Restaurant Style Refried Beans
Restaurant-Style Refried Beans are irresistibly smooth and creamy, made by blending the ingredients in a food processor and adding just enough water for the perfect consistency. Our Tex-Mex–loving family makes them several times a month—and we’re more than a little obsessed!
Homemade Refried Beans
Beans are a staple in our kitchen – we enjoy them in soups, salads, casseroles, and just about every Tex-Mex dish. They’re not only packed with fiber and protein but also hearty, delicious, and satisfying.
This recipe leans more ‘semi-homemade’ than completely from scratch, but you can easily take it up a notch by cooking your own dried beans. For convenience, we use canned pinto beans – which I always keep stocked in the pantry!
Traditional refried beans are usually made with lard, but I swapped that out for a little olive oil and a touch of unsalted butter to achieve the same creamy texture. The result? Rich, flavorful beans that are so tasty!
Why This Recipe Works:
- SIMPLE INGREDIENTS – We make these so often that I don’t need a recipe anymore. You’ll need just six ingredients plus seasonings (and some water to thin).
- CREAMY AND DELISH – These homemade refried beans are super creamy due to using a food processor and adding just the right amount of liquid.
- FULL OF PROTEIN – Beans are such a great source of protein that I often skip the meat and load up on them instead. Just one serving of these refried beans packs in 13 grams of protein!
Ingredients needed for The Easiest Refried Beans:
- Pinto Beans – Use about 30 oz. of canned pinto beans. Or if you are feeling ambitious, use the dried version (which will require soaking, etc.).
- Olive Oil – You’ll need to use a bit of olive oil to sauté the veggies.
- Veggies – Onion, jalapeño pepper, and some garlic.
- Seasonings – Ground cumin, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Butter – A couple of tablespoons of butter to get the beans creamy.
- Hot Sauce (optional) – For extra spice, add a splash of hot sauce. I used Frank’s hot sauce.
- Lime – A big squeeze of lime adds a bit of acidity plus helps add moisture to the beans.
- Water – Needed to get the beans super creamy.
How to make Refried Beans:
Step 1
Sauté the veggies. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add some olive oil, and then the diced onions and peppers. Sauté for a few minutes, or until veggies are soft. Then add the garlic, ground cumin, salt, and pepper – and stir for another 30 seconds.
Step 2
Add beans. Add the pinto beans and hot sauce and continue cooking for several minutes until beans are heated.
Step 3
Process. Spoon the veggie mixture into a food processor, and pulse until it’s completely pureed. Add butter, fresh lime juice, and pulse again. Then add water until the beans are nice and creamy. (We normally add about 1/4 cup of water.)
Step 4
Serve. Serve refried beans along with your favorite Tex-Mex dishes!
Ways to serve these easy refried beans:
- As pictured below, spread them on tortillas and eat!
- in our Walking Taco Casserole
- Use them in my Steak Quesadilla Recipe, instead of the black bean mixture in my recipe.
- Add a layer to my Easy Taco Crunch Wraps.
- Enjoy them in some delicious Huevos Rancheros Tostadas.
- Add a few extra ingredients and turn these into our Mexican Refried Bean Dip.
Recipe FAQs:
Pinto beans are the most traditional choice, but black beans also work well for a slightly different flavor.
Yes, dried beans work well in these but the process is more time consuming than using canned.
Yes, lard is traditional in refried beans but we prefer using butter and oil in our recipe.
Despite the name, “refried” just means they’re cooked again after boiling. Sautéing them in a bit of fat while mashing is what gives them their signature taste and texture.
Absolutely! They store well in the fridge for up to 4 days or can be frozen for longer storage.
Other Bean Recipes:
Here are a few other recipes that I think you’d like, too.
Kitchen Tools Used: (Affiliate Links)
xoxo ~Sue
Restaurant Style Refried Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion – diced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper – diced
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 30 oz. pinto beans – rinsed and strained
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium lime – freshly juiced
- water – to thin (we use about 1/4 cup)
- chopped cilantro and a dash of hot sauce (optional) – to serve
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add some olive oil, and then the diced onions and peppers. Sauté for a few minutes, or until veggies are soft. Then add the garlic, ground cumin, salt, and pepper – and stir for another 30 seconds.1-2 Tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup yellow onion, 1 medium jalapeno pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Add beans. Add the pinto beans and and continue cooking for several minutes until beans are heated.30 oz. pinto beans
- Process. Spoon the veggie mixture into a food processor, and pulse until it’s completely pureed. Add butter, fresh lime juice, and pulse again. Then add water to thin beans as desired. (I normally add at least 1/4 cup.)2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 medium lime, water
- Serve. Serve refried beans with some chopped cilantro and a dash of hot sauce.chopped cilantro and a dash of hot sauce (optional)
Notes
- We love these refried beans in quesadillas, tostadas, tacos, and as a dip for chips!
- Store leftover refried beans in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Oh my! I had to go out and buy more chips! We ate the entire bowl as a late night snack! No more store bought cans of refried beans for us!
We love these too!
Like several others said, once I made these, I won’t go back to canned. They’re so good, I have to lick the spoon and bowl after making them as if it was frosting!
Yum!
I completely get this, Ginger! We love them too!
Didn’t realize I hadn’t left a review for this recipe yet. I’ve made it a number of times and since making it the first time I won’t buy canned again if I can help it. Homemade is best. So delicious, no matter how you use it.
Thanks Jackie! We make this almost weekly to go with everything Tex-Mex!
Restaurant style indeed!! This was such an easy recipe to make! I used some of the leftovers as a dip to have with some pretzel crisps!
Great idea!
I LOVE refried beans and these are so much better than the ones in the can. It can be used in so many ways or just with chips.
We love these as a chip dip too!
I never thought I would give refried beans ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, but this is well done and legit!
They are so much better than store-bought!
Easy & Excellent!
Nice thing is you can add as much as ypu desire for balancing it out.
Thank you
Yummmy