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May 3, 2014 43 Comments

How to Make Homemade Re-fried Beans



 

How to make Homemade Re-fried Beans

How to Make Homemade Re-fried Beans

Warning! Once you make your own re-fried beans you will have a hard time ever eating the canned version again.

When I was serving as a missionary for my church in California, my roommates (who were also missionaries) had a weekly lunch appointment at a sweet older Hispanic woman’s home. Every week they would return home from that appointment with a generous bag of leftovers. It was always the best day of my week.

That wonderful woman made everything from scratch and it was always the same thing, tortillas, carne asada, re-fried beans and Spanish rice. DELICIOUS!!! Seriously some of the best food I’ve ever had.

I spent years seeking out recipes that could duplicate the amazing authentic flavor that I now craved constantly.

First, I figured out the Spanish riceΒ and even figured out how to make it in the oven.

Then one day, about 5 years ago, I was visiting one of those missionary roommates. She was making Navajo tacos for lunch. She made homemade re-fried beans to put on them instead of chili and they were delicious. I was like, “Kirsten, how in the heck did you make these beans? These are the best, most authentic re-fried beans I’ve had since the mission!”

She was kind enough to share her recipe and method with me and we have been enjoying them with all of our Mexican meals ever since.

Authentic Homemade Re-Fried Beans are so much easier to make than I would have ever imagined, you can use a slow cooker or just a pot on your stove…..whatever you fancy. I’ve gotten in the habit of using my favorite pot on the stove. I love making a giant batch so I can freeze portions for other meals. The beans will stay good in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Ingredients for rf beansI am going to write the instructions for a pot on the stove, but remember you can easily do the same thing in your slow cooker.

Here we go: Rinse beans and soak them overnight. If you forget, don’t worry, just rinse the beans cover them with water, put them in a large pot covered with a lid, bring them to a boil for 1 minute, and turn the burner off, but leave beans sitting there in the covered pot for 1 hour.
When you are ready to cook beans, drain off the liquid from soaking them overnight or from the 1-hour quick soak method.
Re-fried beansMake sure you are using a large enough pot and cover beans with water, making sure they are covered by at least an inch.
Add chopped onion, and garlic.
Add salt, start with 2 tsp, stir it around and taste the water. You want it to taste nice and salty. Add more salt if necessary.
Ready to squishBring mixture to a boil. Once it is boiling turn down to low and let simmer for 3-4 hours or until beans are tender. Check the water level every 30-40 minutes and add water if needed. Also, check beans after about 2 1/2 hours, sometimes they cook faster than others.
When beans are nice and tender you are ready for the next step.

Blending the re-fried beansDrain most of the liquid out of the beans. You want to reserve some of it in case you need to add it back in to get beans to the right consistency.
Add oil to beans and using an emulsion blender, a potato smasher, or even your blender or food processor, smash, blend or crush beans until they are the consistency you prefer. Some people like them a little chunky while others like them smooth.
Add reserved cooking liquid as needed to get the consistency you prefer. (if your beans are on the salty side, do not add the liquid from cooking add regular water)
***If you choose to use your blender, be careful. Wait until beans are mostly cooled or you could have a big nasty hot explosion on your hands, sometimes the pressure in your blender from built-up heat can cause the lid to pop off during blending…..you do not want that.
I have found that the emulsion blender works best! I love my emulsion blender!

Taste beans and add a little more salt if needed.
Re-Fried Beans and quesadillas

Serve with your favorite Mexican Dishes. We love to dip quesadilla’s in them for a quick weeknight meal. They are so good!

Use your beans in these recipes

Nacho CasseroleChicken-Fajita-Quinoa-Bake-reallifedinner.comChicken Fajita Quinoa BakeAntioxidant Rich BurritosAntioxidant Rich Veggie and Bean Burritos

5.0 from 3 reviews
How to Make Homemade Re-fried Beans
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
3 hours
Total time
3 hours 10 mins
 
I also like to cook my black beans this way. I also sometimes pull out part of the cooked pinto beans and save them to use in Chili. I always double this recipe and freeze portions for other meals. Using your pressure cooker will cut down on time dramatically.
Author: My Friend Kirsten
Recipe type: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 lb dry pinto beans
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped (approx 1 cup)
  • 3-4 large cloves of fresh garlic, chopped or crushed
  • Salt to taste, I use about 2-3 tsp
  • ⅓ cup oil, vegetable or canola, or if you really want to be authentic use lard or bacon grease
Instructions
  1. Rinse beans and soak them overnight. If you forget, don't worry, just rinse the beans cover them with water, put them in a large pot covered with a lid, bring them to a boil for 1 minute, and turn the burner off, but leave beans sitting there in the covered pot for 1 hour.
  2. When you are ready to cook beans, drain off liquid from soaking them overnight or from the 1-hour quick method.
  3. Make sure you are using a large enough pot and cover beans with water, making sure they are covered by at least an inch.
  4. Add chopped onion, and garlic.
  5. Add salt, start with 2 tsp, stir it around and taste the water. You want it to taste nice and salty. Add more salt if necessary.
  6. Bring mixture to a boil. Once it is boiling turn down to low and let simmer for 3-4 hours or until beans are tender. Check water level every 30-40 minutes and add water if needed. Also, check beans after about 2½ hours, sometimes they cook faster than others.
  7. When beans are nice and tender you are ready for the next step. Drain most of the liquid out of the beans. You want to reserve some of it in case you need to add it back in to get beans to the right consistency.
  8. Add oil to beans and using an emulsion blender, a potato smasher, or even your blender or food processor, smash, blend or crush beans until they are the consistency you prefer. Some people like them a little chunky while others like them smooth.
  9. Add reserved cooking liquid as needed to get the consistency you prefer. (if your beans are on the salty side, do not add the liquid from cooking add regular water)
  10. If you choose to use your blender, be careful. Wait until beans are mostly cooled or you could have a big nasty hot explosion on your hands, sometimes the pressure in your blender from built-up heat can cause the lid to pop off during blending.....you do not want that.
  11. I have found that the emulsion blender works best!
  12. Taste beans and add a little more salt if needed.
  13. Serve with your favorite Mexican Dishes. We love to dip quesadilla's in them for a quick weeknight meal. They are so good!
3.2.2265

