Easy 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! Healthy, vegan and gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Where have pinto beans been all my life? I dismissed them after a couple of lackluster Mexican restaurant meals, but I’ve recently realized pinto beans in their full glory. They’re creamy and rich, and mix in beautifully with scrambled eggs, soup, rice and more.
Pinto beans make the best refried beans, since they’re so buttery. I recently crossed my refried black beans recipe with my pinto beer beans (both available in my cookbook) and ended up with these outrageously delicious refried beans.
Fresh cilantro livens up these refried beans, and a squeeze of lime juice makes them taste more complex. Flavor aside, these refried beans are also a healthy source of plant-based protein and fiber (12 grams of each per serving). You can read up on pinto bean nutrition here.
Bonus? This recipe is so easy to make! I used high quality canned beans to make this recipe quickly. I tried home-cooked beans and couldn’t tell enough difference to bother doing it again. If you prefer to cook your own beans, though, you certainly can.
Cook up some onion in olive oil, add spices and beans, and your refried beans are ready in under 25 minutes. This recipe is far superior to store-bought refried beans, and it’s become a staple in my kitchen. I hope it becomes a staple in yours, too.
Uses for Refried Beans
Refried beans are a healthy side dish to serve along with any Mexican meal. They’re so good that I like to eat them with tortilla chips as a bean dip.
You can also use these protein-rich, vegan refried beans inside tacos, enchiladas and burritos. Spread them on the inside of a quesadilla or on top of a tostada. You can’t go wrong!
Watch How to Make Refried Beans
Refried Bean Tips
Chop the onions very small, and be sure to cook them until tender. This is key to achieving a creamy texture. If the onions are too large or undercooked, they will be distracting and crunchy. No thanks!
Mash the beans as much as you’d like. I usually stop when the beans are half to three-quarters mashed, but you can mash them completely if you’d like perfectly creamy refried beans. (You’ll get even smoother results if you blend these beans in a food processor. I don’t recommend trying the blender since they are so thick.)
Use black beans if you prefer. Black beans aren’t as easily blended as pinto beans, so they’ll probably be a little more chunky. If you love black beans, you’ll love this version!
Add peppers for even more flavor. You can add a finely chopped bell pepper (any color) or jalapeño pepper(s) with the onion, for beans with extra flavor and texture. Jalapeños will make the beans more spicy—I recommend removing the seeds and membranes first so you have more control over the spice level.
Please let me know how these refried beans turn out for you in the comments! Your feedback keeps me going, and your star ratings encourage other readers to make the recipe. Find more Mexican recipes here.
Easy 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 ½ cups refried beans (21 ounces), enough for 5 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow or white onion (about ½ small onion)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked pinto beans
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (about ½ medium lime), to taste
Instructions
- 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’re ready to serve.
Notes
Change it up: Substitute black beans for the pinto beans.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Always follow this recipe. It’s simple and perfect.
This turned out GREAT! Sorry my food styling game is not strong enough for instagram, lol. My grocery store stopped carrying my favorite brand of refried beans, (Kuners black bean with lime), so I’ve been eating blah LaPreferida. When I saw your recipe I had to try it and I loved it! I made it with black beans. I like that I can control the texture and spiciness. I will be making this again, no doubt. Thank you for all the free recipes you provide.
I’m happy you love it, Beth! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
I’ve made these twice and both times it was outstanding. My favorite part, besides the taste, is how quick it comes together!
Wonderful to hear! Thank you for your time to review, D.
I have a can of pinto and a can of black- do you think they can both be used together?
They can, let me know what you think!
Came out awesome thank you for sharing!! I actually have a hamburger separator. I use it for when I cook up hamburger and stuff like that in the friying pan, it works great for mashing up the beans.
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed the beans.
How did this work out?
I had never made homemade reprised beans. This is delicious! Thanks!
Made these tonight, they were amazing!!! The only thing I did different than the recipe was I added a few Tablespoons of pickled diced jalapenos with the onions, Spicy and so good!!! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you, Nikki! I’m excited you hear you loved it.
Can I halve the recipe? Hope I’m not duplicating a question / comment.
Hi! I haven’t tried it, but that should be ok. Let me know how that turns out for you!
I have halved this because there only two of us but it’s perfect. Every time!
I used one can of pinto beans and half the other ingredients. We didn’t have cilantro. It was delicious without it. We melted shredded cheddar cheese on top of each serving and stuffed it in our tacos. Three of us could have easily eaten the recipe using two cans. We restrict our sodium, although it’s not high in sodium, it was so nice to adjust the ingredients with that in mind – and leave room for the cheddar. Thank you so much. This recipe is a keeper!!
Can these be stored afterwards? Excited to try!!!
LOVED this. Super easy, creamy and tasty. I had to use 1 can black beans and 1 can of generic pork and beans. I drained and rinsed both; then followed rest of the recipe.
