How to Make Frijoles de la Olla (Slow Cooker Recipe)
Frijoles de la olla, or Mexican beans that are cooked slowly in a large clay pot, are just the beginning of so many wonderful dishes. Traditionally, they are cooked with water, onions, garlic, and other seasonings until tender and flavorful. I’ve simplified the recipe so that you can easily make foolproof frijoles in the crockpot.
I’ve mastered “frijoles de la crockpot” when cooking beans on the stovetop at high altitude was simply not working for me. You can make these beans at any altitude and they’ll come out perfect every time – no soaking required!
While traditional Mexican beans are made in clay pots, or ollas, this recipe can easily be replicated in a heavy stainless steel pot or cooked overnight in a slow cooker.
Which beans should I use to make frijoles de la olla?
Honestly, most dry beans work very well in this recipe. A few of my favorites include:
- PInto beans
- Chitano black beans
- Peruvian beans
- Mantequilla beans
- Amarillo beans
- Bayo beans
- Chivo blanco beans
- Anasazi beans
- Cranberry beans
All of them result in delicious beans straight from the slow cooker and are perfect to transform into refried beans as well.
Be sure to check out Masienda’s variety of heirloom beans (they’re my fave!), many of which hail from Oaxaca. SHOP NOW
RECOMMENDED BY LOLA FOR THIS RECIPE
Crock Pot
I’ve used this crockpot for over 10 years and love that it has a digital timer. Once your beans are ready, it automatically turns to the “Keep Warm” setting. VIEW PRODUCT
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
1. Clean and rinse beans
- Cleaning the beans is usually a job reserved for the kids, where they get to pick out the rocks and “ugly” beans.
- Rinse to remove any dust or dirt
2. Add ingredients to the crockpot
- Add beans, onion, garlic, oil, salt, and water to slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
3. Enjoy!
- Enjoy hot as a main dish serve with warm corn tortillas or quesadillas, or as a side dish.
Wondering what to do with leftover frijoles de la olla? Transform them into delicious refried beans! I like to sauté chopped onion and garlic for extra flavor before mashing my beans. PRO TIP: Mash them for more texture or blend them for extra creamy beans and enfrijoladas. Both are delicious!
LOOKING FOR MORE INSPIRATION?
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- 10 Best Mexican Breakfast and Brunch Ideas
Frijoles de la Olla (Easy Slow Cooker Recipe)
Equipment
- Wide-mouth mason jars optional, for storage and freezing
Ingredients
- 16 oz dry beans about 2 cups
- 1 onion peeled and halved
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salt or to taste
- 10 cups water
Instructions
- Clean and rinse beans.
- Add beans, onion, garlic, oil, salt, and 10 (yes 10!) cups of water to slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
- Enjoy hot with plenty of broth, a sprinkle of queso fresco, and cilantro if desired.
A Note from Lola
RECIPE TIPS AND TRICKS
- There’s no need to soak beans because they cook so long in the crockpot, they’re sure to be soft after 10 hours.
- To check if the beans are cooked, take a few out and mash them between your fingers. They should be tender and creamy but not mushy.
- While in most instances adding salt too early can toughen the beans and prolong the cooking time, this isn’t the case when cooking them in the slow cooker. I add my salt at the very beginning and they come out nice and soft every time.
RECIPE VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- While I typically only use epazote in my black beans, you can definitely add fresh or dried epazote to this recipe. Epazote is a traditional Mexican herb that adds a unique flavor and helps reduce gas and bloating associated with bean consumption. It adds a subtle earthy flavor to beans.
- For a hint of spice, feel free to add a serrano, jalapeño, or a canned chipotle pepper when cooking. I’d start with half of a chipotle and be sure to slice the fresh serrano or jalapeño down the middle so that it releases its flavor while cooking.
- If you’re low on fresh onion or garlic, you can substitute with garlic powder or onion powder. Although fresh always provides the richest flavor, without overwhelming the dish. I find that garlic powder can be a little too potent.
STORAGE TIPS
- To store frijoles de la olla, let them cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container. For easy storage and freezing, I store my beans in a large, wide-mouth mason jar.
- Refrigerate for up to 4-5 days or freeze for longer storage. Reheat in a small pot or microwave-safe dish before serving.
Nutrition
Photography + Styling (image 1 only): Cacey McReavy
Lola Wiarco Dweck
Lola is a Mexican-American recipe developer, writer, and cooking instructor who loves sharing her culture with the world. Growing up in California and spending summers in Mexico, Lola celebrates her family’s Mexican recipes and vibrant culture through Lola’s Cocina.
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good.
I don’t know who you are but certainly you’re going to a famous blogger if you are
not already 😉 Cheers!
Thank you, I’m glad that you stumbled upon my site.
Beautiful beans just like Abuela
They’re a family favorite and on our weekly meal rotation!
I’m going to try it, but I’d like to do 2 lbs of beans. I have the same 6qt crock pot! Do you think 20 cups of water would be too much for 2 lbs? Maybe 15? We need a big batch of beans!
Thanks,
Toni
Hi, Toni – I don’t think 20 cups of water would fit in my crockpot but I think you’d be okay using 15-18 cups of water. Just reduce the amount of salt because you don’t want them to be overly salty. You can always check the salt halfway through and add more if necessary.
Making frijoles in the slow cooker is my preferred way of making them. It’s just so easy and they cook so perfectly. Great tip about using lots of water, it is so necessary!
Yes! I just made them again last night and everyone loved them.
Sometimes I don’t know how much salt to add when making quantities like this especially if I’m not stirring and tasting on the stove so I love that this recipe includes the perfect amount of salt to cook with.
That’s exactly what happens to me! And yes, I’ve tested this recipe many times and the water, to beans, to salt ratio is perfect.
If I want to add Epazote, how much should I add? Thanks for the recipe!
You can add a small bunch, no more than 5 stems. I usually use epazote for my Mexican black beans, but it would be perfectly fine in these as well.
These are the perfect compliment to your Mexican rice recipe.
The beans came out so flavorful, one of my new favorite slow cooker recipes! Simple and easy.
They come out perfect every time! I just made some this week and saved half and then made half into refried beans.
Frijoles are so comforting for autumn and winter days.
I agree – I make a large pot and eat them as-is then make the leftovers into frijoles refritos for burritos.
La receta se ve excelente! Me interesa mucho saber cómo sabe al cocerlo con aceite , he usado manteca pero para freírlos.
¡Me encanta tu receta! I only use this recipe to make frijoles. It’s so simple and flavorful! ¡Muy rica! ¡Muchas gracia por compartir tus recetas y cultura con nuestros!
I’m so happy you like this recipe. It’s the only one I use to make my frijoles, too. No need to watch the amount of water that evaporates when you make them on the stove.