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Add another tasty dish to your Mexican menu with this fabulously easy homemade refried beans recipe. Making it yourself was never so easy!
In under 30 minutes, you can serve them alongside nachos, guacamole, and salsa Roja for a perfect summertime dipping feast!
These homemade refried beans are ready in minutes, and they’re creamier and more flavorful than any you’d buy premade. They’re great as a side dish in a Mexican meal or as a delicious component in nachos, tacos, burritos, and so much more.
Why This Recipe Works
- Canned pinto beans make this recipe not only quick and easy but creamy and rich.
- Cooking the beans in stock, onions, and garlic adds a deeper taste to the dish.
- Fresh cilantro, spices, and a squeeze of lime juice add extra layers of flavor.
Ingredient Notes
- Beans: I used canned pinto beans for convenience, but you can cook your own dried beans. Black beans and Bayo beans also work well.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is always best, but you can substitute it for a teaspoon of garlic powder if need be.
- Onion: Red, yellow and white onions are all great options, but shallots can be used as a replacement.
- Spices: I use cumin, ground chili pepper, and paprika in this recipe because I have a global audience, but if you are in the US and want to use cumin and chili powder instead (which is a blend of all the spices I use) you can do that too.
- Cilantro (coriander): Use fresh cilantro/coriander leaves for the best possible flavor.
Step By Step Instructions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium, until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onions and cook until the onions soften and become translucent about 5 minutes.
Add in the cumin, ground Chipotle Pepper, and paprika.
Cook while stirring to bloom the spices until they are fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Mix the drained pinto beans, stock, chopped cilantro/coriander, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.
Remove from the heat and spoon out enough stock so that the beans are just covered. Set the reserved store aside.
Add the lime juice
Puree the mixture using a food processor or mash using a potato masher until you reach your desired consistency (adding some of the reserved stock as needed to loosen). Taste and season with salt as needed, and add more lime juice if necessary.
Garnish with crumbled queso fresco cheese, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, and sliced jalapeños before serving.
Erren’s Top Tips
- For the creamiest refried beans, cook the onions until soft, and if you’re mashing instead of using a food processor, cut them relatively small to ensure the mixture blends smooth.
- Mash or puree the beans as much as you like. I usually leave a little texture, but it is up to you how smooth you make them.
- For an added kick, cook chopped jalapeño peppers in with the onions.
- Spices: I use cumin, ground chili pepper, and paprika in this recipe because I have a global audience, but if you are in the US and want to use cumin and chili powder instead (which is a blend of all the spices I use) you can do that too.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
- In the fridge: Allow the cooked beans to cool. Place in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- In the freezer: Once cooled, place the refried beans in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating in a pan.
Did you make this?
Recipe
Easy Homemade Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper ((or cyan pepper) plus more to taste)
- 30 oz canned pinto beans (two 15oz cans)
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cilantro/coriander leaves (chopped (plus more for topping))
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- ½ a lime (juiced)
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
- 2 tablespoon queso fresco cheese (crumbled for garnish, optional)
- 1 tablespoon diced tomatoes (for garnish, optional)
- 1 teaspoon sliced jalapeños (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium, until shimmering but not smoking.
- Add the onions and cook until the onions soften and become translucent about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cumin, ground Chipotle Pepper, and paprika. Cook while stirring to bloom the spices until they are fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Mix the drained pinto beans, stock, chopped cilantro/coriander, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and spoon out enough stock so that the beans are just covered. Set the reserved stock aside.
- Add the lime juice and puree the mixture using a food processor or mash using a potato masher until you reach your desired consistency (adding some of the reserved stock as needed to loosen).
- Return to the heat, cook, stirring for an additional 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and finish with the butter.
- Taste and season with salt as needed, and add more lime juice if necessary.
- If the beans seem dry, mix in a splash of more stock to loosen garnish with crumbled queso fresco cheese, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, and sliced jalapeños before serving.
Tips
- For the creamiest refried beans, cook the onions until soft, and if you’re mashing instead of using a food processor, cut them relatively small to ensure the mixture blends smooth.
- Mash or puree the beans as much as you like. I usually leave a little texture, but it is up to you how smooth you make them.
- For an added kick, cook chopped jalapeño peppers in with the onions.
- Spices: I use cumin, ground chili pepper, and paprika in this recipe because I have a global audience, but if you are in the US and want to use cumin and chili powder instead (which is a blend of all the spices I use) you can do that too.
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