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These simple Refried Beans are thick, creamy and powerfully flavorful with just a handful of ingredients. You will never want to eat the canned version again! This recipe has been passed through the Herrera family for generations and are guaranteed to become your new favorite recipe.
I love serving these refried beans alongside some homemade Mexican rice with our meals. Or using these in some Wet Burritos. Or even in some tacos with the best taco meat.
Why We Love these Refried Beans
- Simplicity: This is such a simple recipe, only a handful of ingredients are needed. Plus you can skip the frying step and still enjoy flavorful refried beans.
- Family Recipe: This is a recipe that has been made in the Herrera family for several generations. Perfected in it’s simplicity. One of the most common experiences is walking into Gramma’s home and seeing a large cast iron pan of refried beans simmering away on the stovetop.
- Customizable: thanks to how simple this recipe is, it’s easy to adjust and make your own. If you want a bit of heat add a dash of cayenne. Add more garlic, or more salt. Maybe you want a dash of cumin. But with this base recipe you can make it your own.
- Healthy Side dish: beans are full of fiber and are a great option for serving alongside all your favorite Tex Mex meals.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pinto Beans: this recipe calls for dried pintos and walks through how to soak and prepare them. You can skip that step and use canned if needed, just make sure to grab cans that have no Salt. Drain and rinse the canned beans, season and mash while frying.
- Oil: Use an oil of your choice for frying in the last step, use a mild tasting oil since it will give flavor to the beans. Some common choices include: lard, corn or canola oil, vegetable oil, or leftover bacon grease (which has a strong flavor, but can be a tasty and fun option.) Pick what works for you, just keep in mind that what you use will flavor the beans, so keep it mild. For this reason, olive oil is not recommended.
Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.
How to Make Refried Beans
- Soak the pinto beans, it’s easiest to soak them overnight. If you did not soak them, you can still make this recipe by increasing the water and cooking time.
- Cook the pinto beans covered, then continue cooking uncovered for an hour until they are completely softened.
- Heat oil in a large skillet and fry them while mashing up. Spoon in the leftover broth as needed to reach desired consistency.
Storage
- Storing: Store refried beans in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. As they cool and sit the beans will thicken, you may need to add some broth during re-heating to get them back to the desired consistency.
- Freezing: Store beans in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Expert Tips
- Soaking: Soaking can save some time when it comes to cooking though. So if you soak them overnight, then you don’t need to cook them as long. If you decide the day of that you want to make this recipe, still go for it. Cooking time will be increased.
- Hot Water: If you are cooking your beans over too high of heat, then you may find that your water is evaporating too quickly. At this point you can add more water, just make sure it’s hot water so that the cooking process isn’t stopped or slowed by adding cold water.
- To mash or not to mash: If you do mash them, use a potato masher and really it’s up to you how much you mash them. Do you want them lumpy? No lumps? Not mashed at all? It’s completely up to you. Or add them to a blender or processor to make them completely smooth.
- Bean Broth: As the beans cook, the water will become broth-like. This is what you will spoon into the beans while mashing to get the consistency you want. If you want a thicker consistency, then use less water. If you want a thinner consistency, then you will use more broth.
- Save the leftover broth and use it to stir into your leftovers. As they sit in the refrigerator and chill, they will thicken. Using the broth when you reheat will ensure that you don’t lose any flavor when thinning them back out.
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Authentic Refried Beans
These Authentic Refried Beans are so simple, only a handful of ingredients are needed. These are the perfect side dish to any Mexican or Tex Mex meal.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare: Sort through the beans to ensure that they are good and no rocks are mixed in.
- Soak: Rinse with water in a stainer to clean. Or if soaking the beans, place in a medium size mixing bowl and cover completely with water. Let sit overnight. Strain the beans the next day after soaking.
- Cover: Add the beans smashed garlic and onion to a large pot or pan. Pour the water in. Beans should be fully submerged in water.
- Cook: Bring to a boil, stir in the salt, then turn the heat to low and continue to simmer covered. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes, remove lid, stir, and continue to cook an additional 30-60 minutes until the beans are softened and easily mashed.
- Fry: Once the beans are soft, heat lard or oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, carefully ladle the beans, garlic and some of the bean broth into the skillet. Allow the beans to "fry" in the oil while mashing. Add more bean broth as needed to get desired consistency to the beans.
Video
Notes
- Pinto Beans: this recipe calls for dried beans and walks through how to soak and prepare them. You can skip that step and use canned beans if needed, just make sure to grab cans that have No Salt.
- Soaking Beans: Soaking the beans can save some time when it comes to cooking though. So if you soak them overnight, then you don’t need to cook them as long. If starting with dried beans, increase cooking time to 2 -2.5 hours.
- Beans not softening: If the beans are old, they will take longer to cook and might not become soft enough to mash.
- Hot Water: Very important to this recipe. If you are cooking your beans hotter, then you may find that your water is evaporating too quickly. At this point you can add some more water, just make sure it’s hot water so that the cooking process isn’t stopped or slowed by adding cold water.
