Have you ever tried making your own refried beans? I usually cook them over the stove-top when I have an at-home-all-day sort of day, but throwing everything into the slow cooker in the morning sure makes it easier to get errands done throughout the day 🙂 These beans turned out so creamy. I didn’t use jalapeno this time since we didn’t have one, but I do recommend adding a jalapeno pepper to the recipe for added flavor.
It is so nice having a batch of healthy, creamy refried beans in your fridge. You can use them for so many different quick meals like burritos, nachos, quesadillas, bean dip, with rice, etc. You can even freeze the beans for later use.
Refried Beans in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. dry pinto beans
- water to soak the beans plus 6 cups water for cooking
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, quartered
- 1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste if desired
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- optional: 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
Instructions:
- Soak the dry beans in a big pot with cold water about 3 or 4 inches over the beans. Cover with lid and let soak overnight.Â
- In the morning, rinse and drain the beans and put them in a slow cooker. Pour 6 Cups of water into the slow cooker. Add chopped onion, garlic and jalapeno and the salt, pepper and cumin. Give it a quick stir.
- Cover the slow cooker with its lid (don’t lock the lid though). Cook on high for 7-8 hours.
- Remove about 2 cups of bean water from the slow cooker (save it in case you want to thin out the beans after they are mashed).
- Mash the beans with a potato masher. You may add in a little more bean water if the mashed beans are too thick and a little more salt if desired.Â
*Inspired by THIS recipe.