Refried beans recipe from scratch made in just 5 minutes! All you need is a handful of ingredients to make this delicious mexican favorite.
Today I’m sharing with you my favorite 5 minute homemade refried beans recipe.
I have loved refried beans since I was a little girl.
I remember on several occasions eating them straight out of the can with chips…cold even!
I have found since I began to eat healthy that refried beans can be either 1) hard to find with clean ingredients or 2) expensive.
That’s when I decided to make them myself.
How do you make refried beans?
Partially drain a can of black beans or pinto beans.
The more liquid you leave, the runnier the beans will be. For super thick refried beans, drain most of the liquid.
If you want more runny beans, say for pouring over nachos, leave a little more liquid than normal
Use an immersion blender to puree the beans until smooth.
Do this step first while the beans are still room temperature. If the beans splatter, at least they will not be hot.
I have learned this the hard way! If you do not have an immersion blender, use a potato masher and mash them as much as possible
Once your beans are smooth, place them in a saucepan over medium heat and add the lime juice and spices.
Heat until warm (less than five minutes) and they are ready to serve!
refried black beans
Refried beans are classically made with pinto beans, but you can also make them with black beans.
I personally love to make refried black beans!
I’m a fan of all things mexican food wise, especially as a vegetarian/mostly vegan.
We eat mexican at least once a week, if not more.
It’s an easy and delicious way to get lots of protein and lots of flavor!
Uses For Refried Beans
- A healthy bean dip – I love eating them dipped with tortilla chips!
- Use as filling in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, you can’t go wrong!
- Drizzle these vegan refried beans over nachos for an extra protein and flavor punch
These are so simple but really flavorful!
Like I said above, I use black beans and pinto beans interchangeably in this recipe.
Whichever you have on hand will work!
Ever since I got my immersion blender, it has been my best friend and this recipe is one of the main reasons why!
I love these beans alone, or in pretty much anything.
I had a hard time photographing them because I kept dipping chips in to eat. The flavor is so addictive!
Refried beans recipe from scratch:
Ever since I discovered the immersion blender hack, I’ve been making my own homemade refried beans instead of buying them.
I’m not one of those people that likes to make everything from scratch, but with as easy as this recipe is it takes no work at all!
These refried beans are perfect in my Simple Refried Bean Enchiladas!
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5 Minute Homemade Refried Beans
Joy Shull
5 minute homemade refried beans - use canned black beans and just a few spices to make a quick and delicious addition to dinner!
Prep Time 2 minutes mins
Cook Time 3 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6 servings
Calories 44 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 can of black beans or pinto beans partially drained (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- squeeze of lime juice I used around ½ small lime
Instructions
Partially drain beans and pour into a pan
Using an immersion blender, blend beans in pan until they are a puree texture
Add spices and lime juice and heat over medium heat until hot (around 3-5 minutes)
Serve on burritos, nachos, tacos, or as a dip
Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Drain beans according to how thick you want the refried beans to be. I drained about half of the liquid from mine and it was spreadable but not extremely thick. It will thicken if stored in the fridge also.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 44kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 3gSodium: 103mgFiber: 3g
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FAQs
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.
Why do restaurant refried beans taste better? ›
While lard has been replaced with vegetable oil or shortening in many households, the distinct richness and velvety texture it imparts to a skillet of refried beans is hard to beat. The closest substitute for lard is bacon grease, which is another form of rendered pork fat that's arguably even more flavorful.
What thickens refried beans? ›
If you prefer thicker beans, there's a simple solution to boost flavor, add moisture, and thicken refried beans. Cream cheese is the not-so-secret weapon for making refried beans a yummy side dish to accompany rice, or a versatile taco or nacho topping.
What kind of cheese do you put on refried beans? ›
Ingredients for a creamy refried bean dip typically include refried beans, sour cream, cheese (such as cheddar or Monterey jack), and seasonings (such as garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder). Optional ingredients may include diced tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro.
Why is refried beans unhealthy? ›
Yet, since refried beans often contain added fat and salt, they may be higher in calories, saturated fat, and sodium than other beans. These factors may impair your weight loss goals, raise your risk of heart disease, and increase your blood pressure levels.
What makes refried beans better? ›
14 Ways To Add Flavor To Canned Refried Beans
- Include a dollop or two of sour cream. Alena_Kos/Shutterstock. ...
- Squeeze in some lime juice. ...
- Sautee onion and garlic. ...
- Experiment with warming spices. ...
- Start with flavored refried beans. ...
- Pack on the heat with fresh chiles. ...
- Mix in canned adobo sauce. ...
- Cook with broth for deeper flavor.
What to add to a can of refried beans to make it taste better? ›
Swap The Seasonings – Use your favorite seasonings to flavor these creamy refried beans. Try bacon grease, chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chicken broth, chili pepper, lime juice, cream cheese, taco seasoning, and more to make the best refried beans to serve with your next Mexican meal.
Why do people add milk to refried beans? ›
Milk makes refried beans creamy
This liquid can help make your beans smoother and taste richer. Once the beans are tender, it's time to fry them. Garlic is cooked in the oil and then the beans are added. The beans are mashed, and this is where the milk comes in.
Why are Mexican refried beans so good? ›
Fat and seasoning: Refried beans typically start with cooking beans in fat, such as lard, bacon fat, or vegetable oil. This fat adds richness and flavor to the beans.
How to jazz up refried beans? ›
You can amp up the spice by adding more hot sauce, or tone it down by adding less — whatever your family prefers! Dice onion and add to the refried beans for more flavor. Add a dash of cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt. Garnish with cilantro to improve refried beans taste.
Fat and Oil: Refried beans are traditionally cooked with fat or oil to create a creamy and flavorful texture. Restaurants may use ingredients like lard, bacon fat, or vegetable oil to a.
How do you vamp up refried beans? ›
If you don't like bacon flavor in your refried beans (which I don't, but some do), you can simply add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and some oregano to those beans. An alternate addition is adding a bit of your favorite salsa to them.
What do Mexicans eat refried beans with? ›
These creamy beans make an authentic side dish with rice, a delicious topping on nachos, are perfect on tostadas or in tacos, burritos, or on Mexican Pizza. Place beans in a large bowl and cover with several inches of water. Let soak overnight or at least 8 hours.
What is the white stuff on refried beans? ›
It is not uncommon for refried beans to have a white layer on top, which is usually caused by the beans being fried in lard or other fat. The white layer is typically made up of proteins and other components that have been released from the beans during the cooking process.
Should I add butter to refried beans? ›
But if you don't mind using dairy, I strongly recommend making these refried beans with butter! I like to use part of it to sauté the veggies. But then — fun trick — if you stir an extra pat of cold butter into the refried beans at the very end, it will make them extra silky and add a rich hint of buttery flavor.
How do you enhance the flavor of canned refried beans? ›
Not only are these solutions easy to achieve with basic ingredients and kitchen accessories, but they are also convenient as well.
- Add more fat. ...
- Mix in some dried spices. ...
- Use sour cream or Greek yogurt. ...
- Add cheese. ...
- Blend canned refried beans with broth. ...
- Add cooked onions and garlic. ...
- Use the vinegar from anything pickled.
What is the point of refried beans? ›
Refried beans make the perfect side dish for Mexican food. Serve the beans warm and you could sprinkle some cheese on top. Other uses include, as a filling for burritos, spread over tostadas, dolloped on top of nachos, or simply as a dip on their own.