from tap is ok)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional - more if desired)
• 1 tablespoon bacon grease/fat (optional)

Note

Recipe URL: https://recipesingoodtaste.com/?recipe=recipe-slow-cooker-re-fried-beans

Directions

Step 1		Rinse your beans under cold water. Place the rinsed pinto beans in your slow-cooker.
Step 2		Add to the slow-cooker the cumin, {optional: ground cayenne pepper), black pepper and salt (remember with the spices, you can always add more, but you can’t take away), the chopped onion and finely chopped garlic.
Step 3		Top everything with the hot tap water and mix up a bit with a spoon or clean hands. If there are any pinto beans that are floating, discard them.
Step 4		Cover the slow-cooker and set to low for 10 hours (tip: prep & start just before bed).
Step 5		At about the 9 hour mark (if possible), give the beans a good stir. Then mash them up a bit. Cover and let cook for 1 more hour - still on low (if you’ve set it to 10-hours you should be fine keeping the same setting).
Step 6		After they've cooked for another hour on low, give them another good mash to desired chunkiness. You can also blend these with an immersion blender, regular blender or food processor. Optional: Stir in a tablespoon or so of bacon grease/fat. Mash one last time and you're ready to eat these re-fried beans.
Step 7		You can freeze the amount you don't plan to eat. Just place the cooled beans in a zip-top freezer bag and they should last for 3-4 months in the freezer.

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PS: If you see mistakes (i.e., spelling errors or inconsistencies in the recipe), please tell me right away. I appreciate any help I can get!

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