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.

Easy Refried Beans

olive oil

onion

fine sea salt

garlic, pressed

chili powder

cumin

each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked pinto beans

water

cilantro

lime juice (about 1/2 medium lime), to taste

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.

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.

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.

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&#8217;re ready to serve.

I made this twice this week along with homemade corn tortillas. It was a big hit for dinner. Great, easy recipe.

Great recipe! I used some taco sauce to get a thinner consistency instead of water which adds a lot of flavor.

We make them ahead all of the time.  They will dry out a bit so we add a few tablespoons of water and microwave slowly.  Good luck!

It's simple and quick and (nearly) foolproof.  Easy to substitute too.  I like to slice my onion halfway through to the axis and then turn it to cut out onion rings that are now split and liner strands.  Slice the split rings off the onion very thinly.  When they are sauteed they become these long sloppy stringy onion strands you pull out of a burrito with your teeth while you eat, and they retain the onion flavor in the strand, rather than having it blended into the mash.  Caramelize them a bit in the olive oil. Thanks for the proportions.  Tasty.

My kids love these refried beans! I make them all the time!:)

I love this recipe and being able to make a lower sodium and lard free recipe! I add more lime juice in place of water and it's so good I use it as a dip.

I'm glad I found your recipe, as I am on a LOW sodium diet (I just omitted the salt). Looking forward to doing this recipe again (hopefully, not making ONE big mistake - I was cooking taco meat at the same time, and when I went to put in the water, I grabbed the wrong cup - TOO much water. It took a bit longer cooking them to get the beans less runny, BUT, they tasted good.) THANKS!

Had a can of refried beans with no idea how to use them.  Saw your recipe and am glad I did.  It is easy and simple and delicious.  Thanks for your work.  I added more garlic to it as I really like garlic.  Looking forward to more recipes!

Wow! Best refried beans ever! Being from Texas I've eaten my weight in refried beans and these are seriously the best. I'm also a recipe modifier about 99% of the time but this needs absolutely zero change. My family doesn't like refried beans and they were won over by the aroma that filled the house before they even took a bite. This is a new go-to in my book.  Thanks for sharing.

I’m vegetarian so I’m used to eating a lot of beans already. Today I tried this version and I’m glad now I have one more way of getting my proteins! I’m using it for my meal prep this week!

Great, easy recipe. I always cook my own beans and pop them in the  freezer, so they are always on hand. I had some cannellini beans and used them. Turned out great. I am using them in a vegan 7 layer dip.

I never knew how easy it was to make refined beans. Thank you!

I substituted black beans for the pinto beans and added finely chopped cooked bacon to the onions. They were amazing!!

These were great refried beans - quick, easy and delicious.  I did make a few adjustments to suit our taste. I sautéed 3/4 cup of onion (about 1/2 medium onion) and three large garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  I increased the chili powder to 1 scant teaspoon. I also used a full can of lower sodium chicken broth instead of water.  I added it incrementally and cooked the beans for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  I used 1 can of Goya and 1 can of Bush’s pinto beans.  I liked the combination because the Bush’s beans are softer the Goya beans.  I’ve never use canned pinto beans before since I always worried that they wouldn’t have enough flavor, but with my changes these were some of the best refried beans I’ve ever eaten - and we eat a lot of those in Texas.

I love pinto beans, but I always cook them from scratch.  I needed refried beans for a recipe and I didn’t want to take the time and trouble to cook a whole pot of beans. So I decided to try your recipe, and it was delicious, but I did make a couple of changes.  I use a whole can of chicken broth instead of water.  I added about 1/3 of the can at a time and cooked the beans for about 20-30 minutes total after adding the broth, stirring after each addition. The taste of the finished product was so good that I now keep a couple of cans in the pantry for bean and cheese quesadillas or bean and cheese nachos.

Love this recipe.  Could you tell me where to find the recipe for the onions in the picture along side of the refried beans and guacamole?  It looks like red onions soaking in vinegar or perhaps water.

This recipe is a perfect foundation. I used the chicken broth, and added it in stages, kind of like making risotto. The end result was rich and creamy.  Never thought I’d like retried beans without the lard, but this was fantastic and easy.

I've made this numerous times and every time it turns out fabulous!  Everyone can't believe there isn't any lard in it.  It's great per your recipe or if you want to add jalapenos to make it spicy it's a great addition.  It's so easy to adjust according to the taste palates of those you are serving.  Thank you for a great recipe!  It's definitely my "go to"!

This recipe is absolutely delicious! I used black beans as I had that on hand and added a dash of lemon pepper to amp up the spices to offset the slightly stronger flavour of the beans. I will never buy canned refried beans again. This recipe is easy and so tasty.

Never thought I would get excited about refried beans but these are delicious!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/XrWdT8f1.mp4

Watch how to make the best refried beans in this short recipe video! These refried beans are so easy to make and full of delicious fresh flavor. 

