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Refried Beans are one of the most popular Mexican side dishes. My easy Refried Beans recipe is so simple and so delicious, way better than canned beans and tastes just like your favorite Mexican restaurant.
Mexican food is big in our house. Unless we’re going straight to Cabo, we prefer our Mexican food made in our own kitchen over any restaurant. From Mexican Rice to Pozole to Shrimp Ceviche, you’ll find Mexican food on the menu here at least once a week.
Why You’ll Love This Refried Bean Recipe
Homemade refried beans are the best! They are delicious as a side dish for so many different meals, and they are the perfect treat for Cinco de Mayo. My refried beans recipe is pretty simple – just beans, water, salt, and milk.
I call them easy and simple because even though they take several hours to cook, that’s pretty much just time on the stove while you’re off doing other things. Add these homemade refried beans to burritos, nachos, quesadillas and more!
Ingredients To Make Refried Beans
- Pinto Beans – This recipe uses dried beans, so grab a one pound bag of pinto beans next time you go to the grocery store.
- Milk – Any kind of milk you have on hand will work, as long as it’s not sweetened.
- Salt – It’s really important to properly season the water while the beans are cooking. They will absorb the salt and be so flavorful.
- Onion – Boiled in the water with the beans, just for added flavor. You’ll remove them before mashing the beans.
- Garlic – Same as with the onion, this adds flavor while the beans are cooking, but is discarded before mashing.
How To Make Refried Beans
As I mentioned, making this refried beans recipe is pretty simple and straight-forward. It just takes time.
- Boil some dried pinto beans in a large pot of water with a generous amount of salt for about two and a half hours. I know, it sounds like a lifetime, but trust me, the dried beans take quite a while to soften and cook thoroughly. (Don’t have two and a half hours? Read on for some time saving tips below).
- Once the beans are cooked through, drain the water, discard the onions and garlic, and pour the beans back into the pot.
- Mash them up with a little milk and salt. Be sure to give them a taste test before serving… Like potatoes, beans need a lot of salt to bring out their best flavor. If they’ve cooled, heat them up over low heat, stirring frequently, for a few minutes.
Quick Cook Method
If you don’t have three hours to make refried beans from scratch, here’s a great shortcut! Use 2-3 cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed, in place of the dried beans. Just follow the directions for heating and mashing and you’re good to go.
This method will take about 10-15 minutes. I will say I still definitely prefer the from scratch method for the flavor they give, but this is a satisfactory swap when you’re in a hurry.
How To Make Refried Beans in the Crockpot
- Rinse the beans and pick through to remove any stones or bad beans. Pour the beans into the pot of your slow cooker and add the onion, garlic, salt, and 8 cups of water. (NOTE – this is less water than the stove top method).
- Cover and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours or cook on HIGH for 7-8 hours. Most of the water should be absorbed, but if there is an excess, you can ladle it out but reserve it in case you need to add it back.
- Remove and discard the onion and garlic, then mash the beans or use an immersion blender. Add in the milk as you mash, a little at a time, until you are happy with the consistency. Add salt to taste.
How To Make Refried Beans in the Instant Pot
- Rinse the beans and pick through to remove any stones or bad beans. Pour the beans into your Instant Pot and add the onion, garlic, salt, and 8 cups of water. (NOTE – this is less water than the stovetop method).
- Place the lid on the pot and turn to the sealed position. Set the timer for 25 minutes on high pressure. It will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure.
- Release the pressure and let it release naturally; it will take about 30-35 minutes. Open the pot and check that the beans are fully cooked. If they need more time, close the lid and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Remove and discard the onion and garlic, then mash the beans or use an immersion blender. Add in the milk as you mash, a little at a time, until you are happy with the consistency. Add salt to taste.
FAQs
Refried beans are generally made from pinto beans, but you can use black beans if you’re a fan. The recipes that I’ve read suggest soaking the black beans overnight before cooking them for a couple of hours. Then mash just the same.
Many recipes will call for adding olive oil and frying the beans towards the end, hence the “refried,” but I’ve found that this isn’t necessary. It takes a little time, but mostly that’s just cooking time and you can be off doing other things. These refried beans are high in fiber and protein, and only 65 calories per half cup serving!
Serving Suggestions
I love to make a big batch of these beans, and then divide and freeze them in burritos, or use them again for my Ten Minute Oven Baked Tostadas or Mexican Sopes. My kids love taking them for lunch, too, or eating them just as a snack with cheese and tortilla chips!
Storage
Homemade beans will last up to 3-4 days in the fridge, if properly stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to 8 months.
Reheat refried beans on the stovetop, adding a splash of milk for a smooth consistency.
- Be sure to rinse and sort the beans first. Pick through the beans to remove any rocks or debris and remove any broken or shriveled beans. Rinse them well to wash away any dirt.
- Add milk instead of water. You’ll see in the recipe below that I add milk, not water, to my refried beans. It’s just enough to give them a creamier texture and a richer flavor. If you prefer non-dairy, just swap out the milk for water or even chicken or vegetable broth.
- Resist the urge to lift the lid! Like with a slow cooker, your pot of beans needs some uninterrupted time to cook. Don’t check them until you hit the two hour mark, then give it a lift and a little stir.
- How to mash pinto beans: For chunkier beans, lightly mash with a potato masher (aff) or even a fork. For smooth and creamy beans, use a hand held mixer or immersion blender for several seconds until they are the consistency you want.
More Mexican Recipes To Try
- Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Easy Mexican Lasagna
- Healthy Chicken Fajita Bowls
- Slow Cooker Mexican Beans
- Ground Beef Enchiladas
Easy Homemade Refried Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans
- 3 quarts water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 small onion chopped into chunks
- 2 garlic colves peeled and left whole
Instructions
- Rinse beans with water and discard any stones or bad beans.
- Place beans in a large pot with 3 quarts of water and a generous pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil, them lower heat to simmer, covered, for approximately two and a half hours. The time will vary, but you will know they are ready when the beans are soft and beginning to break open.
- Drain water from beans, discard the onions and garlic and place the beans back back into the pot.
- Over low-medium heat, add a ¼ cup of water and a generous pinch of salt, and mash beans with a potato masher. Slowly add milk and continue mashing until they are a rough puree.
- Garnish with your favorite topping and serve. Makes an excellent protein packed lunch, snack or side dish!
Notes
- For non-dairy and vegetarian, use water or the cooking liquid in place of the milk.Â
- Homemade beans will last up to 3-4 days in the fridge, if properly stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to 8 months.
- Reheat refried beans on the stovetop, adding a splash of milk for a smooth consistency.
Love this recipe! Very healthy I may add. Instead of removing the onion at the end, I just dice up an onion and garlic at the beginning and they dissolve with the beans. Excellent flavor!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Julie.
In all of my years and experiences of cooking dried beans, they won’t ever get soft if you add salt while they are cooking, I always salt mine, after they cook.
Funny because it’s always worked great for me.
Do you feel the beans taste better when you refry them with water and milk versus just the broth from the beans?
I like the creaminess the milk adds, but that’s just a personal preference.
Presoak the beans overnight and beans in an instant pot or pressure cookerand you can cut the cooking time to 1 hour
You actually don’t have to preload the beans when cooking in an instant pot
I believe it is still vegetarian if you use milk. ….wouldnt be vegan though
I think you will find that the pinto beans will be nicer if you salt them AFTER cooking. You never add salt to legumes while they’re being cooked as it m,akes them tougher.
The bit about adding salt to beans while cooking will make them tough was shown to be nonsense by A. Test Kitchen and myself. Only difference they and I found in the multiple ways to cook pinto beans was 15 minutes longer cooking on beans not presoaked. Salt making them tough is a specious statement. Throw the beans (after sorting and washing if needed) in a pot with water and salt and what ever and cook away!
My father used to use evaporated milk in his refried beans and a sprinkling of garlic salt. They were wonderful! I’m so glad to see this recipe, it takes me back to my youth. 🙂
How do you store the leftovers safely?
Store them in a sealed container for a few days or freeze for a few months.
Next time, you Must try this way! Make the beans the way you would normally. But, add a large onion quartered and a pkg of think cut bacon or regular. Just cut in half and add . ?
Cooked or raw bacon?
How many servings does this make? I can not wait to make these!
It makes a nice big pot of beans…I’d say 6-8 side servings at least. Depends on what you’re using them for. 🙂
What does, “add the 1/4 cup water” refer to? Is it an extra 1/4 cup or a reserved 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid?
Hi Joan, That should said ” a 1/4 cup of water,” not “the.” Sorry for the confusion!
These are DELICIOUS!!! I just finished making them for a couple different recipes I found (one being your tostadas!)… I couldn’t wait and had to try them right away! I sprinkled a little cheese and salsa on top. BETTER than any canned version I’ve ever had! Healthy, low-cal, high-protein snack! Thank you for posting this!
I like the addition of milk! First time I’ve seen that in a refried bean recipe. I will give it a try! 🙂
It gives them a nice, creamy texture! Enjoy!
If you want to cut cooking time for the beans in half, you can leave them sitting in water the night before! They cook really fast!
EASY! I need to do this, but I have some inexperienced questions: This sounds like it makes a lot, I only use about a half a can of refried beans in a given week, can I freeze it? If so, what would be the best way to thaw beans? I am terrible at thawing things (okay, meat in particular) could you post about good foods to freeze and the best way to thaw them? I love your recipes and am excited to try them! Thank you!