Quick & Easy Homemade Refried Beans Recipe

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Make creamy, flavorful refried beans at home using canned beans in minutes. A quick and easy vegetarian side dish that beats the can every time.

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I’ll not lie to you - refried beans is actually a dish I’ve avoided for such a long time!

Why are you asking this? Well, I had a bad experience once at a sub-par Mexican restaurant with refried beans not too long after I came to Canada and I was really scared. After many years passed, as I tend to do with food I shun, I decided to give refried beans another chance, and I actually totally loved them!

Cinco de Mayo is fast approaching and if Mexican cuisine is new to you and you’d like to explore it more, I definitely recommend using these quick refried beans from canned pinto beans as a starting point to make Mexico no longer a destination unseen as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Refried beans open so many doors to other Mexican recipes as a side dish or for topping, and I’ll be sharing plenty of serving suggestions later on in this post so you use up those refried beans in a heartbeat!

To follow along with the steps on how to make quick refried beans at home healthy and delicious, be sure to watch the video! If you’re not already, please subscribe channel and hit the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get cooking!

Homemade refried beans in a white bowl, showing a thick, textured paste with a tan and golden brown color.

What makes refried beans refried?▼

Refried beans have an interestingly curious name because it is very misleading. The name implies that the beans are fried twice, and perhaps this is why refried beans have an unhealthy connotation. However, the beans will only be fried once. As a result, nothing actually makes “refried beans” refried.

Are refried beans unhealthy?▼

It honestly depends on where you are eating your refried beans from. The canned refried beans and some cheaper restaurants will use lard and bacon grease - and a lot of it! While those fat sources are delicious, they are not the most nutritious.

On the other hand, I used olive oil which is full of monounsaturated fats that will help lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. While you might say that too much olive oil is also bad for you, I only used one tablespoon and a half for the entire recipe, and this recipe definitely makes a lot of refried beans!

Another issue with canned refried beans in particular is the sodium content. In order to preserve the refried beans, along with many other canned foods, there is a lot of salt added which raises the sodium content. This can have negative effects on those with blood pressure problems and heart issues. As you’ll see in this recipe, homemade refried beans don’t have the fat and salt that canned or even restaurant-style refried beans have. If you are going to have refried beans at a restaurant, I would choose an upscale one since everything should be made from scratch.

Furthermore, you’ll benefit from homemade refried beans without impurities because they are loaded with fibre, vitamins and minerals, and loaded with plant-based protein to keep you full and satisfied. In conclusion, whether or not refried beans are unhealthy depends on the preparation method, but if you’re following this recipe, then they are indeed part of a balanced and nutritious diet!

Homemade refried beans in a white bowl with a thick, creamy texture and light brown color

What is the secret to good refried beans?▼

There are actually a couple of secrets to make an amazing super tasty and quick refried beans at home! Here are some keys to success:

I recommend that you don’t completely mash the refried beans into a puree. I used to blend my refried beans, but then when I made this recipe and just mashed the beans enough to leave some texture there, they were much more delicious! Plus, honestly, they’ll be more appealing to eat than a blended brown mush.
A bit of seasoning really goes a long way. As you’ll see here, not only am I seasoning with salt and pepper, but with ground cumin and oregano.
Adding layers of flavours by sautéing the garlic and onions will truly make a difference in the overall taste of the beans.

Homemade refried beans with a thick, chunky texture in a white bowl, seasoned with cumin and oregano.

How to Make Refried Beans More Flavorful?

One way to make refried beans more flavorful is to take the extra time to cook the beans fresh and add some aromatics to the water, such as bay leaf, star anise, garlic, tomatoes, cloves to the cooking water. This will help impart a lot of flavor on the beans. However, because the idea behind this recipe is to make the refried beans quickly, we’re going to have to use the canned beans.

You can also add cilantro for a fresh zest, add cheddar cheese to the beans or make things spicy and smoky with some chopped up hot chipotle peppers to the beans.

Homemade refried beans in a white bowl with a thick, textured brown consistency.

What if I want to use dried beans?▼

You sure can, and this is likely to be the more delicious option! However, you need to consider the extra time it will take to cook the beans. Simply cook the dried pinto beans in the Instant Pot (check out my guide on how to cook the best beans in the Instant Pot here) or stovetop pressure cooker first, then proceed with the recipe as described. Make sure you save the bean water since it will have lots of flavour!

