Want to make refried beans at home? It’s much quicker and easier than you think – if you use my sneaky shortcut… This Easy Homemade Refried Beans recipe uses tinned beans to make authentic-tasting Mexican-style refried beans in just 15 minutes! I like to make refried beans with pinto beans, but you can also use black beans or kidney beans, if you prefer.
This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
Want to make refried beans at home? Use my sneaky shortcut!
Want to make homemade refried beans from scratch? It’s so much easier than you think… if you use my sneaky shortcut and use tinned beans!
As always, with recipes like this, I scoured the internet to discover what the essential ingredients were in an authentic Mexican-style refried beans recipe… Then I set to work, adapting and simplifying those traditional recipes to make something that is quick and easy… without compromising on flavour!
And this delicious 15-minute refried beans recipe is the result. All of the flavour and none of the faff – that’s my kind of recipe!
How to make homemade refried beans from tinned beans
It is so quick and easy to make refried beans with tinned beans!
All you need to do is fry diced onions, garlic, cumin and chilli. Then add 2 tins of pinto beans and all the water, and turn up the heat. Simmer for 5 mins, then turn the heat off, and roughly mash the beans, using a potato masher. Finally, stir in chopped coriander, salt and lime to taste, and serve garnished with more coriander. Easy peasy!
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
What type of beans should you use in refried beans?
Refried beans are usually made with pinto beans and that is what I have used in this recipe. For me pinto beans really give the best texture and flavour, so I recommend using them if you can. However, they can also be made with black beans or kidney beans, if you prefer.
Whichever kind of beans you use, make sure you buy the ones that are just in water and, ideally, with no added salt.
What to serve refried beans with
Serve these refried beans with all your Mexican and Tex-Mex favourites, such as…
- Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Easy Peasy Chilli Con Carne
- Slow Cooked Chunky Beef Chilli
- Easy Beef Enchiladas
- Easy Homemade Chicken Fajitas
- Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos
- Mexican Style Avocado Toast
- Mexican Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
(Shown in the photo below with Easy Turkey Fajitas, Homemade Salsa Roja and Easy 4 Ingredient Guacamole.)
Easy Turkey Fajitas
What to do with leftover refried beans?
Refried beans keep really well in the fridge, making them a really good ‘make ahead’ option. Simply place them in a lidded container in the fridge where they will keep for up to 4 days.
There’s no need to reheat as they are delicious cold!
But if you want to reheat them, simply pop them in a small saucepan with a splash of cold water and heat until piping hot, or you can reheat them in the microwave if you prefer.
Alternatively, why not use your leftover refried beans to make these delicious Easy Refried Bean Quesadillas?
Can you freeze refried beans?
Refried beans freeze really well! Simply place them in a lidded container in the freezer where they will keep for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge or for a couple of hours at room temperature.
(PRO TIP: If you think you are only going to want a small amount of refried beans at a time, freeze them in ice cube trays and then, when frozen, transfer to a lidded container or plastic freezer bag – that way you can defrost just the amount you need each time!)
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Easy Homemade Refried Beans (From Canned Beans!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic grated or crushed
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (or to taste) or diced fresh chilli, if you prefer
- 2 x 400g tins pinto beans including the water (see Note 1)
- 5 g fresh coriander roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish
- Juice of ½ lime (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Place the onion and olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry over a low heat for 3 minutes, or until the onion is softened and lightly browned.
- Add the garlic, cumin and chilli flakes and fry for 1 more minute.
- Add the 2 tins of beans and all the water, then turn up the heat.
- Bring to boil, then simmer for 5 mins.
- Turn the heat off, then roughly mash the beans, using a potato masher, until you reach your desired consistency.
- Add the chopped coriander, salt and lime to taste.
- Serve garnished with more coriander.
Notes
- You can use black beans or kidney beans if you prefer. Make sure you buy beans where the ingredients are just beans and water.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Disclosure
This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
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