These are the BEST refried beans ever! Once you make homemade refried beans with bacon and onion, you’ll never go back to the canned stuff again. Best of all? It only takes 15 minutes and 6 ingredients to whip up. They’re packed with rich, savory, smoky flavor and can be used as a side for a Mexican-inspired meal, on tacos, on nachos, as a dip… or however you usually use refried beans!
These truly are the best refried beans ever. They’re bursting with flavor- smoky, spicy, simple, fresh, and decadent. And while these are made with bacon and bacon grease for extra decadence, you can easily make them vegetarian or vegan if you prefer.
Homemade refried beans are best when eaten hot and right away, but you can also make these and save them for later.
In this post I’ll explain how to make the BEST refried beans ever, and be sure to check out the video! This is such a yummy, hearty side dish that’s packed with plant-based protein. You’re going to love it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pinto Beans – I used canned, but you can cook them from dried beforehand if you prefer. Pinto are the most traditional for refried beans, but you can use black beans or other beans as a substitute if you like.
- Bacon – only two slices.
- Onion
- Spices: Chili powder and cayenne pepper. You can omit the cayenne if you don’t want them spicy (or use more to pump up the heat). Add other spices if you like, such as cumin, garlic powder, etc.
- Chicken Broth – vegetable broth or water (in a pinch) will work, too.
- Fresh cilantro – you can omit this if you like.
How to make Homemade Refried Beans
- First, cook the bacon. After it’s cool, chop into small pieces. Leave the grease in the skillet.
- Sauté the onions in the bacon grease until nice and browned and softened.
- Then, add the spices – chili powder and cayenne pepper – and stir to coat the onions in them
- Add the beans and chicken broth. Use a potato masher to mash to the consistency you prefer. Continue to heat if the beans seem too thin, keeping in mind that they will continue to thicken as they cool.
- Turn off the heat and stir in chopped cilantro and the chopped bacon.
- Serve! I like to top with shredded cheese and reserved chopped cilantro and bacon.
How to make really smooth refried beans
As you’ll see in the recipe below, I used a potato masher to make my beans. I like the texture somewhat lumpy, and I like that it’s a really simple process to mash them directly in the pot.
If you like very smooth refried beans, however, you can puree the beans and broth in a food processor or blender before adding to the skillet.
How to make refried beans vegetarian or vegan
If using bacon and bacon grease sounds like a little too much for you, or if you are vegetarian, you can omit the bacon, use vegetable broth instead of chicken, and use butter to sauté the onions (or oil or plant-based butter for vegan).
You may want to throw a little smoked paprika or chipotle hot sauce in there to give it some of the smoky flavor it will be missing without the bacon.
Recommended Equipment
I recommend using a well seasoned cast iron skillet for this recipe (here’s how to use and season a cast iron skillet!). It’s perfect for cooking the bacon, and since it’s so hearty, you can use a metal potato masher in there without worrying about damaging it.
How to serve refried beans
- On nachos with cheese and jalapeños.
- In breakfast tacos.
- As a side with your favorite Mexican main dish, such as this Mexican-inspired shredded chicken.
- As a dip with homemade tortilla chips.
Other Mexican-inspired recipes
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Mexican Roasted Zucchini
- Smoky Chicken and Avocado Tacos
- Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos
- Zucchini and Corn Tacos with Fresh Guacamole
- Mexican Baked Beans with Chorizo
- Vegetarian Enchiladas Verdes
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The Best Homemade Refried Beans
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet (or other 10-12" skillet)
- Potato Masher
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon
- 1/2 onion (diced)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less, if you prefer mild spice)
- 15 oz. canned pinto beans (drained and rinsed, about 1.5 cups cooked beans)
- 1/2 cup chicken stock/broth (or veggie stock, or water)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a heavy skillet (I used a cast iron one), fry the 2 slices bacon until crispy on medium high heat. Remove the bacon and set aside. Chop into small pieces when cooled.
- Meanwhile, the diced onion to the bacon grease in the skillet; sauté until soft and slightly browned (about 2 minutes).
- Add the chili powder (1 teaspoon) and cayenne pepper (1/4 teaspoon); stir to coat the onions.
- Add the drained and rinsed pinto beans and chicken stock (1/2 cup). Use a potato masher (or a fork) to mash the beans to desired texture, then stir to incorporate with the liquid.
- Continue heating until heated through. It may seem pretty watery at this point. If there is too much liquid, continue heating until some of the liquid has evaporated, until you reach the desired consistency, stirring frequently, keeping in mind the beans will thicken additionally as they cool.
- Stir in cilantro (1/4 cup) if using, the chopped bacon, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
- Like super creamy refried beans? Puree everything together in a blender or food processor instead of using a food processor.
- Vegetarian? Use butter to sauté the onion, omit the bacon, and use veggie stock or water. For a vegan option, use olive or canola oil. I recommend adding a little smoked paprika to the spice mix since you won’t get that smokiness from the bacon.
