Quick and Easy “Refried” Beans

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These Quick and Easy Refried Beans are a great side dish to any Mexican dish.  Plus they are made easy using canned pinto beans and made healthier without the refry!

Big bowl of refried beans sprinkled with cheese. A chip is dipping into the beans.

These Quick and Easy Refried Beans are so easy!!

I have been making these homemade “refried” beans for quite a while now and I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to share them with you.

They are super easy to make since we are using canned pinto beans and they are healthier because they aren’t refried.

They are perfect to serve alongside any Mexican dish and they also make a great chip dip!

Big bowl of refried beans sprinkled with cheese.

About these Quick and Easy Refried Beans:

  • Make ahead tip: these can be stored the in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
  • If you would rather use black beans they substitute well.
  • These beans are vegetarian and vegan.
  • They are also gluten free (just be sure to check your labels before purchasing to ensure they are gluten free).

Serve these Refried Beans with:

Big bowl of refried beans topped with cheese and a couple of chips dipped in.

So, how was everyone’s weekend??  It was beautiful here so we spent most of the day outside on Sunday.  Which was really nice because we haven’t been able to do a whole lot as a family lately.

My husband has been working really long hours and even Saturday so our time with him has been rather limited.

And can we talk about the weather for a minute!!!  What is going on with Mother Nature???  It was literally 70 degrees here yesterday and today it is snowing and a whopping 20 degrees outside.  WHAT IS GOING ON???

This has been the strangest winter weather ever.  Ok, got that off my chest, we can proceed now.

Overhead shot of a bowl of refried beans sprinkled with cheese.

As I was saying we spent most of Sunday outside.  We went to the farm and the kids had a hay day (pun intended 🙂 ).

I wish I would have remembered my phone so I could have videoed everything.  I need to do a better job with that!

But they climbed dirt piles, the older ones climbed the insanely tall ladders up the bins (not going to lie I was panicking a little), and they slid down the tarps on the silage piles.

Needless to say, they were all in desperate need of a bath when we got home!!

Overhead shot of a bowl of refried beans sprinkled with cheese.

Quick and Easy Refried Beans

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
These Quick and Easy Refried Beans are made easy using canned beans and made healthier without the refry.  
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5 (1/2 cup) servings
Author: Countryside Cravings
Print Recipe Save Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 (28 oz) (850 g) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) water
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan combine all the ingredients.  Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.  Mash with a potato masher or the back of a spoon.  (These will not be super smooth beans)
  • Continue to cooker over low heat for 10 minutes or until they reach desired consistency.  Stir occasionally to help prevent burning.  (Beans will also thicken as they cool)

Notes

  1. Make ahead tip: Beans can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.  
  2. If you would rather use black beans they substitute well.
  3. These beans are vegetarian and vegan.  
  4. They are also gluten free (just be sure to check your labels before purchasing to ensure they are gluten free). 

54 thoughts on “Quick and Easy “Refried” Beans”

    • Hi! You can pressure cook the beans by placing in a pressure cooker and cover the beans with enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Season to taste, cover, and cook on high pressure for 5-10 minutes for smaller beans and larger beans like chickpeas will need around 30 minutes. Do a natural release for at least 15 minutes.

      Reply
      • I know you aren’t using chickpeas just wanted to include the info in case someone else wanted to know 🙂 People have been using different beans to make “refried” beans. Hope you enjoy!!

        Reply
  1. 5 stars
    Just made this – excellent! Much better than canned refried beans. This is a keeper – thanks for the great recipe and so easy to make!

    Reply

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