Homemade Refried Beans

Homemade Refried Beans are creamy, savory, and far more flavorful than anything from a can! Made with simple pantry ingredients, these refried pinto beans have a rich, restaurant-style texture that’s perfect for tacos, burritos, and bowls or for simply dipping chips.

This recipe starts with dried pinto beans cooked from scratch for the best flavor and texture. While canned beans will work in a pinch, cooking your own beans is easy to do, budget-friendly, and creates refried beans that are far more aromatic and flavorful!

Origin

Refried beans originated in Mesoamerica, where beans were a large staple of the indigenous food source. Refried beans are traditionally cooked with lard, but the use of animal fat was introduced after Spanish colonization. It’s speculated that the original Indigenous preparation of refried beans didn’t involve cooking the beans in fat at all.

The name “refried beans” is a bit misleading. In Spanish, frijoles refritos means “well-fried beans,” not beans that are fried twice. Despite the name, refried beans are only cooked once in fat.

How to use these Homemade Refried Beans

These refried beans are the perfect base for a few of my favorite dishes! I use them in:

• Burritos
• Tacos
• Salad bowls
• Chip dip
• Nachos
• Side dish

Ingredients for Homemade Refried Beans

• Pinto Beans: Pinto beans are most the common choice for refried beans, thanks to their creamy texture and mild flavor. While pinto beans are traditional for Mexican-style refried beans, black beans are commonly used in Central American and Caribbean cooking. Red or white beans work as well, each adding their own unique flavor and texture.
  
  
• Bay leaf: Adding a bay leaf while the pinto beans cook adds a subtle, herbaceous flavor to the beans and cooking liquid, which is later used when mashing beans.
  
  
• Oil: I use either olive or avocado oil as the fat in this recipe.
  
  
• Onion and garlic: These aromatics are gently cooked on low heat to soften and add a flavorful base for the refried beans.
  
  
• Jalapeño: Only optional for spicy heat! The minced pepper is cooked with the onion and garlic and can be customized for spice. Omit half or all seeds depending on preferred spice preference.
  
  
• Mexican oregano: Mexican oregano has more earthy, savory flavors and oregano has more citrusy, mint-like flavors. If you don’t have Mexican oregano on hand, regular oregano works just fine.
  
  
• Cumin and chili powder: These spices add warm, earthy notes and mild heat to compliment the refried beans.
  
  
• Aquafaba: The bean cooking liquid is infused with flavor from the bay leaf, onion, and natural starch from the pinto beans. This creates a perfect liquid to mash the beans with, creating the creamy texture of refried beans!
  

How to make Homemade Refried Bean

This recipe calls for making beans from scratch as the refried beans turn out much more flavorful! In a pinch, you can use canned pinto beans. If opting for canned, use two 30-oz canned pinto beans, draining liquid using a colander and reserve bean liquid to use later.

Step 1: Soak pinto beans overnight, at least 8 hours.

Step 2: When ready to cook, strain soaking water using a colander.

I use an Instant Pot because it’s much faster for cooking beans, but beans can also be cooked on the stovetop! Directions are the same, only instead of pressure cooking you will cover the beans with several inches of water, cover with a lid, and simmer for 45-75 minutes, until beans are tender.

Step 3: Press the “sauté” function on the Instant Pot. Once hot, add a drizzle of avocado oil and 1 cup onions and sauté until tender. Press “cancel” and add strained pinto beans, 1 bay leaf, and ½ tsp salt. Seal Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, allowing a full natural release.

Step 4: Once pressure is released, open lid. Separate the beans and the cooking liquid using a colander and large bowl, and set cooking liquid aside for later use.

Step 5: In a large pot (my preference) or large cast iron skillet, heat 2 ½ Tbsp olive oil on low-medium heat. Add 1 ½ cup onions and optional jalapeño and sweat onions until very tender and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Don’t rush this step, you want them to cook slowly. Add garlic and cook another minute or two. Then add 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp Mexican oregano, ½ tsp salt, the strained pinto beans, and ½ cup of the bean cooking liquid. Turn heat up to medium and use a potato masher to mash beans to desired consistency, adding more cooking liquid if need, a little bit at a time. Add lime juice and cook until beans are heated through, then turn off heat. Taste, add anything more refried beans may need.

For more blended texture, you can use a stick blender or food processor.

These refried beans are a perfect filling for burritos, tacos, bowls, a side dish, or a chip dip appetizer.

Storage + Reheating

Store refried beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze 1-2 months.

Reheat refried beans in the microwave or on the stove in a pot on medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Homemade Refried Beans

Homemade Refried Beans are creamy, savory, and far more flavorful than anything from a can! Made with simple pantry ingredients, these refried pinto beans have a rich, restaurant-style texture that’s perfect for tacos, burritos, and bowls or a side for dipping chips.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

soak time8 hours hrs

Course: recipe basics, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Pinto Beans

Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

• 1 Instant Pot or stovetop
• 1 Large pot
• 1 Potato Masher

Ingredients

Instant Pot

• 2 cups pinto beans
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup white onion, small dice
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp salt

Refried Beans

• 2 ½ Tbsp avocado oil
• 1 cup white onion, small dice
• ½-1 jalapeño, minced (optional, all or some seeds removed)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp Mexican oregano
• ¾-1 cup reserved bean water (aquafaba)

Finishing

• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• garnish with cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions

• Soak: (For un-soaked beans, see notes below.) Soak 2 cups dry pinto beans covered with several inches of water overnight, at least 8 hours.
• Instant Pot: (For stovetop directions, see notes below.) Strain pinto bean water using colander. Press "sauté" function on Instant Pot and once hot, add a drizzle of oil. Sauté 1 cup of the white onion until soft, stirring occasionally. Press "cancel" on Instant Pot. Add pinto beans, 4 cups fresh water, 1 bay leaf, and ½ tsp salt. Seal lid and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, allowing a natural release.
• Reserve aquafaba: Strain and reserve the pinto bean cooking liquid using colander and a large bowl. Remove and discard bay leaf.
• Aromatics: Heat large pot (my preference) or cast iron skillet on low-medium heat with 2 ½ Tbsp avocado oil. Add onions and optional jalapeño and cook gently until very soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. (If onions are still crunchy, it will add too much crunch to the finished beans.) Stir in garlic and cook a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. Add cooked pinto beans, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp Mexican oregano, ½ tsp salt, and ½ cup reserved pinto bean liquid. Use potato masher to smash beans to desired consistency, slowly adding more bean water if needed.
• Finishing: Stir in 1 Tbsp lime juice. Taste refried beans and add anything more they may need. Garnish with optional cilantro.
• Serving + Storing: Serve refried beans immediately or store in an airtight contain in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for 1-2 months.

Notes

*Un-soaked beans: follow sauté directions and add 2 cups dry pinto beans and 5 cups water and cook on high pressure for 55 minutes. Allow a full natural release.

*Stovetop directions: Soak pinto beans overnight. When ready to cook, drain water and follow sauté directions. Add soaked pinto beans and enough fresh water to cover beans several inches and then cover with a lid. Simmer for 45-75 minutes, until beans are tender.