Home » Chuy’s Tasty Tex Mex Refried Beans Recipe (Copycat)

Chuy’s Tasty Tex Mex Refried Beans Recipe (Copycat)

September 6, 2025

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I must admit that Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines and Chuy’s Tasty Tex Mex Refried Beans are up there at the top!

I love the smoky flavor of chipotle peppers, the bite of green chilies, tacos, fajitas, and of course refried beans!

Square white plate with a scoop of refried beans and Mexican rice on it. There is four quesadillas on the plate. There is a brown cloth napkin to the side of the plate. Items are on a gray surface.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 hours – Slow cooker
Total Time: 9 hours
Preparation Level: Beginner +

We all have our favorite dish from our favorite Mexican restaurant. For me, Chuy’s Tex Mex restaurant has the best refried beans! Simple yet creamy and flavorful.

What You’ll Love

Simple recipe & ingredients – Pinto beans, onion, garlic, jalapēno peppers, and seasonings.
Creamy texture
Budget-friendly
Great for a crowd – Perfect for parties, potlucks, or Tex-Mex nights with friends.
Make-ahead friendly – They reheat very well and often taste better the next day.
Fiber – Beans are full of fiber so they can be a healthy side dish and often are on a vegan menu.
Customizable – Add a dash of cayenne, extra cumin or green chile sauce for some heat. You can also adjust the texture to however you like.

I like this recipe because it’s vegetarian and I love to have vegan options but if you’re making a dish that has fajita beef or ground beef in it, add some refried beans to it to make a great hearty meat lover’s meal!

Ingredients

Large white bowl with dried pinto beans in it. Three small clear ramekins. One with ground black pepper in it. One with ground cumin in it. One with pink Himalayan salt. There is a jalapeno pepper, three garlic cloves, and a white onion. All items are on a gray surface.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Beans, onions and other ingredients in a slow cooker.

Rinse and drain beans.
Place beans and the remaining ingredients except the salt in a slow cooker. Cover with water.

Slow cooker with cooked pinto beans in it. There is a stainless steel immersion hand blender in the beans. Slow cooker is on a gray surface with a white subway tile back splash.

Cook beans on HIGH for 9 hours. Yes, that seems like a long time but remember there is no pre soaking!
Use an immersion hand blender and puree the beans. Add salt to taste.

See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Serving Suggestions

Pair these Mexican beans with:

Appetizers – Pair them up with my Torchys Tacos queso, your favorite salsa, and blue corn tortillas or tortilla chips.
Large dinner salad with cilantro vinaigrette.
Carne sada
Mexican rice by Lil Luna
Store bought tostadas – top with these tasty refried beans, chopped lettuce, tomato, onion, and shredded cheese. Talk about delicious!
Easy Huevos Rancheros – Spread refried beans on the tostadas then pile your morning eggs and fixings for a hearty breakfast.
Toppings – A dollop of sour cream, chopped red bell peppers, pico de gallo, green onions, and tortilla strips all make great toppings for the Mexican pinto beans.
Tacos – Grilled Shrimp Tacos, Marinated Steak Tacos, Baja Style Fish Tacos, Spicy Pulled Pork Tacos.

Bowl of refried beans with shredded cheese on top, sitting on a brown paper lined tray. There are Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips on the tray next to the bowl. Tray is on a gray surface.

Laura Belle’s Tips

Prep the beans – Pick through the dry beans for any rocks, debris, or bad ones. Then rinse and drain.
Use an immersion hand blender if you have one – They start at $20.00 and higher. I use my immersion blender when I’m making soups and sauces. It’s a good investment.
Standard blender – You can use a standard blender and run small batches through it but this can be time consuming and messy.
Pureeing – Be careful not to over puree. You want a smooth creamy texture but not a soup consistency.
Thickness – You can add some hot water to the beans while you are blending them if they start to become too thick.

A tostada on a metal tray with a side dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between slow cooker refried beans and slow cooker charro beans?

Typically refried beans are made with very few simple ingredients.
Charro beans are flavored with meat (bacon, chorizo, or ham), garlic, tomatoes, chili powder, chili peppers, or Serrano peppers. It’s often served as a main dish.
Charro beans are also known as frijoles charros or cowboy beans.

Do The Pinto Beans Need To Be Soaked Before Cooking?

Technically you don’t have to soak the beans before you cook them, however it does seem to improve the texture and consistency.

Three Main Methods of Soaking Dry Beans

The Overnight Soak

Rinse and dry the pinto beans. Place them in a large bowl and cover them with water. Soak 8 – 10 hours or overnight.

The Fast Soak

Rinse the pinto beans and place them in a large pot on the stovetop. Cover the beans with water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the beans soak for 2 hours. Rinse and cook.

The No Soak

My favorite method for this recipe – Rinse and cook. That’s it! I usually follow this method when the beans are being cooked in a slow cooker.

Yield: 12 servings