- Make ahead Instructions: They can be made ahead of time and reheated, but they will dry out a bit over time. Adding a little water or a squeeze of lime juice should help with that.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
This post originally appeared on Bowl of Delicious on February 2, 2015. It has been republished with new photos, improved recipe instructions, and more pertinent information.
Alice Ivadelle Kerr Re
Refried Beans:
When you say “Serve Immediately” does that mean these cannot or would not advise to be made ahead and warmed up before serving?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh you can definitely reheat them and they’ll be great! I meant serve warm. Got ahead of myself there :-) I’m going to go change the recipe now to reflect that! Just a word of caution: they *may* dry out just a little bit as they sit in your fridge. Adding a little water or a squeeze of lime juice should help with that.
David James Kiser
Elizabeth, instead of the bacon how much smoked paprika would you use?
Thanks,
Dave
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’d probably use 1/2 teaspoon to start! You can always add more if you think it needs it :-)
Amanda
Our office manager made these for the office and I immediately asked her to share the recipe. I’m Mexican from east Los Angeles and these are the best beans ever.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh wow, thanks so much! So glad you liked them :-)
Bonnie Salerno
Loved your two ingredient oven baked bb chicken. So easy and so good!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So happy you liked it!! :-)
Jennifer @ Because Food Is Love
Made these tonight, with dried pinto beans. So delicious! I’ve always made homemade beans vegetarian style. Love the addition of bacon. My family loved these beans. :-)
Elizabeth
So glad you and your family liked them! I like vegetarian beans too, but sometimes you just need some bacon :-)
Kevan
I made these beans last night. The wife said no more store-bought beans. I made them exactly as the recipe says, except I used dry beans which I had recently cooked. They started a little loose but cooked down rather quickly. A definite save on this recipe. I will be trying a few variations like fresh garlic and possibly some jalapeños. Thanks
Elizabeth
I’m so glad you liked the recipe, and thanks for the comment! :-)
Shar from California
Hi Elizabeth, can you quickly share a crockpot recipe to make from dried beans. I’d like to try from scratch and if it doesn’t come out, at least I have a Can version recipe? Just to the point of creating the refried beans in a can please. Also does dried black beans and dried pinto beans cook in the same time in a crockpot?
Elizabeth
Hi Shar! Sorry for the delayed response. To make dried beans in your slow cooker, first soak the beans overnight (cover the beans with water in a bowl or container with at least 2 inches of water above the beans). Then, drain and rinse the beans. Add them to your slow cooker and again cover with water with at least 2 inches above the beans. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4. I’ve found that all kinds of beans cook this way in the slow cooker, so both the black and pinto should be fine! I’ve never tried a recipe that’s like refried beans in a can, but I love buying refried beans in a can and would just recommend using those if you don’t like the way this comes out. Hope you like it, and hope this helps!
Laura Mustin
I’m making these tonight but will be using black soy beans, trying to get the carbs down for a low carb taco Pizza with a cauliflower crust. Wish me luck!
Elizabeth
I’d be interested to hear how it comes out with the soy beans! Good luck :-)
Laura Mustin
I am pleased to announce it actually came out really good. I did use bacon and added some smoked Paprika and minced garlic. I tried to mash them in the skillet but I wasn’t getting the right consistency so I put them in my magic bullet for a few seconds. I then put them back in the skillet, added about 2 tablespoons of chicken stock and the bacon, then stirred until I got the consistency I was looking for. They taste amazing and only 1 net carb. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Drea R.
This recipe was a great base to make my own. I doubled this recipe, call myself saving some for tomorrow, but they were WAY too delicious! Hubby is a vegetarian, so I sautéed 1 1/2 cups of frozen diced onions and a tablespoon of minced garlic in about 6 tablespoons of olive oil. I dumped two 15 oz cans of pinto beans in a pot with the juice, added seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and a capful of Wright’s liquid smoke. When the onions and garlic were finished, I added the pot of beans to simmer. After about 10 minutes, I added the whole skillet (I used a non-stick skillet, didn’t have a cast iron) to my Vitamix and blended on 1 until I got the consistency I wanted. I then added 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and added the mixture back for about 2 minutes. I made Hubby some bean and cheese burritos and my daughter and I snacked on the rest while the baked chicken was finishing up. Thanks for the recipe!!! #TacoBellWho
Elizabeth
Thanks so much for coming back and commenting and leaving these great suggestions! Now I’m hungry for bean and cheese burritos… :-)
steve
We made these beans for dinner tonight. We did cook the onions in lard instead of bacon fat and also added jalapeño from the garden and a little minced garlic. They are absolutely delicious. What an awesome recipe. This is the first time making them but absolutely not the last. Thanks for a great recipe.
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it! Love that you went a bit more authentic with the lard. Thanks for coming back and commenting!
Dayna
How many people do you think this would feed as a side dish for a big potluck meal?
