This quick and easy refried beans recipe is rich, flavorful, and comes together quickly (no lard needed!). Ready in 30 minutes and better than anything you’ll find in the store!
The Fastest Refried Beans Recipe
Traditional refried beans can take hours to make, but my refried beans recipe is quick and easy! Replacing dried beans with canned makes the process significantly shorter without sacrificing any of the flavor. Perfect for taco Tuesday!
We’ll be incorporating just a few add-ins to our beans to make them taste restaurant-worthy. The end result is flavorful, yet simple.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast! Using canned beans instead of dried means we cut down on the prep time significantly. And they taste just as good (and even better than the canned refried bean variety)!
- So many layers of flavor! Sautéed onion, fresh garlic, salted butter, warm and earthy spices, freshly squeezed lime juice–all of these create maximum flavor!
- No lard! Traditionally refried beans are made with lard, and it’s no problem if that’s what you prefer to use. Lard isn’t exactly easily accessible to me or something I keep on hand, so I use butter instead.
- Easily made vegetarian or vegan with easy substitutes for the butter and broth. (Also try my vegetarian chili and cuban-style black beans if you follow either of those diets).
Ingredients
Just a few ingredients come together in this extremely flavorful homemade refried beans recipe. I’ll review the most important ones before we dive in.
- Canned pinto beans. Many recipes start with dried beans, but honestly they take longer, don’t taste any better (in my opinion), and did I mention they take longer? We are using rinsed canned beans for quick and tasty results.
- Salted butter. I tested a few different options (including oil) and butter was the perfect substitute for lard. It makes these beans deeply flavorful, especially the last tablespoon we stir in just before serving! With recipes that require taste-testing to adjust the salt, I generally prefer already salted butter, but if you only have unsalted, just add a bit more salt. Feel free to substitute avocado oil for a vegan recipe (just skip the final tablespoon added at the end).
- Spices. Including cumin and oregano. Like when making homemade taco seasoning, Mexican oregano is best, but Mediterranean oregano will work in a pinch.
- Broth. Chicken broth is my preference, but vegetable broth would be just fine.
- Lime juice. This adds a brightness to the beans. As always, fresh squeezed is best.
SAM’S TIP: A sprinkle of cheese (I like cotija or queso fresco!) and some fresh cilantro before serving is always a good idea.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Refried Beans
Cook the aromatics & spices
Saute the onion and garlic in melted butter until softened and fragrant. Add the spices and salt. Adding them here helps bloom the spices, deepening the flavor in a way that wouldn’t quite happen if we added the spices after the beans.
Mash the beans
Rinse the beans to remove excess salt and any flavor from the can, then add them to the pot along with the broth. ¼ cup broth is usually good for me, but you may need a splash more after mashing the beans.
Mash to your preference; I like mine a bit chunkier, but if you want yours smoother just mash them more, or even use an immersion blender to make them completely smooth. Things will seem pretty dry as you mash the beans, if they’re too dry for your liking, feel free to add another splash of broth.
Add the finishing touches
Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and the lime juice. Make sure to taste test for salt and lime before serving, especially if you used unsalted butter.
SAM’S TIP: The beans will continue to thicken as they sit, so if you aren’t planning to serve them right away, be sure to keep some extra broth on hand in case they get a bit too thick.
Frequently Asked Questions
The beans can dry out if you let them sit on the heat for a while before stirring or if you reheat them. If this happens to you, stir in more broth, a splash at a time, until they come back to your desired consistency.
Refried beans are a tasty side for dishes like tacos (or crispy chicken tacos), chicken enchiladas, and more. You can also mix them into burritos, quesadillas, nachos (don’t forget the queso!) or layer them with my taco dip.
Yes. You may want to add a little extra broth if you freeze them though, since the beans will get thicker the longer they sit. Make sure to cool them completely and store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Enjoy within three months; if the beans are stored longer, the texture will suffer.
Let me know what you think about this recipe! Enjoy!
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(Easy!) Refried Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 15.5 oz cans pinto beans rinsed and drained
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter divided
- 1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chicken or vegetable broth plus additional if/as needed
- ½ Tablespoon fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
- Queso fresco or cotija cheese for topping optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Heat 2 Tablespoons of butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-heat until melted.
- Add onion, cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5 minutes).1 cup finely chopped onion
- Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant (about 30-60 seconds).1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- Add cumin, oregano, and salt and stir well.½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon table salt
- Add beans and broth and stir until ingredients are well combined. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 15.5 oz cans pinto beans, ¼ cup (60 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
- Using a potato masher or fork, mash the refried beans until desired consistency is reached. If needed/if the beans seem dry, add additional broth, a splash at a time.
- Add remaining Tablespoon of butter and the lime juice and stir well. Taste-test and add more salt or lime if needed.½ Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Serve immediately, topped with cotija cheese or queso fresco, if desired.Queso fresco or cotija cheese for topping
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They could be reheated in the microwave, but I like to warm them in a saucepan with a splash of broth or water to keep the beans from becoming too thick.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
jo
This recipe looks good but since I have dry pinto beans I need to use, what amount do you think I should soak and finish to equal 2 cans. I can always cook extra plain beans since I’ll have a little on the side, cook for myself and sons sometimes who cook in their house but certain things will make only when cooking includes them.
Sam Merritt
Hi Jo! You’ll need to rinse and soak the beans overnight, drain, simmer for an hour or so until soft, then follow the recipe as written.
Fran Russell
Sam! I keep forgetting how much I appreciate your recipe format until I go back to another author’s recipes. Your format of repeating the ingredients for that particular step is so helpful, genius even! I need to print recipes, for the font to be easy to read, and flipping those printed pages back and forth to see the measurements is so frustrating. Even if I’m reading from a phone or laptop, that is so helpful. And when using a phone or laptop, I also appreciate the freeze frame for recipes, so I don’t have to re-open the recipe from the screen that’s disappeared! Thank you Sam! 💗
Sam
I’m so glad it’s all been so helpful, Fran! 🙂