Pick a rice, any rice

Oven baked Spanish rice in a serving dish with a few cilantro leaves on top. In the upper right corner the words Oven Baked Spanish Rice are overlaid on the photo.Oven Baked Spanish RiceOven Baked Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe, Throw it in the oven and forget about it!Oven Baked Cilantro Lime Rice RecipeStove top Spanish Rice in a serving bowl with a few cilantro leaves on top in the middle. The words Stove Top Spanish Rice is in the upper right corner overlaid on the photo.Stove Top Spanish Rice

Enjoy! Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Keep it Real!

Maria

Beans/Legumes, Cooking Method, Family Favorite Recipes, Healthy Recipes, High Fiber Recipes, How To Posts, Ingredients, Mexican, More, Pinto Beans, Recipes, Side Dishes, Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker / Instant Pot
Homemade Refried Beans, homemade refried beans recipe, How to make homemade re-fried beans, how to make homemade refried beans, Refried beans Recipe
43 Comments

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43 Comments

  1. Kirsten

    August 29, 2014 at 1:27 am

    Ha! I was on your site looking for a new recipe to try and happened on this post- good times! Sister Cervantes’ food was THE BEST, I am so glad she taught us how to make the beans!! You are awesome, keep up the great recipes!!!

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      August 29, 2014 at 4:38 pm

      Thanks Kirsten! πŸ™‚ Sister Cervantes!!!! I could not remember her name for the life of me! Such a great cook! I am so glad you passed on the awesome bean making skills to me.

      reply to this comment
  2. Nicole H

    October 1, 2014 at 10:28 am

    I have these simmering on the stove as we speak! I’m glad you have a recipe for homemade refried beans, since we eat beans a lot in our family. I’m definitely ok with getting away from the cans and making them myself. Thanks for the recipe!

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      October 1, 2014 at 10:40 am

      You are so welcome! Our family loves beans too, and really, if you get in a habit of making a big batch every so often it isn’t hard to keep me stocked in the freezer.

      reply to this comment
      • Amber

        March 20, 2019 at 6:22 pm

        How do I store them if not able to use the whole batch?

        reply to this comment
        • Maria

          March 20, 2019 at 9:54 pm

          Hi Amber, I put them in freezer bags and freeze them. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

          reply to this comment
  3. Marianne

    August 25, 2015 at 10:42 pm

    I found your recipe a few months ago on pinterest and have made it a few times already (we have a family of 7 so usually use 2-3 lbs of beans!!) and i must say, I’ve never liked refried beans..til now!! Plus all the boys love it!!! The only downside…i need to make extra of my homemade air fresheners on bean days! Haha
    Thank you for an awesome and yummy recipe!

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      August 25, 2015 at 10:48 pm

      lol, They do have away of making your house smell like a Mexican Restaurant. I am so glad your family loves them. We do too, they are the best!

      reply to this comment
      • Steve Van Dyke

        February 20, 2018 at 5:56 pm

        I am making these for the first time today, I was wondering when you add the 1/3 of lard or bacon grease?

        Thanks!
        Steve

        reply to this comment
        • Maria

          February 21, 2018 at 10:28 am

          Hi Steve, I add it at the end when I am blending them.

          reply to this comment
        • Erin

          April 1, 2018 at 3:23 am

          I grew up in New Mexico where I learned to cook from many of my friend’s parents since I’m not Hispanic or Mexican I had no clue. But I was taught to either use lard or bacon grease when your “frying” the rice, onion, and garlic instead of oil.

          reply to this comment
          • Maria

            April 18, 2018 at 7:44 pm

            Thanks Erin, I will have to give bacon grease a try.

  4. Beth

    October 1, 2015 at 6:38 pm

    I’d be one happy camper with a big bowl of this and some salsa and cheese for dinner!

    reply to this comment
  5. Kristyn

    October 1, 2015 at 8:18 pm

    What a delicious addition to any Taco Tuesday night! πŸ˜‰ Thanks for sharing! πŸ™‚

    reply to this comment
  6. Des @ Life's Ambrosia

    October 2, 2015 at 12:21 am

    I love this! What a great post, I’ve always wanted to know how to make them homemade!

    reply to this comment
  7. Tonia Larson

    October 2, 2015 at 12:34 am

    I’ve never even thought about making my own refried beans but it looks easy enough!

