You won’t believe how easy it is to make homemade refried beans. You’ll love how these refried beans are thick, creamy, and super flavorful. Made with only a handful of simple ingredients, these homemade refried beans are so much tastier than what you find in a can.
I love refried beans. They’re filling, creamy, and can be used in so many ways! While grabbing a can from the store is convenient, I find homemade refried beans to be so much more flavorful and you can adjust the seasoning however you’d like.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s very easy to make refried beans from scratch. You can use pinto beans cooked from scratch on the stovetop or pressure cooker or you can use canned pinto beans if you don’t want to cook the beans from dried.
- Refried beans are freezer-friendly! This means you can easily make a large batch and then freeze them into individual portions to use later on.
- You can add so much flavor to homemade refried beans from cooking the dried beans in broth to adding a generous amount of seasoning and aromatics to the refried beans.
Ingredients You’ll Need
oil — feel free to use any neutral oil. I’m using olive oil.
onions — I’m using half a yellow onion but you can use whatever you have on hand.
garlic — the more garlic, the merrier!
pinto beans — you can use pinto beans cooked from scratch (stovetop or instant pot!) or you can use drained and rinsed pinto beans from a can. If using canned pinto beans, make sure to give them a good rinse to reduce the sodium. Check out my how to cook pinto beans guide if you’re going the homemade route!
broth — I cook the refried beans in broth for more flavor. I like using beef broth but you can also use vegetable broth or chicken broth.
seasoning — I use a combination of ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
cilantro — if you’re one of those people who think cilantro taste like soap, simply skip it.
lime — fresh lime juice is ideal. I do not recommend using bottled lime juice as sometimes they have a slightly bitter aftertaste.
How to Make Homemade Refried Beans
- Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Add the diced onions and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute.
- Add the ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Give it a quick mix and then add the pinto beans. Give it another quick mix.
- Add the broth and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Remove the pot from heat.
- Using a potato mashed or fork, mash the beans until you’ve reached your desired consistency. You can also transfer everything to a food processor and blend until creamy.
- Add the chopped cilantro and lime juice to the mashed beans and give it a mix to combine everything.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I prefer using a potato masher, as it leaves the refried beans with a little more texture. If you’d like creamier, smoother beans, you can use the food processor.
- Add a few pinches of chipotle chili powder for a smokier flavor or cayenne pepper powder for some heat.
- If you want a deeper, richer flavor, you can cook some finely diced bacon first in the pot before you add the onions. You can skip the oil and use the rendered bacon fat to cook the onions.
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store the refried beans in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. I like to store it with the liquid.
- Freezer: allow the refried beans to cool before transferring them into an airtight container. Thaw and reheat the refried beans by adding them to a saucepan over medium heat with a splash of broth and stir until hot.
Recipes You Can Add Refried Beans To
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Taco Bowl Meal Prep
- Walking Taco Casserole
- Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos
- Air Fryer Fish Tacos
- Shrimp Burrito Bowl
- Salmon Burrito Bowl
- Freezer Friendly Steak Burritos
- Freezer Chicken Burritos
- Turkey Tostadas
Homemade Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2½ cups cooked pinto beans
- ½ cup broth, or more
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- ½ lime, juiced
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Add the diced onions and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute.
- Add the ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Give it a quick mix and then add the pinto beans. Give it another quick mix.
- Add the broth and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Remove the pot from heat.
- Using a potato mashed or fork, mash the beans until you’ve reached your desired consistency. You can also transfer everything to a food processor and blend until creamy.
- Add the chopped cilantro and lime juice to the mashed beans and give it a mix to combine everything.
Nutrition Per Serving
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