Thank you so much. Sure beats the recipe from dried bag beans.
Great! Thank you for sharing, Betty.
Delicious recipe! Better than any cans of refried beans sold on the market! Honestly! Easy to make as well! Thank you Kate!
I’m glad you loved it, Claude! Thank you for your review.
Wonderful and easy. I used black beans as it was I had and used a hand held immersion blender to mash. Perfect texture! Thanks
This was just what the title said, easy refried beans and they were delicious! I cocked them in a stainless steel skillet so I could mash them right in it. Thank you for this. I don’t think I will go back to premade.
I love this recipe, but I made a couple of changes. I used lower sodium chicken broth instead of water, and I cooked the beans for about 30 minutes adding more chicken broth as needed (used about a can). I also increased the chili powder (Gebhardt – my favorite brand) to 1 scant teaspoon. I used 1 can of Goya and 1 can of Bush’s pinto beans. That gave me just the right consistency. I based my changes on what I use when cooking dry pinto beans. I like to make these as a side for tacos and use the leftovers to make breakfast quesadillas – tortillas, beans, grated Mexican cheese served with mashed avocado with seasoning salt and nacho sliced jalapeño peppers.
Thank you for sharing!
I tried this with black beans and my family loves it! Thanks for the tips!!
Can’t wait to try this! I live abroad and can’t buy canned refried beans in stores, so this recipe is more out of necessity for me! I can’t wait to try it for a taco dip I’m making for my European friends.
I make these often but omit the cilantro (kids don’t like it) and instead stir in 3/4 can or so of fire-roasted diced tomatoes before adding the water. It brightens the flavor and makes them a little less dry. So yummy, we use these in quesadillas.
I found this recipe one night while craving a bean burrito from a fast food place. I decided to make my own using these and it turned out amazing. Love this recipe and that it uses staple foods I typically have at home. It has been added to my recipe rotation of meals. I like to use one can of black, and one can of pinto beans.
I’ve made these several times since I came across your recipe in the autumn of 2020. They are so lovely. Thanks
Made these tonight and our son said he will never eat canned retried beans again. There is no going back. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Mary!
Thank you a life saver in a pinch.!
I’m delighted you enjoyed them, Danielle!
Great recipe! Yum!
I am going to make this, but I have Lemmon can I use that instead of lime juice?
Hi! You can try it, or a vinegar could work too.
I made this yesterday January 16, 2021. Dicing the onions so finely took a little longer than I thought it would. I tried mashing the beans by hand, I ended up putting them in my food processor. I garnished mine with some melted cheese and fresh parsley before serving them.
They were delicious and very easy to make.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing.
Hello! I may have missed this in previous comments, but how long do these beans last refrigerated?
Hi, see they should keep well for 3-4 days in the refrigerator covered.
Not sure where it went wrong, but the final product was very bland and thin. I had to add more cooked beans and extra salt to thicken it and give it some flavor. But it still lacked something.
I’m sorry to hear that. Did you add too much water by chance?
I may have. After it sat in the fridge for a couple of days, it improved immensely.
I’m going to try it again and add some diced jalepeno and some garlic. I also think I need to have verything prepped before I start.
Time flies. How old are your spices? I’ve had to start putting the purchase date on the bottom of the containers….
Simply delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe and best regards from Hamburg, Germany !
DELICIOUSNESS!!!
Wonderful, Patti!
Hi! Could you please tell me how to make the chili powder? I think the chili powder in the US and the one here in the UK are completely different things
Hi! Chili powder is different, so I would recommend using less in my recipes since it appears to have more heat.
I’ve made these refried beans twice now and they are fantastic! I follow it exactly as written. It’s easy and comes together quickly!
Thank you
You’re welcome, Victoria!
Can I make a batch and freeze?
I haven’t tried it, but it should be ok frozen.
Never buying canned refried beans again! Great recipe!
Yes! Thank you for your review, Michael.
I never learned how to make proper refried beans, so I improvised using an electric pressure cooker, after which I drain off much of the liquid and season to taste: celery salt, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cilantro (dried or fresh) and a dash or two of Pace salsa to punch up the flavor. (I also “cheat” by using a Cuisinart thunderstick to blend them more rapidly than I can mash them by hand.) Recently I tried adding in a new spice — ground Marjoram. It gave it a more complex flavor that, IMHO, compliments pinto beans really well. This time I will be using lime based on the recipe here. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Made this last evening to enjoy whilst on a family and friends Zoom party.
It was absolutely delicious with Nachos and a chunky Guacamole.
It’s definitely on my list of favourite foods from now on.
Thank you for the recipe.
That sounds like fun! Thank you for sharing, Helen.
What would change if I wanted to use beans soaked overnight? Thanks
Hi! You would want to cook your beans first, then follow the recipe as stated.