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      October 2, 2015 at 1:12 am

      It is so worth it. They are delish!

      reply to this comment
  8. Jenny B @ Honey and Birch

    October 2, 2015 at 8:56 am

    This recipe is a game changer – I make almost everything from scratch but hadn’t perfected refried beans. Can’t wait to give this a try!!

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      October 2, 2015 at 1:00 pm

      Your.going.to.LOVE.it!

      reply to this comment
  9. Gerry @ Foodness Gracious

    October 2, 2015 at 7:12 pm

    i love refried beans and they’re always a must have for me πŸ™‚

    reply to this comment
  10. Michelle @ The Complete Savorist

    October 5, 2015 at 2:57 pm

    Delicious. I haven’t made homemade in YEARS because I am lazy but reading this I remember how easy it is to do! YUM

    reply to this comment
  11. Sara

    December 24, 2015 at 4:32 pm

    How come my refried beans look white? I did everything the same. The only thing I noticed after the fact was that I used a white onion instead of a yellow onion. Would that alter the taste as well? This is my first attempt at refried beans.

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      December 24, 2015 at 10:44 pm

      Hi Sara, Sometimes it is just the beans, they turn out light or dark sometimes for me too, I chalk it up to the crop of beans. They still taste the same. White onion instead of yellow won’t make a difference, I use white often if I don’t have a yellow on hand.

      reply to this comment
  12. Leah

    January 13, 2016 at 1:37 pm

    Yummy! Just finished making them, and I am happy I did! Morning sickness is kicking my tush, but beans are supposed to help and these hit the spot! Thank you for a great recipe!

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      January 13, 2016 at 2:12 pm

      I am so glad Leah, Morning sickness is the WORST!

      reply to this comment
    • Maria

      January 25, 2016 at 11:14 pm

      Yay, for finding something you can eat with morning sickness.

      reply to this comment
  13. Kim Martin

    January 18, 2016 at 4:14 am

    Can’t wait to try this recipe! I love refried beans and cannot believe I’ve never thought to make them myself. I’m sure much better than from a can. πŸ™‚

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      January 25, 2016 at 11:09 pm

      There is no comparison. You will LOVE them!

      reply to this comment
  14. Marcia Lane

    March 2, 2016 at 2:02 am

    Do you put lid on pot while simmering? Water level suppose to be over beans during simmer stage?

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      March 2, 2016 at 4:13 pm

      Yes and Yes. πŸ™‚ Check it every once in a while to see if you need to add a little more water.

      reply to this comment
  15. Jessica

    April 13, 2016 at 2:56 pm

    How do you store the cooked beans? I don’t want them to spoil before we finish them.

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      April 15, 2016 at 9:39 pm

      I put them in ziploc bags and freeze them in portion sizes I know we will use with future meals. They stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.

      reply to this comment
  16. Debbie

    August 21, 2016 at 3:51 pm

    First time I used this recipe and it is amazing! Thank you so much!

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      November 30, 2016 at 3:26 pm

      Yay! You are so welcome Debbie!

      reply to this comment
  17. Kaity

    August 22, 2016 at 5:56 pm

    How long would you suggest on a crock pot? And high or low? πŸ™‚

    Thank you!!

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      November 30, 2016 at 3:25 pm

      8 hours on high or 12 hours on low

      reply to this comment
  18. Ashley C

    March 3, 2017 at 6:33 pm

    I’m about to make this recipe. It sounds a lot like my moms recipe! My mom likes to put leftover bacon grease into the beans to give them even more flavor πŸ™‚ I can’t wait to try this out on my own for the first time!

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      March 7, 2017 at 1:28 pm

      Yum! Bacon grease in there is a great idea and will make them even more delicious!

      reply to this comment
  19. Margie

    July 6, 2017 at 11:18 am

    Hi- if i decide to use lard, do you know how much I would use?

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      August 10, 2017 at 11:14 pm

      I would start with a large spoonful and add more if the consistency doesn’t seem right.

      reply to this comment
  20. Elyse

    July 26, 2018 at 7:12 am

    Add some cumin when simmering the beans. Save some of water for consistency. A little bacon grease at the end.

    reply to this comment
  21. Chris Biggs

    June 23, 2023 at 7:35 pm

    Do you have to use lard, bacon grease or oil? Is there a substitute or skip altogether?
    Love your recipes!
    Thank you, Chris

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      July 19, 2023 at 7:25 am

      Hi Chris, You could leave it out but the beans won’t have the same smooth texture. It will also dry out quicker. Coconut oil could be a little healthier substitute.

      reply to this comment

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Welcome friends!

Hi, I'm Maria. A mom of five and a total foodie. My superpower is taking ordinary recipes and making them DELICIOUS. Your family will LOVE these meals! Come cook with me, I promise it will be amazing! Get started here or search my archives below.


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