Elizabeth
As a side, this batch would probably feed 4 people. For a big potluck, I’d definitely double or triple this recipe, keeping in mind that people at potlucks don’t usually help themselves to everything and if they do, they only get a small portion of each thing :-) Hope this helps!
Susan
So yummy – as an extra treat cooked the pinto beans from scratch using dried beans – worth the extra effort. Thanks for a great recipe!
Elizabeth
Using dried beans is always tastier- and SO much less expensive! So glad you liked it!
Jill
I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Can I use a different kind of skillet?
Elizabeth
Definitely! A stainless steel one would work great, or another heavy skillet.
TXKajun
Last sentence should start “I used 2 Tbsp lard for my fat..”
TXKajun
I will never buy refried beans again! I needed a can to make some copy cat frito lay bean dip and didn’t have any in cans. I did have a pint of home canned pinto beans and all the spices I did a batch. I 2 Tbsp lard fomy fat and it turned out incredible!! Thank you so much.
Elizabeth
I’m so glad you liked it!!
Tonya
Just wanted to let you know I tried this recipe and these beans were AMAZING! Seriously the best. refried. beans. ever! Thanks for a great recipe!
Elizabeth
Yay, Tonya! So glad you liked it and thanks for the nice comment :-)
Shar
Do you think the results would be okay if I doubled the recipe and used one can of pinto and one can ofblack beans?
Elizabeth
Absolutely. Hope you like it!
Shar
Thank you for the quick response! I’m excited to try this tonight., I’ll post how it turned out later.
Shar from California
How did people’s pinto and black bean turn out?
billlattner
Can the refried beans be made with Black Beans instead of pintos?
Elizabeth
Definitely! Hope you like it :-)
Wendy
WOW! Seriously. I can’t believe how easy this recipe is and how flavorful the beans came out. I will make my beans this way from now on!
Thank you so much!!
Tom
I just made these.. I am convinced that they are the BEST! Wow, thank you for this recipe : )
Elizabeth
Thanks, Tom! So glad you liked them! :-)
Patty
How many people does this serve as a side dish?
Elizabeth
Sorry for the delayed response! This recipe serves about 4 (it’s in teeny tiny writing on the recipe card above- easy to miss!) :-) That said, if you’re serving it with rice, or a large entree, you can probably stretch it to 6.
Jenna
I love these beans! They are a must-try for everyone. These are very simple and so very tasty! I double this recipe and use a cast iron skillet as well. I have made them a dozen times so far for my toddler who loves beans and rice. So much flavor and easy on the budget as well. I also add in a little minced garlic with the onion. Thanks for a great recipe!
Elizabeth
Hooray! So glad you and your family like them! And I’m so happy you commented on this because now I am reminded that I NEED to make them again soon :-) Thanks so much!
GermanInLA
A nice recipe. However, having married a Mexican and living in LA, I would suggest that these aren’t really refried beans. Real south of th border refried beans always have a fat added directly (not just bacon grease). Most abuelitas (little grandmothers) add cheese or better yet lard to their beans. They are typically made in large batches and take 2 days or so to cook, including soaking time. The fat is the key, and lard is king. Go to any authentic Mexican restaurant and you will see containers of lard. Fat is king. Eine Kline Fat!
Elizabeth
Thanks for the rundown on authentic refried beans! Since I focus on real food for busy people, I tend to make my recipes more user-friendly by making them fast and with ingredients most people have (I don’t know anyone who has lard in their kitchen personally, although I wouldn’t be opposed to using a natural fat such as lard!). I’ll have to try this method sometime when I have some time to get a bit more authentic :-)
Shelly
I think most people would call these beans “Ranchero Beans”. I have my own variation of these beans with bacon and jalapenos and they are very delicious.
At one time my Mexican grandma did make some authentic refried beans using bacon grease, my dad calls this variation of my grandma’s refried beans “beans from the 70’s”. She did eventually move onto using vegetable oil and she taught me how to make this variation. She always added Monterey jack cheese at the end.
Authentic refried beans don’t take two days to make (I’m part Mexican and have been making authentic refried beans at least once a month for over 20 years). You soak pintos overnight or do a quick soak (my preferred method) which only takes one hour to soak plus about two hours of boiling and another 30 minutes of cooking in a skillet.
Lol I have lard in my kitchen, it’s called Manteca. We only use it for making my Grandma’s recipe for pork tamales.
Nice recipe!
Eva
I was surfing to find a good recipe for refried beans that a plan to take to a “Mexican” attendance party. I’m Hungarian and grew up on lard, still use some (duck lard) from time to time. However, I think two slices of bacon should beore than enough “lard” for 1.5 cup of beans. I do plan on cooking my own beans..easy, cheap and cut down on sodium. Thanks again
Elizabeth
Yes, I think you should definitely choose between the bacon OR lard in this case, otherwise it would taste too greasy. I love making my own beans- it’s so economical and I think they taste better as well. And it’s so easy to do, especially in the slow cooker. Hope you like it, and thanks for the comment!