How to Make Homemade Refried Beans

How to make easy Homemade Refried Beans! This is the BEST refried beans recipe, made from scratch with healthy ingredients. Enjoy this vegan and gluten free recipe on its own or add cheese and pop in the oven for a baked bean dip.

This Mexican refried beans recipe is so easy it’s almost ridiculous that they sell it in a can. If you are heating them up for dip then you are going to dirty a pot anyway, why not just make your own version? This way you can tailor your spices and have control over the quality of your ingredients.

Pair it up with some vegan nacho cheese to create completely plant-based dishes. Perfect for nachos, burritos, and quesadillas.

Homemade refried beans

So why are they called refried beans anyway? Surprisingly it isn’t because they are fried twice! They are more cooked than fried really. The name is translated from Spanish frijoles refritos which means ‘well-fried’ or ‘intensely fried’. The conversion to English is a bit misleading but so many things get lost in translation, don’t they?

HOW DO YOU MAKE REFRIED BEANS FROM SCRATCH?

As mentioned above this recipe is really simple. The traditional and authentic way is a bit more labor-intensive. Dry beans are soaked overnight first, then stewed. After that, they are drained and mashed and then strained through a sieve to remove the skins. When that process is complete the beans are cooked with spices.

I’ve cut a few corners to make this recipe easy and quick yet still tasty and of course a little healthier. Most old-school recipes add lard to their refried beans so we are going to skip that part too. 😉

So if you wondered ‘are homemade refried beans healthy‘, with this recipe, yes they are.

What kinds of beans are refried beans made out of? Most recipes you will find are using pinto beans. They have a slightly nutty flavour and will give a lovely creamy consistency.

What else do you need for this recipe?

• pinto beans – you could also use black beans or kidney beans for a variety
• coconut oil – olive oil works too
• onion
• garlic
• almond milk – or whatever milk you choose
• seasonings – chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili flakes, salt

Be super economical and soak your own beans, or, be lazy like me and buy them. 😉

Coconut oil is really tough against heat so I’ve been using it more for higher temperature cooking. I don’t find it to be an overpowering flavour, either. Olive oil or any other cooking oil will work also.

STEP BY STEP

Firstly, use the coconut oil to soften up the chopped onions.

As per usual, there is garlic added too. 😉

A variety of spices brings your beans to life. Cumin, coriander, and the like are added to the onions and garlic. Of course, I also added chili flakes. It seems that I kind of like the spicy side of life, no?

You can omit the chilis if it is too much fire.

Add the beans and simmer it all together and let the magic happen. The beans will soften a bit and absorb all the spicy goodness before your milk of choice is added and it is all mashed together.

I simply use a potato masher to mash the beans. A fork isn’t quite enough and a hand blender is too much. I like to have slight texture to my refried beans and not sompletely smooth.

That is another wonderful thing about homemade dishes is you can make it how YOU like it.

And that’s it.

Your healthy side dish is ready!

What do you serve with refried beans?

• taco or taco salad topping
• burrito stuffer
• baked with cheese for dip
• add to tostadas
• use in chimichangas
• in seven layer dip
• with fajitas

Deliciouso!

Or is it deliciousa? Well, how about yummy? That works.

MORE HEALTHY TEX MEX + MEXICAN RECIPES

Mexican Brown Rice Bake – Gluten Free

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice Recipe

Tex Mex Casserole

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash – Tex Mex Style!

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Homemade Refried Beans – Vegan & Gluten Free

Sharon Rhodes

4.70 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4

Calories 113 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 can pinto beans drained & rinsed (398 ml can)
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp. cumin
• 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 cup almond milk or milk of choice

Instructions

 

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Add in the minced garlic, stir for another minute or so.
• Add in the spices and stir well. Pour in the beans and HALF the milk (1/4 cup) stir well, lower the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add in more milk if it looks like it’s getting too dry
• Remove from the heat and mash with a potato masher until you reach your desired texture. Add in more milk of you like a creamier consistency

Nutrition

Calories: 113kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 674mgPotassium: 210mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 930IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 5.4mg

Keyword homemade refried beans

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