Refried Bean Recipe

Easy Refried Beans

These refried beans are delicious and so easy to make. This refried bean recipe is quick, too—use canned beans and they’re ready in 25 minutes! Plus, these beans are healthy, vegan and gluten free. Recipe yields 2 1/2 cups refried beans (21 ounces), enough for 5 servings.

Prep: 10min

Total: 25min

Yield: 4

Nutrition Facts: servingSize None, calories 194 calories, Sugar 1 g, Sodium 425.9 mg, Fat 4.9 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 29.7 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 9.5 g, Cholesterol 0 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow or white onion (about 1/2 small onion)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked pinto beans
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1/2 medium lime), to taste

Instruction:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are turning translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, chili powder and cumin. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained beans and water. Stir, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to low and remove the lid. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to mash up about at least half of the beans, until you reach your desired consistency. Continue to cook the beans, uncovered, stirring often, for 3 more minutes.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste, and add more salt and lime juice if necessary. If the beans seem dry, add a very small splash of water and stir to combine. Cover until you’re ready to serve.

Homemade Refried Beans

You can’t beat the simplicity and taste of Homemade Refried Beans, made with just five-ingredients!

Prep: 600min

Total: 620min

Yield: 7

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 237 kcal, Carbohydrate 43 g, Protein 14 g, Fat 1 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Sodium 341 mg, Fiber 11 g, Sugar 2 g, unSaturated Fat 2 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry pinto beans (, about 2 cups)
• 1 large onion (, quartered)
• 2 Tablespoons lard or oil
• 3 cloves garlic (, minced)
• 1-2 teaspoons salt (, or more, to taste)
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin (, or more, to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano (, or more, to taste)

Instruction:

1. Continue stirring and mashing, adding additional bean broth as needed until you get the texture you like and the beans are the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Taste and season with additional salt, cumin and oregano, as needed. Top with shredded cheese, if desired.

Refried Beans (Better Than Store-Bought)

For the creamiest, most flavorful refried beans, start with dried beans. Cooking the beans from scratch gives us the chance to add flavorful aromatics like onion, garlic, and cilantro to the cooking liquid. The dried beans can be cooked on the stovetop, which takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours or in a pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot), which takes about 1 hour total. If you are short on time, you can also make refried beans using canned beans, which takes less than 20 minutes. We’ve shared all of these cooking variations in the recipe below.

Prep: 10min

Total: 1h40min

Yield: Makes about 3 cups refried beans

Serving Size: About 1/2 cup

Nutrition Facts: servingSize About 1/2 cup, calories 152, Fat 5.7g, Saturated Fat 0.8g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 150.3mg, Carbohydrate 19.8g, Fiber 4.7g, Sugar 1.3g, Protein 6.4g

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound dried pinto beans or black beans (about 1 cup)
• Water
• 1/2 medium onion, peeled and left whole
• 2 medium cloves garlic
• 4 sprigs fresh cilantro
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, butter, lard or bacon drippings
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (1/2 medium onion)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 medium clove)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 3 cups (470 grams) cooked pinto or black beans, warmed, see notes for canned
• 2 to 3 lime wedges
• Optional toppings: sliced or diced jalapeño, crumbled Mexican queso fresco or shredded cheese, diced white onion, diced tomato, or fresh cilantro

Instruction:

1. There is no need to soak the beans for this recipe. Rinse the dried beans then add to a large pot. Add the onion half, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs. Cover with at least 3 inches of water. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the beans are extremely tender (almost silky inside), 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If during cooking the beans look dry, add a splash more water.
2. Remove the onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs, and then discard them. Season the beans and liquid with salt. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there based on your tastes.
3. Drain the beans, but do not discard the cooking liquid. We will use some of the liquid for making the refried beans. You will need about 3 cups of the beans to make refried beans. If you have more than 3 cups, reserve the rest for another recipe.
4. There is no need to soak the beans for this recipe. Rinse the dried beans then add to a 6-quart pressure cooker (we have an Instant Pot). Add the onion half, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs. Add about 6 cups of water, but do not fill past the ‘max fill line.’ Add 1 teaspoon of neutral oil like vegetable or olive oil (this prevents the beans from foaming).
5. Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes, and then allow the cooker to naturally release (you can tell when it is safe to open the cooker when the steam release valve drops). We recommend you read the user manual of your specific pressure cooker before using this method.
6. Remove the onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs, and then discard them. Season the beans and liquid with salt. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there based on your tastes.
7. Drain the beans, but do not discard the cooking liquid. We will use some of the liquid for making the refried beans. You will need about 3 cups of the beans to make refried beans. If you have more than 3 cups, reserve the rest for another recipe.
8. In a large, skillet — a cast iron pan is perfect here — heat the oil (or butter/lard/bacon drippings) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it smells sweet and is starting to brown around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes.
9. Stir in the minced garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
10. Add the 3 cups of cooked beans, moving them around the pan for a minute or two so that they are heated through. Add 1 cup of the bean cooking liquid and then use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to mash the beans into your desired consistency.
11. If, as you are mashing, the beans seem a little dry, add a splash more liquid. The beans do dry out over time, so it’s a good idea to keep the cooking liquid near by to maintain the best consistency, especially if you are making them in advance.
12. Taste the beans and adjust with additional salt, pepper or spices. Serve with a squeeze of lime and your favorite toppings scattered on top.
13. Use 2 (15-ounce) cans of pinto or black beans. Two cans will be approximately 2 3/4 cups of beans, which is close enough to 3 cups for this recipe.
14. Open the cans, drain, and then rinse the beans. Follow the recipe instructions in the section labeled ‘Make Refried Beans’ above, but replace the 3 cups of home-cooked beans for canned beans. Instead of using the bean cooking liquid for thinning the refried beans, you will need to substitute for another liquid. We recommend using a flavorful stock (vegetable stock or chicken stock), you will need 1 to 1 1/2 cups.

The best Easy Refried Beans Recipe | Mexican Beans Recipe

FAQ

Why do restaurant refried beans taste so good?

What should I add to my canned refried beans?

How to make refried beans taste like Mexican restaurant beans?

1. Melt butter in a skillet.
2. Add onion and saute until translucent. …
3. Add refried beans, break up and combine with butter, onion, and garlic.
4. Add half and half, stir.
5. Add sour cream.
6. Season with salt, pepper and cumin to taste (I used 1 teaspoon of each).
7. Add cheese.