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're wondering what is the secret ingredient for restaurant-quality refried beans, the answer is fat. Restaurant-made refried beans honor traditional Mexican culinary practices by adding a hearty helping of lard or bacon fat drippings to their recipe.
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 is the secret of refried beans? ›
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.
How do you perk up canned refried beans? ›
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.
Why are Mexican restaurant 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.
What to add to refried beans for flavor? ›
Vegetable broth-use your favorite vegetable broth. It adds so much more flavor than just adding water. Spices-cumin, chili powder, and oregano are classic Mexican spices and really spice up these beans! Lime juice-a splash of fresh lime juice brightens up the beans!
Do Mexicans really eat refried beans? ›
'rehashed or warmed-over beans') is a dish of cooked and mashed beans that is a traditional staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a different approach when making the dish. Refried beans are also popular in many other Latin American countries.
Why do refried beans make me sick? ›
perfringens is an entertoxin-secreting bacteria most often found in inadequately heated or reheated meats, meat pies, stews, gravy, sauces, and refried beans. The incubation period averages 8-12 hours, after which diarrhea and abdominal cramps begin. C. perfringens symptoms usually persist for one day.
Which is healthier refried beans or rice? ›
Authentic refried beans have plentiful amounts of lard in them, making Mexican rice a healthier alternative. I also like a little carb-on-carb action. That is, rice scooped up on a tortilla chip.
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.
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.
What makes canned refried beans taste better? ›
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.
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.
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.
Can dogs eat refried beans? ›
No, dogs cannot eat refried beans. Refried beans—a dish made of mashed, twice-cooked beans flavored with herbs, spices, and other seasonings—often contain ingredients toxic to dogs (like onions and garlic) and unhealthy amounts of fat, sodium, calories, and preservatives.
How to make canned beans taste like restaurant? ›
I like to sprinkle in some taco seasoning, but you could add whatever spices you like — garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder are all good calls. Then, you mash the beans up directly in the pan and add just a little bit of vinegar at the end to really make the beans sing.
How do Mexican restaurants make their beans so good? ›
The secret to creating beans that taste like they're from a restaurant is a long simmering time. This softens the beans and brings out all the flavor as well as marries the flavor from the add-ins into the beans. Mixing with a hand mixer softens the beans and gives them an authentic texture.
Why do restaurant black beans taste so good? ›
It's just the liquid the beans were cooked in. To complete, a glug of extra virgin olive oil is poured over the beans. Since beans are pretty much fat-free, the olive oil lends necessary fat and a luxe mouthfeel that's rarely found in dishes made with canned beans.
What kind of beans do Mexican restaurants use? ›
The pinto bean is perhaps one of the most common type of beans used in most Mexican dishes. Like the black bean, the pinto bean is also loaded with nutritious elements including high fiber and protein. Pinto beans are served both whole and mashed, which will become the refried bean.