These were amazing! Never again will I eat refried beans out of a can. The lime was the finishing touch, yummy!
Fantastic to hear, Valerie! Thanks for sharing.
I made your recipe exactly as described. Being a foodie and a mature woman who’s cooked almost everything in my life at one time or another, I was deeply disappointed.
The mixture was dry and flavorless.
I ended up adding triple the salt but it was too late to add spices, and even adding extra water did nothing to loosen the stiff mixture.
It was like eating styrofoam
Hi Elizabeth, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it. Are you sure you didn’t over cook the beans? If they were dry, that could be the case.
Perfect! Didn’t have fresh cilantro, used dry.
Yummie!! Good recipy, always looking to improve my cooking. TY! Lived in MX for a while, Everybody kept a big pot of beans cookin. loved the re fry beans as a common side maybe with a little dry white cheese on top. I like the onion in larger crescents, barely crushed beans, in addition to jalapenos and ham, bacon or a little bacon grease. btw my experience is pintos norte, frijoles negros sur. Thankyou for sharing Kathryne.
Made these the other night. OMG!! Never buying canned refried beans again. Had them with fajitas, then made huevos rancheros in the morning. I blended in the food processor, as I prefer them smooth. Thanks!!
Wonderful to hear, Don!
Hi! This looks delicious! Can this be made in advance and then heated up?
Hi Beth! Yes, this can be reheated.
I’ve always been a little bit blah about refried beans, but since I needed a side dish for the tacos I was making for guests I decided to try this recipe. I’m so glad I did! Everyone loved them! I will never do canned refried beans again. I mashed about 75% of the beans and I loved the texture. I also fried a diced bell pepper with the onions. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. Maybe a bit harder than opening a can of pre-made refried beans but not much, and the difference is amazing.
“two cans of beans”??? refried beans should NEVER be made with canned beans, it is just sick and wrong…sorry if I didn’t make your day!
Hi Jack, I’m sorry to hear you are disappointed by this recipe. I spend a lot of time testing recipes and researching them. I’m not sure I agree, but you could cook your beans and use them here too. If you make this recipe, I would be interested in what you think!
Kate, your response here is very gracious! I usually prefer home cooked beans but it’s not always possible. Canned beans are perfect for refried recipe. I love both the simplicity and the adaptability of your recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
Terese
I have made this recipe numerous times now it has become one of my family’s favorites. I have always used canned beans and it has always turned out delicious but today I am making them with my own cooked beans I will let you know how they came out
I am a kitchen n00b and your recipe is great. Thank you!
I have a question and that is how long would this keep in the fridge? Thanks in advance!
Hi! it should keep well for 3-4 days.
I just made this recipe. Very easy and quick and tastes really good. I cut the recipe in half for two of us. I used the food processor to mince frozen peppers and onions, and also food processed the beans when done. Also used a small amount of dried cilantro. Came out great!
Also, I bought your book and I think it is excellent.
I’m happy you were able to make it work for your, Betsy! I appreciate you taking the time to review. Also, thanks for purchasing my cookbook! I hope you love it.
Absolutely delicious recipe! My sister told me about it and I made it the other week. Just planning my meals for next week and am making these again as they were so scrummy. Will they freeze ok do you think?
Also…I’m sure a lot of people don’t have the time to NOT used canned beans so the rude comment above was extremely unnecessary. Why can’t people be kind?!
Hi! I believe others have tried it and didn’t mind the results. I’m happy you enjoyed it, Emily!
Thanks for the response!
So I won’t lie I didn’t follow the recipe exactly but the beans still turned out great. On a whim I decided to try my hand at it since I had leftover beans from a school lab project ( culinary student) and didn’t want to waste them. I definitely have a lot more respect for those that make this stuff on a regular basis now
Hi
I’m making these for dinner. Looks like people really love the recipe. I will let you know how I did. : )
Can use dried cilantro if I don’t have fresh?
Thanks!
Hi! I hope you love it. You can try it, be sure to use one-third the amount. Let me know what you think!
Is the chili powder the mixed spice or powdered chilis?
Hi! It’s a blend. I like to use Frontier spices.
A bit on the bland side even after adding 2 jalapeños to the base recipe. Don’t be shy to spice it up unless you are averse to flavors.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, Rod. Yes, adjust the seasoning to your preferred spice.
Just made these for a quick and easy lunch! The ingredients are things I usually carry in my pantry so it was perfect. They came out great! so delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Lauren! Thank you for your review.
I just made the refried beans. They’re very good. I am of Mexican descent & my family uses lard & fresh beans to make refried beans. Me being vegetarian, that doesn’t work. I’ve tried other refried beans recipes to no avail. Kate’s recipe rocks!! They’re yummy.
Thanks, Kate
I’ve never attempted refried beans at home because I thought it was going to be difficult but this recipe was super easy and yummy!