This easy Homemade Refried Beans recipe uses dried black beans cooked with onions, garlic, and spices. They are thick, creamy, full of authentic Mexican flavor, and worlds better than the canned stuff.
It is so easy to make creamy refried beans from scratch. Top with sour cream, extra cheese, and thinly sliced jalapeños for a seriously delicious addition to your next Mexican-inspired meal.
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The Best Homemade Refried Beans Recipe
This homemade Refried Beans recipe puts the canned version to shame. If you’ve never tried making a Refried Beans recipe from scratch, let today be the day. They make the perfect side dish to any kind of Mexican food, are super healthy, and incredibly simple.
For the most flavorful Refried Beans, I love using dried black beans or pinto beans. Below, you’ll find instructions on how to make Refried Beans by pre-soaking the beans, cooking the beans in a slow cooker first, as well as using canned beans to save some time.
Refried Beans Ingredients
- Beans - you can use either dried beans or canned black beans. We have given you instructions on how to do both. Pinto beans make a great substitute.
- Avocado Oil - you can substitute olive oil, vegetable oil, or another type of cooking oil if you would like.
- Onions - I like to use finely chopped white or yellow onions for this recipe.
- Garlic - fresh minced garlic tastes best.
- Dried Oregano - if you can find Mexican oregano, use that. Otherwise, Italian oregano will work.
- Spices: I like to use a combination of chili powder, cayenne pepper, and cumin. Feel free to adjust to your liking.
- Salt - sea salt works great.
- Bay Leaves - fresh bay leaves have the best flavor, as opposed to dry bay leaves. In order to make them last longer, you can store them in your freezer for up to 6 months!
- Lime Juice - this is to season your black beans after they have cooked. Fresh lime juice always tastes best.
- Cheddar Cheese - I love topping Refried Beans with shredded cheddar cheese, but you could also substitute (or add) goat cheese, queso fresco, Chihuahua cheese, or Monterey Jack.
- Toppings: my favorites include sour cream and thinly sliced jalapeños.
How to Make Homemade Refried Beans
- Soak the beans. Pour dried beans into a large bowl and sort out the broken beans. Rinse, drain and add to a large pot. Cover with cool water about 1" above the beans. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let them sit covered for 12 hours (or overnight). Make sure the beans are covered in water, adding more if needed. The beans will double in size.
- Cook the beans. The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Add enough water to cover the beans again by about 1". Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 1½-2 hours, or until the beans are tender, creamy, and soft.
- Saute onions and garlic. In a large pot, add the avocado oil and heat over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until golden brown, or about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until garlic is soft and tender, or about 2 more minutes.
- Add the cooked beans and seasoning. Next, add in the cooked black beans, oregano, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and bay leaves. Add water until the beans are barely covered and continue to cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated.
- Mash the beans. Add the beans to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until the beans are mashed and at the desired consistency. (Note: you can also use a potato masher)
- Bake. Transfer the beans to a baking dish and cover with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before topping with sour cream, sliced jalapenos, or your other favorite toppings. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Refried Beans Recipe Ideas and Variations
Whether you're a fan of bold flavors, spicy kicks, or creamy textures, we've got something for everyone. Try all sorts of easy Homemade Refried Beans variations and let us know what you loved most.
- Spicy Jalapeno Refried Beans: dice a couple of jalapenos and sauté them with your onions and garlic.
- Cheesy Refried Beans: Once your beans are cooked and mashed, stir in a generous amount of shredded cheddar, pepper jack cheese, or Monterey Jack cheese.
- Smoky Bacon Refried Beans: Everything is better with bacon, right? Fry up some crispy bacon and crumble it into your refried beans. The smoky and salty flavors of the bacon will infuse your beans, taking them to a whole new level of deliciousness.
- Chipotle Refried Beans: Add a few chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to your beans and let them simmer together.
- Avocado Refried Beans: For a creamy and luxurious twist, mash a ripe avocado and fold it into your refried beans. The avocado will add a velvety texture and a hint of nutty flavor.
- Vegan Refried Beans Recipe: just skip the cheese or use a vegan cheese and your refried beans will be vegan!
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t have to soak your dry beans before cooking them, but it will cut down the cooking time by about 30 minutes or so. If you would prefer not to soak them, you can skip that step and plan on cooking the beans for slightly longer.
Yes! Once you have rinsed and sorted the beans, add to the slow cooker, cover with water, add the lid, and cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
Yes! You can turn this into a canned Refried Beans Recipe and it will still taste amazing! Just use about 4 cans of drained and rinsed black beans or pinto beans and skip the soaking and cooking step.
You can easily adjust this recipe to make it vegan by using a vegan shredded cheese. Otherwise, all of the ingredients are completely vegan.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: transfer any leftover Refried Beans to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: transfer beans to a pot or skillet and add a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth (or water). Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the beans are warmed through.
Homemade Refried Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dried Black Beans or 4 cans black beans
- Water only need if cooking dry beans
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil
- 2 cups Onions white or yellow, minced
- 6 cloves Garlic minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 pinch Cayennne Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 2 tsp Salt
- 2 large Bay Leaves
- 1 medium Lime juiced
- ¼ cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
Toppings
- ¼ medium Jalapeño sliced, if desired
- ½ cup Sour Cream
Instructions
How to Soak Dry Beans
- Pour dried beans into a large bowl and sort out the broken beans. Rinse, drain and add to a large pot. Cover with cool water about 1" above the beans. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let them sit covered for 12 hours (or overnight). Make sure the beans are covered in water, adding more if needed. The beans will double in size.
How to Cook Beans
- The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Add enough water to cover the beans again by about 1". Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 1½-2 hours, or until the beans are tender, creamy, and soft.
How to Make Refried Beans
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large pot, add the avocado oil and heat over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until golden brown, or about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until garlic is soft and tender, or about 2 more minutes.
- Next, add in the cooked black beans, oregano, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and bay leaves. Add water until the beans are barely covered and continue to cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated. Remove the bay leaves and squeeze lime juice into the beans.
- Add the beans to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until the beans are mashed and at the desired consistency. (Note: you can also use a potato masher) Transfer the beans to a baking dish and cover with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before topping with sour cream, sliced jalapenos, or your other favorite toppings. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
- Refried Black Beans
- Chipotle Black Beans
- Cheesy Bean Dip
- Crispy Bean Burritos
- Crispy Ground Beef Tacos
- Carne Asada
- Jalapeno Popper Dip
- 7 Layer Bean Dip
- Easy Spanish Rice
- Cheesy Green Chili Rice Casserole
- Best Guacamole
- Warm Cheesy Bean Dip
- More Side Dishes
- More Vegetarian Recipes
These authentic Mexican Refried Beans are so much more delicious than the canned stuff and very easy to make. They're the perfect side dish to all sorts of Mexican food.
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