- Oil: this is used for frying the beans in the last step, use a mild tasting oil since it will give flavor to the beans. Some common choices include: lard, corn or canola oil, vegetable oil, or leftover bacon grease (which has a strong flavor, but can be a tasty and fun option.)
- To mash or not to mash: If you do mash them, use a potato masher and mash to desired consistency. You could also use a blender for a completely smooth texture.
- Consistency: save the bean broth from cooking the beans and spoon into the beans while mashing to get the consistency you want. If you want a thicker refried bean, then use less water. If you want thinner beans, then you will use more broth.
- Save the leftover bean broth and use it to stir into your leftover beans. As they sit in the refrigerator and chill, they will thicken. Using the broth when you reheat the beans will ensure that you don’t lose any flavor when thinning them back out.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 5g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Fiber: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
The recipe for Homemade Refried Beans was originally published on January 29, 2016. Updated July, 16, 2021 and April 9, 2024.
Original instructions did not include any frying of the beans.
Photography done by the talented @KJandCompany.co
Love Gramma and cooking advise! I make homemade refried here and there but always aoaked them time was a pinch for me so yay i found some Gramma advice! Thanks so much!
Yes! Gramma advice is always the best!
Being Mexican, I grew up on beans. Your recipe is close to how I make them. I add diced Salt Pork to mine. Water is key and medium heat, with lid to side. The longer you let them cook, they become creamy. The beans you cook should be a light color or they look muddy. Enjoy,?
Just made these today, added onion ,and they turned out very flavorful! Will make again. Thanks for the easy peasy recipe!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed Krystyna!
I add lots of onion and cumi to taste and I cook the beans in chicken broth. I add the salt later in the cooking process. For more flavor and not as healthy I add about 3/4 to 1 cup of hot bacon grease and stir until the mashed beans absorb the grease. That’s is what makes them “refried”. I also used the beans for dip by adding some cream cheese and cheese to them.
Can you make them in a pressure cooker?
Hi Patricia! Can you believe I don’t have a pressure cooker?! This recipe would work in a slow cooker on a low temperature, so it might work in a pressure cooker. The trick would be making sure that you have enough liquid to make sure the beans soften properly. As soon as I get my hands on a pressure cooker I will have to give this recipe a try!
My Mom used a pressure cooker for many recipes and I grew up watching & helping her cook with it.When I was a young woman (40+ years ago) I found a brand new pressure cooker at a garage sale ~ YAY! I have the original recipe books from both Mirro and Presto cookers. Mom alway told me to read the “before using” instructions periodically and pay particular attention to the (basically) FORBIDDEN ingredients! Beans were in the forbidden category, because they have a tendency to splatter while cooking and splattering beans tend to clog the vent tube. (I thought it was pretty strange that some of the recipes in their own cook books contained “forbidden” ingredients!) One of the most crucial instructions when using a pressure cooker is to ensure the vent tube does not become clogged or the hot cooker may explode! Not only would that create a mess – exploding pressure cookers can be lethal!!! Seriously! I strongly advise against doing beans in a pressure cooker! The potential risks far outweigh the few minutes ou can shave off the cooking time. My best friend who is an Executive Chef agrees!
Beans are great in the pressure cooker and easy. The trick to keeping down the foam is a tbsp of fat. It can be butter, canola or anything you like. I use an electric pressure cooker these days (not the instant lot which cooks differently) high pressure for 22 minutes and slow release (don’t open the release valve but let it come down naturally). I did these last night and by the time we pulled them out they were behind tender for mashing.
great recipe, thank you..I do use a pressure cooker it is 55 minutes on high with at least 5 1/2 cups of liquid.
Thanks so much for sharing that information Dawn! I still don’t have a pressure cooker..
Sounds like someone needs to put “pressure cooker” on her holiday wish list. ?
Can you freeze half the batch so you can use it down the road? Does it taste as good if I do freeze it?
Yes you can! Only freeze the beans for up to a month though 🙂
My beans were still pretty hard even after 3 1/2 hours of cooking with lid on. Am I doing something wrong? ??
Yikes! I’m not sure what happened. You had them simmering right? The only thing I can think of is that maybe the beans were old?
Hi! Thanks for this delicious recipe! I made these and both my husband and I loved them! Have you tried to freeze leftovers? If so, how did they turn out when you reheated them on the stove? Is this a dumb question because they are refried beans. Thank You!
Hi Kristy! Not a dumb question at all! They can be frozen for up to a month. Hope that helps!
can I put the beans in the slow cooker? I would add onions.
Hi Maddy! Yes! You can add the beans to the slow cooker and let them cook that way. I would start with low heat for about 3 hours and check on them. Let me know how they turn out 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! My daughter LOVES refried beans in the can just spread on a tortilla so I’m really happy to find a homemade recipe without added junk and preservatives. I made the recipe exactly as described and added about a tsp of salt at the end. She loves them more than the can!!! This made about 4 cups so plenty to serve with our enchiladas tomorrow night and a few wraps for her!
Thanks so much Lynne! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 they’re so easy to make and you’re right about being able to cut out preservatives and junk. Plus this way you can also control the amount of salt being used.