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!
- 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

Step-by-Step Instructions

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

- 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.


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.

Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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
1
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.
2
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.
3
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.
Chuy's Tasty Tex Mex Refried Beans Recipe (Copycat)
Delicious creamy and flavorful vegetarian Tex-Mex style refried beans.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 5 cups of water
- 1 medium white onion – chopped
- 3 garlic cloves – minced
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper – minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and drain beans.
- Place beans and the remaining ingredients except the salt in a slow cooker.
- Cover with water.
- 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.
Notes
Useful Tools
- Crock pot / slow cooker
- Immersion hand blender
- Food chopper
- Garlic press
- Large sharp knife
Recipe Tips:
- Pick through the dry beans for any rocks, debris, or bad ones. Then rinse and drain.
- Use an immersion hand blender for this recipe. They start at $20.00 and higher. You can use a standard blender and run small batches through it but this can be time consuming and messy. I use my immersion blender when I'm making soups and sauces. It's a good investment.
- When you are puree the beans be careful not to over puree. You want a smooth creamy texture but not soup.
- You can add some hot water to the beans while you are blending them if they start to become too thick.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 60Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 54mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g








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