Easy Refried Beans Recipe

Cheater Restaurant Style Refried Beans have a yummy, restaurant like, creamy consistency and flavor. I always use this for a side to our Mexican dishes.

Cheater Restaurant Style Refried Beans

refried beans (I

sour cream

Tbsp Valentina hot sauce

Monterey Jack cheese (grated (or a cheddar/jack blend))

In a small sauce pan combine the refried beans, sour cream, and hot sauce over medium-low heat.&nbsp;

Stir constantly and when the beans are heated through (don't bring it to boiling) remove from heat and pour into a glass pie pan or 9x9 dish.

Top with grated cheese and heat in the oven or microwave until cheese is melted.

Serve with Restaurant Style Mexican Rice for a complete side dish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFgI65cQb6E

Cheater Restaurant Style Refried Beans have a yummy, restaurant like, creamy consistency and flavor. I always use this for a side to our Mexican dishes.
Recipe: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/cheater-restaurant-style-refried-beans/

Homemade refried beans is so much better than canned. Make Refried Beans in less than an hour in your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.

Instant Pot Refried Beans Recipe

white onion, (diced)

garlic, (minced)

jalapenos (minced)

Pinto Beans, (sorted & rinsed)

Vegetable Broth

tsp Onion Powder

Cayenne Pepper

- 1 tsp Black Pepper

½ tsp Cumin Powder

tsp Oregano

Bayleaf

Lime Juice of 1/2 lime

Salt

Coriander leaves

Red Onion

Tomatoes

Wash the Pinto Beans and set it aside.

SAUTE - Press sauté button on Instant Pot. Add Oil followed by onion, garlic and jalapenos . Saute for 2 minutes.

ADD STOCK - Add a splash of stock to deglaze. Turn off the Sauté Mode. Add the remaining stock.

ADD THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS - Add Beans, spice powders and bay leaf.

PRESSURE COOK - Secure the lid. Turn the valve to sealing position. Select PRESSURE COOK HIGH for 35 minutes. Allow natural pressure release for 20 minutes and then carefully turn the valve to vent.  Open the lid and drain the beans into a colander to collect the liquid. { This is optional } Transfer the beans back to the Instant Pot insert.

MASH OR BLEND - Blend the cooked beans to a smooth creamy puree or to a desired consistency. Add a splash of cooking liquid to adjust the consistency, if needed.

ADJUST SEASONING - Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Squeeze some lime juice.

SERVE - Serve warm with a garnish of coriander leaves, red onion and tomatoes.

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/ilskrodcgtfyghvyaie6

How to make Mexican refried beans in Instant Pot?

Black beans, cooked and then fried and mashed with onion, garlic, chili, and cilantro. So good!!

Refried Black Beans

dry black beans

extra virgin olive oil

white onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

garlic clove,

salt

chipotle chili powder

Green onion

Cilantro

Tortilla chips or corn tortillas

"I am in the middle of making this recipe, waiting 2 hours while the pre-soaked beans cook, so I can't attest to the quality of the recipe. But I can say something about the recipe itself, which is that I find it poorly written. The sequence of adding ingredients is needlessly complicated and confusing and has already resulted in adding ingredients out of sequence because of how the recipe was written."

"Where is the lard? Where is the epazote? This is not authentic at all!"

"When I soak the beans, do they need refrigeration? Wasn’t sure, these would be fresh beans not can. Thanks!"

Soak dry beans: Place dry black beans in a bowl and add enough water to cover the beans by two inches. Let sit overnight.
Alternatively, if you don't have time to soak the beans overnight, place the dry beans in a large bowl and pour boiling water over the beans, covering the beans with at least an inch of water, and let sit for one hour.
Note, if your dry beans are a little old, or if you have reason to believe that they will be tough to cook (beans stored in hot or humid climates can get tough), you can add some salt to the water (1 1/2 teaspoons of salt 2 quarts of water) which at this stage will help the beans soften when they cook later.

Sauté cumin, onion, garlic:  Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (the pot you will use to cook the beans) on medium high heat.
Add the cumin. Once the cumin is sizzling, add the chopped onion. Cook for 5 minutes or so, until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more.

Add drained beans and water, simmer 2 hours: Once the beans have soaked, they should have expanded noticeably. Drain the soaking liquid.
Add the drained beans and 2 quarts of water to the onions. Bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 2 hours.

Add Salt and Cilantro, cook 30 min more: After the beans have simmered for 2 hours, add 2 teaspoons of salt (if you salted the soaking water in step 1, then taste first, and only add a teaspoon or so more of salt if you think it needs it).
Add 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Let cook uncovered for another half hour, or until the beans are tender.

Sauté the spices, then add onions and cook: Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat. Add the chipotle powder, chili powder, and cumin.
 