Ingredients for Quick Refried Beans

There are only a handful of ingredients that you most likely already have to make the best Quick Refried Beans!! All ingredients and their quantities can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this post or pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card. You can also use the recipe card to scale the recipe based on how many portions of Quick Refried Beans you want to make!

Ingredients for homemade refried beans: cooked chickpeas, diced red onions, spices, olive oil, and seasonings on gray surface.

Olive oil: To help cook the onions and garlic.
Onions: Finely diced.
Garlic: Minced garlic cloves.
Canned pinto beans: Rinse the beans well because the juices from the can are really gross!
Spices: Ground cumin and dried oregano.
Chicken broth: Use vegetable broth to make this for vegetarians and vegans. I prefer the flavor of chicken broth, but feel free to substitute if needed! As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, if there’s a suitable substitute that you already have on hand, then go ahead and use it instead.
Lime juice: To add some freshness to the beans.
Salt and pepper: Always use these to taste.

How to Make Healthy Refried Beans

If using dried beans, cook them separately with 4 times the amount of water, bay leaf, salt, pepper and star anise. Reserve the cooking water if using dried beans. Otherwise, for canned beans, drain the beans well and rinse. Set aside for now.

Heat a pan on medium heat, add olive oil and once warm add onions with a pinch of salt. Cook until onions start to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and then add the dried spices.

Diced pink onions and minced garlic being sautéed in olive oil in a dark skillet on stovetop.

Diced red onions and garlic being sautéed in a dark pan with a spatula, early stage of refried beans preparation.

Spoon of cumin powder being added to wooden spoon over pan with sautéed onions and garlic.

Ground meat and diced onions being sautéed in a dark skillet with a wooden spoon.

Cooked beans and ground meat being stirred in a skillet with a spatula during sautéing.

Cooked beans sautéing in a pan with spices and aromatics on stovetop.

Sauté the spices for 2-3 minutes and then add the cooked beans. Cook for 5-8 minutes to help meld the flavors together, stir every so often.

Canned beans being poured into a skillet with cooked ground meat and onions during preparation of refried beans.

Add chicken/vegetable broth or the bean cooking water, stir, and bring it up to a simmer. Start mashing the beans and cook down the liquid until it has reduced at least by half. Continue mashing as the liquid evaporates and until the beans reach a thick consistency. Avoid mashing it to a complete puree.

Cooked chickpeas being stirred in a skillet with broth being added from a measuring cup.

Stirring simmering refried beans in a skillet with a spatula during the cooking process.

Mashing cooked beans in a skillet with broth, using a spatula to break them down into a creamy consistency.

Season and adjust for salt and pepper, add lime juice and serve.

Lime juice being squeezed into a pan of mashed refried beans on the stovetop.

Creamy mashed refried beans in a white bowl, showing a thick, chunky texture ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions for Quick Refried Beans

Refried Beans are a delicious side dish or topping to plenty of Mexican recipes! Here are some ideas:

Tostadas (recipe coming soon)
Tacos: Like my Crispy Chicken & Shrimp Tacos
Quesadillas: Try it in the Ultimate Cheesy Beef Quesadilla
Burritos
Toast
Eggs: Huevos Ranchos or Scrambled Eggs (in a burrito, if desired).

Homemade refried beans in a white bowl, showing a thick, creamy tan-brown texture with a slightly chunky appearance.

Storing Refried Beans

You can keep your refried beans in the fridge for up to one week in an airtight container. The great news about refried beans is that they are easy to freeze and defrost well! You can keep your refried beans in the freezer for up to 3 months. For best results, transfer the refried beans into portion-sized containers so that this can make defrosting easy in the microwave. Otherwise, if you’ve put all the refried beans in a lump in one container, you should defrost the refried beans overnight in the fridge for easier reheating.

To reheat, you can do this quickly in the microwave. Reheat in 30 second intervals and stir occasionally to ensure they are evenly warmed through. You could also reheat over the stove by pouring the refried beans in a saucepan and heat on low heat. You may need to add some extra water to thin out the refried beans.

Homemade refried beans in a white bowl, showing a thick, creamy brown texture with a chunky consistency.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra