About the beans:
- Dried beans (NO CANS!): The key to authentic refried beans is using dry beans. Canned beans will not result in the same texture or flavor and it's just not the way Mexican refried beans are made! You can find dry beans in the Mexican food isle at the grocery store.
- Pinto beans: refried beans are usually made with pinto beans but black beans can also be used.
How to Make Refried Beans:
1. Rinse and soak beans. Sift through the dry beans, removing any unwanted pieces from the bag. Add the beans to a large pot, cover with water and soak overnight.
2. Boil beans. Drain beans, add them to a pot and cover them with fresh water. Add onion to the pot and a couple dashes of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for one hour.
3. Fry beans. Heat lard or oil in skillet. Add the garlic and stir. Add the beans, cumin, oregano and ¼ cup of reserved water from the bean broth.
4. Mash. Gently smash the beans with a potato masher or fork as they cook. Continue stirring and mashing until you get the texture you like and the beans are the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Add more bean broth liquid if necessary. Taste and season with additional salt if needed.
5. Serve. Top with shredded cheese, if desired.
For Instant Pot Refried Beans (No Soaking):
1. Rinse beans. Rinse in a colander, removing any unwanted pieces that may be in the bag.
2. Add to Instant Pot. Add the beans, onion, and salt to the instant pot and fill the pot with about 7-8 cups of water.
3. Pressure cook. Turn valve to sealed and cook on high pressure/manual for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 25 minutes. Remove lid and test beans to make sure they are tender.
4. Sauté beans. Drain the beans, removing the onion and reserving ½ cup of the bean broth water. On SAUTE mode, add lard or oil. Once hot, add the garlic and stir. Add the beans, cumin, oregano and ¼ cup of the bean broth. (You could also chop the reserved onion and add it to the pan).
5. Mash. Cook, gently smashing the beans as they cook with a potato masher or fork. Continue stirring and mashing until you get the texture you like and the beans are the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Add more bean broth liquid if necessary. Taste and season with additional salt if needed.
6. Serve. Top with shredded cheese, if desired.
For Crockpot Refried Beans (No Soaking):
1. Combine Ingredients. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover with fresh water.
2. Cook on high for 8 hours, or overnight.
3. Drain. Drain the beans, removing the onion and reserving ½ cup of the bean broth water.
4. Sauté beans. Add lard or oil to a hot skillet. Add garlic, beans, cumin, oregano and ¼ cup of the bean broth. (You could also chop the reserved onion and add it to the pan).
5. Mash. Cook, gently smashing the beans as they cook with a potato masher or fork. Continue stirring and mashing until you get the texture you like and the beans are the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Add more bean broth liquid if necessary. Taste and season with additional salt if needed.
6. Serve. Top with shredded cheese, if desired.
Adaptations:
To use canned pinto beans: substitute 2 cans of pinto beans, drained but liquid reserved.
Cheesy refried beans: Top your refried beans with Mexican cotija cheese or stir in your favorite shredded cheese.
Refried black beans- substitute one pound of dry black beans.
Add bell peppers- Finely chop bell pepper and sauté it with the garlic in step 7 of the recipe.
Spicy refried beans- remove the stem from a jalapeño peppers and finely dice it. Sauté it with the garlic in step 7 of the recipe.
Consider serving these with:
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Recipe
Homemade Refried Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans , about 2 cups
- 1 large onion , quartered
- 2 Tablespoons lard or oil
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1-2 teaspoons salt , or more, to taste
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin , or more, to taste
- ½ teaspoon Dried oregano , or more, to taste
Instructions
Stove-top Refried Beans:
- Rinse pinto beans in a colander, removing any unwanted pebbles or pieces that may be in the bag.
- Add the beans to a large pot, cover with water and soak overnight.
- Drain soaked beans and return them to the pot. Add fresh water to cover the beans up to two inches above them. Add onion to the pot and a couple dashes of salt.
- Bring beans to a boil, cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Check the beans and if they’re not completely cooked after one hour, let them simmer a few minutes longer until they’re done.
- Drain the beans, removing the onion and reserving the bean broth water.
- In a large skillet (preferably an iron skillet), heat lard or oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and stir. Add the beans, cumin, oregano and ¼ cup of the bean broth. (You could also chop the reserved onion and add it to the pan).
- Cook, gently smashing the beans as they cook with a potato masher or fork.
- Continue stirring and mashing, adding additional bean broth as needed until you get the texture you like and the beans are the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Taste and season with additional salt, cumin and oregano, as needed. Top with shredded cheese, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
*I originally shared this recipe March 2013. Updated February 2020 with process photos and instructions for making refried beans in the instant pot and slow cooker.
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
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This recipe is AMAZING! I’ve never made refried beans before, mainly because I don’t like them, but I’m turning away from buying premade foods and I needed some for a recipe. I followed the recipe exactly (unusual for me) since it’s a new process. These things are delicious. I also saved the bean water and will freeze it when it’s cool so I have it for when I make soup. Thank you for a fantastic recipe. You’ve turned me into a convert.
I’m in my late 40’s and had only the canned refried beans. Holy cow! This is so much better. I read the other reviews, but as with every ethnic food there is no one way to do “authentic” and recipes can vary wildly from region to region. I love this recipe. It’s simplicity makes it highly adaptable to one’s personal tastes.
Love the soak and boil, then cooked in lard version. Seems very authentic.
Like a similar dish, Ful Medames, its a bit bland if only using minimal spice and seasoning. I chopped and sauteed another onion along with cumin seeds in the lard, before adding the boiled beans. I also quadrupled the amount of garlic, cumin, and oregano. And I added half a jar of salsa, and half a packet of fajita seasoning.
I topped a serving with cheese, tomatoes and yoghurt. Tasted spectacular, and much less salty than canned.
Yummy – do you have any recommendations for storing left overs – long term? I love refried beans, but my kiddo doesn’t. Wondering if I can freeze these?
They freeze beautifully! 🙂 I divide them up in containers so I can pull out what I need.
Great recipe! I’ve got this on regular rotation now.
Very. Bland. Buy canned retried beans instead. Absolutely no flavor.
I changed my mind! I added a little salsa, cheese on top and a little salt on top and turned out delicious!!!
This, along with other recipes, lack the most important part of refried beans. REFRYING THE BEANS. Take the beans and leave them on the counter for a whole day. Then, “REFRY”. SERVE
It does say to saute in a hot skillet with lard or oil,
The point is “refry” indicating it has already been friend once. The beans should sit and then you should fry AGAIN when you are ready to serve (after the initial frying required in the recipe).
It actually does not mean to refry them they are only cooked once, in Mexico “re” means “very” in Spanish but Americans misunderstand it to mean “again”
It was the first time my “Mexican beans” tasted good. Mashed a little so a bit chunky. Seasoned with your recipe until it hit a sweet spot as far as taste goes. The hose d3mon even liked it. Actually said these really taste very good. Thank you I was getting very discouraged and tiring of giving my beans to the chickens. A warm tortilla, some grated cheese, pepper Jack, the beans and into the microwave to warm all and melt the cheese. Tried them as mentioned, and tried VSP reading some salsa on one. All went into my mouth and got a smile.
Thank you, liked the comments.
Would it be ok to vacuum seal and freeze left overs or if I wanted to make them in advance to have on hand?
I think that would work fine!
I have always wanted to try refied beans but made by ME AT HOME.. because I dont like canned stuff( canned stuff always has this inexplicable “canned” smell… so I had made some beans and seasoned them, wanted a different way to eat them and lure my kindergartener to do the same.. I made this EASY recipe and everyone almost bit their fingers off. thumbs up….. EASY, CHEAP,NUTRITIOUS.. VOILA!!
This recipe is off the charts! Yum! I did the soaking and boiling method. After mashing, I added cheese. Will be making these again
Thanks for all the different methods!