Once the spices are sizzling, add the chopped white onion and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook a minute more.

Add beans, then mash: Add the cooked black beans (and liquid from the pot) to the frying pan. Use a potato masher to mash the beans in the pan.  Let them cook 3 to 4 minutes longer.

If the beans are a little soupy for your taste, just let them cook longer. If too thick or dry, add more water. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve: Garnish with chopped green onions, fresh cilantro, and crumbled cotija or queso fresco cheese.
Serve with tortilla chips or corn or flour tortillas (corn if you are gluten-free). Great in tacos or burritos, or for a dip, or a side with steak.

"I made this with canned black beans (used 3 cans and 1\/2 of the  cilantro, onions, seasoning). OMG. So delicious. Will never buy canned refried beans again. And I’m going to try this for “rice and beans”.  Just skip the mashing.  Love this easy and delicious recipe."

"Love this recipe, I've made it a half dozen times now and the only thing I change is I boil the beans with 1 quote of water rather then 2 and I skip the cilantro (think I may be allergic). Comes out perfect every time."

Easy at-home refried black beans that are flavorful and perfectly versatile. Made with canned beans in about 15 minutes, the perfect side dish for any Mexican or TexMex recipe!

avocado oil oil

white onion

garlic

black beans (drained. Canned is fine.)

bean liquid

Heat oil or shortening in medium frying pan over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are soft and just beginning to brown, about 3-4 minutes.

Add half of the beans (1 1/2 cups) and mash completely with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups beans and mash, leaving about half of the beans intact, or whatever strikes your personal texture fancy.

Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the bean starches begin to coat the bottom of the pan and turn golden brown, about 3 minutes.&nbsp;

Add bean-cooking liquid or water, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the water and heat the beans through, about 2 minutes. .The beans may initially look soupy, but they’ll thicken as they cool, so be sure to add all of the water or bean-cooking liquid.

Tostadas are meant to be messy! Pile them with your favorite toppings and dig in. These are made with a crispy fried corn tortilla topped with refried beans, grated cheese, chopped avocado and tomato, sliced lettuce, and salsa.

Mexican Tostada

Corn oil olive oil

corn tortillas

refried beans, homemade

tomatoes,

cheese

salsa, jalapeños

"I have leftover pork chile verde from 2 nights ago (also your recipe- my all time favorite!). Would that be ok to use as one of the toppings? Shred the pork. Please advise. Thank you!"

Warm the refried beans: Warm the refried beans in a frying pan on medium heat, until warm. If you are using regular canned beans, drain them, then add them to the pan with a little water, mash them as you heat them.
For extra flavor for the beans you can stir in a tablespoon of bacon fat to them and/or a big slice of cheddar cheese.
Keep the beans on warm while you prepare the tortillas, adding water to them as necessary to keep a creamy consistency.

Dry the tortillas in oven: To help the tortillas fry up better, dry them in the oven by laying them out on an oven rack and cooking them at 250°F for 10 minutes or so.

Fry the tortillas: Pour enough oil into a frying pan so that you have a quarter inch layer of oil. Heat the oil on medium high heat until sizzling hot, but not smoking.
One at a time, fry the tortillas in the oil. Bubbles should form in the tortilla immediately as you put the tortilla in the oil, otherwise the oil is not hot enough.
Fry until golden brown on both sides, cooking about 30 seconds to a minute per side. Use metal tongs or a spatula to push the tortilla down in the oil, and to turn and lift the tortilla out of the pan, draining the excess oil as you do so. (The tortilla should be fairly stiff and crisp. If not, the oil is not hot enough.)
 
Place the tortilla on a paper towel-lined plate, to absorb the excess oil. Sprinkle with a little salt.
Put the cooked tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a 250°F oven to keep warm.
Add more oil to the pan as needed, taking care that the oil heats sufficiently before adding a tortilla to the pan.

Serve with toppings: To serve, place toppings in separate bowls, with a larger serving dish for the beans. Bring out the tostada shells in batches, keeping those unused warm in the oven.
To prepare a tostada, spread a large spoonful of mashed beans over a tostada shell. Sprinkle on cheese and other toppings (sliced lettuce, avocados, salsa, etc.)
Don't load the tostada too much or you'll find it difficult to eat. Eat by picking up the tostada with both hands (like a pizza slice).

"For more nutrition you could use finely shredded cabbage or baby greens in place of iceberg lettuce... If you don't have fresh tomatoes could substitute sundried packed in oil..."

"A real favorite! We have these at least once a week...Simple to prepare, healthy ingredients, and delicious!"

These classic Tex-Mex nachos are loaded to the MAX! Avoid soggy nachos by briefly baking them before topping with cheese, seasoned beef, refried beans, guacamole, and salsa. They're a great snack, party appetizer, or even casual weeknight dinner.

The Best Nachos

oregano

black pepper

cayenne pepper (optional)

vegetable oil

beef (80:20 lean-to-fat ratio)

(2 cups) refried beans, canned or homemade

tortilla chips

cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups), plus more for topping

pico de gallo, store-bought

jalapeño (pickled

Guacamole

Salsa

Sour cream

black olives

Sliced green onions

Shredded lettuce

Hot sauce

"I took a little different approach this time. I laid one layer of chips, added some refried beans, ground beef mixture and some grated cheese. Baked in a 380 degree oven (on convection) until the cheese was well melted and the chips were starting to brown. Then I added another layer of chips, meat and cheese and baked again until the cheese melted and the chips were browed. Removed from oven and added jalapeno slices, chopped tomato, chopped black olives, chopped onion and chopped cilantro. Best ever for me.  Cheese melted throughout and all chips crispy to the bottom."

"Yep, these are really and truly the best!"

Make the taco spice blend: Combine all of the spices (chili powder through cayenne) together in a small bowl.

Make the beef and bean topping: Heat the vegetable oil on medium high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the ground beef to the pan and season it with all of the taco spice blend. As the meat cooks, use a spoon to break the meat up into crumbles.
Cook for about 8 minutes until the meat has browned and drain the fat using a colander.
Return the meat to the pan and add the refried beans and the water. Heat the mixture until the beans are smooth and warmed through. Reduce the heat to low and keep the beef-bean mixture warm while you prepare the chips.

Toast the chips: On a 13x18-inch oven-safe platter or sheet pan, arrange the tortilla chips in a single layer, overlapping them slightly. Toast the chips in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, or just until you begin to smell their aroma.

Assemble and bake the nachos: Carefully remove the pan from the oven and top with one half of the shredded cheeses. Allow the heat from the chips to melt the cheese slightly before topping the chips with the beef and bean mixture.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the beef and return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted.

Top and serve: Top the nachos with the pico de gallo, chopped cilantro, jalapeño slices, or any of your preferred toppings. Serve hot.

"DELICIOUS!!!  I made it, WE LOVED IT!!!  Definite keeper!  Thank you for a great recipe!"

"Great!! Beef&amp; beans together terrific, love the seasoning mix, we will be doing this again."

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/video_src?vid=6093165096001

Mexican pinto beans with cumin, coriander, cinnamon onion and pepper. The brown sugar gives a hint of sweetness and the chipotle powder gives some smokey spice.&nbsp;

Mexican Pinto Beans

butter

onion (diced)

red bell pepper (diced)

tomato (diced)

pinto beans (18 ounces 540 milliliters) (drained)

tsp cumin

tsp coriander

tsp chipotle powder

tsp ground cinnamon

tsp salt

brown sugar

Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the garlic cloves, diced onion, red pepper and tomato. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and peppers are tender and the tomatoes are broken down to create a sauce, about 7 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients, minus the fresh cilantro. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat so it cooks at a low simmer. Cook for 45 minutes. If the water evaporates, it may be necessary to add another 1/4 cup of water.

Garnish with the fresh cilantro.

If you love the flavor of refried beans but would rather avoid the lard they are typically cooked in, you’ll love this easy, fat-free version made in the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Refried Beans

pinto beans (soaked for 8 hours and drained)

garlic (minced)

Combine the drained beans, water, onion, and garlic in the Instant Pot.

Stir well, making sure the beans are submerged. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Select

Manual/Pressure Cook to cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.

When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve drops, remove the lid and drain the beans, reserving the liquid.

Return the cooked beans to the Instant Pot, and stir in ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid, along with the cumin, chili powder, black pepper, cayenne, and ½ teaspoon salt. Use a potato masher to mash the cooked beans until smooth, leaving some texture if you like. (You can use an immersion blender for pureed beans, if you prefer.)

Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt as needed, and serve warm with a garnish of cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

Store leftover beans in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week.

If you love the flavor of refried beans but would rather avoid the lard they are typically cooked in, you’ll love this easy, fat-free version made in the Instant Pot.


Print full recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/refried-beans/

Instant Pot Healthy Refried Beans Recipe

The easiest, tastiest recipe for homemade refried beans made right in the Instant Pot.&nbsp;

pinto beans (2 cup of pinto beans)

chicken stock or vegetable broth

jalapeno (seeded and de-stemmed (optional))

paprika

onion powder

garlic powder

apple cider vinegar (optional)

kosher salt (to taste)

Rinse

Rinse dried beans and remove any rocks or broken beans. 

Season

Place rinsed beans in inner pot. Add in stock, water, onion, jalapeno, garlic cloves, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Pressure Cook

Close Instant Pot and be sure valve is turned to &quot;seal.&quot; Set to cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Hit manual or pressure cook and use +/- buttons to adjust cook time to 50 minutes.

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