I don’t claim to have any heritage in my background whatsoever that would make me a pro at cooking Mexican food. But I grew up eating a lot of home cooked Mexican food. Whether that was because it was quick, easy, and delicious or because we lived in Arizona I don’t know.
I make Mexican food at least once a week for dinner and my husband and kids seem to love it as much as I do. In my effort to decrease my food budget, I decided it was time to start making my own refried beans. They are so good and so easy when all you have to do is throw everything in the crockpot and then mash them up with a hand mixer. Use them in burritos, tostadas, tacos, enchiladas, on nachos or fry bread or as a dip . . . so many options.


- 2 lbs dry pinto beans, rinsed well!
- 14 cups water
- 5 cloves minced garlic
- 4 chicken bullion cubes
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Tbs chili powder
- Add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on high for 8 hours. Turn the crockpot off and carefully remove 2-3 cups of liquid - don't throw it out. Save it in case you need to add any liquid back to the beans if they come out drier than you like them. Use a hand mixer or submersion blender to blend the beans until you reach the consistency you like.
- This makes a large batch of beans. If you won't be using it all in the next couple of days, you can put cooled beans in a gallon freezer storage bag and freeze for later.
- Rinse the beans in a colander under running water while sifting through them with your hands to remove any dirt or small pebbles.
- For picky kids: I have one kid that doesn't like the seasonings in these beans. So we've started making them with just beans, water, and 5 tsp of salt. The rest of us are okay with it and he eats them that way, so its a good alternative if you have a picky one 🙂
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