These creamy homemade refried beans can be made with your choice of dried or canned pinto beans and served with rice, in burritos, on nachos, and more.
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“I have never liked refried beans, but my family wanted burritos so I made this recipe. It was so delicious, I couldn’t stop eating it!” -Chef John, FoodieCrush reader
Homemade Refried Beans Taste SO Much Better Than the Canned Kind!
What’s better than a Mexican food classic like ground beef tacos that taste just like Taco Bell, chicken fajitas, or enchiladas? When it’s served with a scoop or three of these easy-to-make, super creamy refried beans.
Despite its name, “refried” beans don’t actually mean the beans have been fried twice. The name is derived from frijoles refritos, meaning “well fried.”
Instead, refried beans are actually just beans that have been cooked until tender, then cooked again in small quantities of their own bean liquid — or bean liquor — while mashing them, adding more liquid as you mash — turning them into creamy spoonfuls of refried beans.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Which bean variety you use for refried beans is totally up to you. Pinto beans and black beans are most often used for refried beans, and depending on my mood, I love them both. Choose good quality, fresh for the best results.
Sauté the onion and 2 cloves garlic in the oil before adding the canned beans. If you’re starting with my pinto beans recipe, the onion and garlic have already been cooked into the beans. If using canned beans, you’ll need to add these flavor enhancers before adding the beans to the skillet.
If using canned beans, reserve the liquid in the can. You’ll use the liquid to help thin the beans, adding water as necessary.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Extra-virgin olive oil — Cooking dried pinto beans with olive oil adds so much richness and makes the beans super creamy.
- Dried pinto beans — I much prefer the flavor and texture when I make these refried beans from dried beans, but canned pinto beans may be swapped in. (See my notes on how to make this recipe with canned beans in the recipe card below.)
- Aromatics — Part of an onion, a few cloves of garlic, and a bay leaf infuse the beans with flavor as they simmer on the stove.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper — Always season your beans to taste.
- Vegetable oil — My preferred cooking oil when mashing the beans during their second round of cooking.
How to Make Refried Beans From Scratch
- First, start with making a batch of pinto beans. This easy master pinto bean recipe is mostly hands-off cooking. Plan on soaking the beans a day ahead and between 2 -2 ½ hours to cook until tender. If time is a concern, use high-quality canned beans for these refried beans instead.
- Reserve the cooked beans liquor aka liquid. Instead of fats or lard to cook these beans, use the reserved cooking liquid by adding ½ cup of bean stock at a time while mashing the beans as the liquid cooks off (this also keeps this recipe vegetarian!).
- Mash the beans as they cook down, adding more bean liquor as they cook. Depending on how soft the beans are will determine how long they take to cook and mash down. Plan on anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes. Use water if you run out of bean liquor.
- Mash to your preferred consistency. I like my refried beans with a little bit more texture and not too thick. The beauty of this recipe is you can make them as creamy or as thin as you like them.
- Add oil, butter, or lard for even more creamy texture. Fat equals flavor, but It’s totally up to you to add some or keep these beans au natural.
Flavor Add-Ins
These restaurant-style refried pinto beans are perfect as is, but you can amp up the flavor further by adding in one or more of the following:
- Sprinkle with grated cotija cheese or top with Monterey jack or cheddar cheese.
- Stir lime juice into the cooked beans for tang.
- Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or chopped white onion
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of sour cream or Mexican crema for an even more unctuous feel.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
How to Make THE BEST Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans , rinsed in a colander (see notes below if using canned beans)
- 4-6 cups water
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion , chopped
- 4 cloves garlic , peeled and smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight. Add the beans to a large bowl and cover with 2-3 inches of cold water. Soak the beans on the counter overnight or for 8-24 hours.
- Cook until tender. Drain and rinse the beans then add to a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Cover with 4-6 cups of cold water or so they're covered by about 3 inches. Add the chopped onion, smashed garlic, and bay leaves then drizzle with the olive oil. Season with kosher salt. Bring the beans to a boil. Skim off the foam that forms and discard. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a gentle simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours or until tender, cooking longer if needed. Add more water if needed to keep the beans submerged.
- Taste for seasoning. Once the beans are cooked and tender but not breaking apart, remove them from the heat and discard bay leaves. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
- Cook the beans again, but mash them this time. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a slotted spoon or strainer to add the beans to the skillet, reserving the bean liquid. Cook the beans until tender, stirring and lightly mashing with a wooden spoon as the beans soften, adding ¼ cup or so of the cooking liquid at a time, cooking the beans so the liquid is absorbed. Don't let the beans dry out or they'll become pasty. If you run out of bean liquid, use water. Cook anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes until they're the consistency you like. Season with more kosher salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Ways to Serve Refried Beans
More Mexican Sides to Make it a Meal
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Jo Anne
If using can pinto beans is it just one can of 15 ounce in this recipe.
Hi Joanne, one can is typically 14-15 ounces.
Chef John
I have never liked refried beans, but my family wanted burritos so I made this recipe. It was so delicious, I couldn’t stop eating it!
Hayley
We’re so happy you liked these John!