Take Mexican flavors over-the-top with homemade refried beans made on the stove top, Crock Pot, or Instant Pot! The perfect easy, healthy dip or side dish!
Taco night is LIFE in our house.
Typically, we eat homemade Mexican food at least once per week.
And if I really want to take the flavors over-the-top?
I put in a little extra effort and make homemade garlic-y blender salsa with these fantastic homemade refried beans. They taste SO much better than store-bought!
The best part?
You can make them any way you like — there are 3 different easy methods! I’ve got instructions for stove-top, slow cooker, or Instant Pot.
Whatever method you choose, be sure to soak the pinto beans first for at least 8 hours to reduce phytic acid and make them easier to digest. Here are detailed instructions on soaking and cooking beans before proceeding with this recipe.
I’m also adding lots of yummy flavors to these beans to make them the tastiest refried beans you’ve ever eaten! With onion, garlic, cayenne, cumin, and lard, these beans are sure to be a staple side dish on your family’s Mexican night menu.
Are refried beans healthy?
Yes! As long as they are prepared correctly by soaking the beans first.
Properly prepared pinto beans, for example, are a great source of B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, and iron. There are plenty of good complex carbs in refried beans, along with plant protein.
They’re also naturally gluten-free and can even be made vegetarian or vegan using olive or avocado oil. But if you want to make refried beans with tons of flavor, the right way…
Use LARD! Traditional refried beans include this wonderful traditional fat which is a source of fat-soluble vitamins.
Learn how to render lard yourself in the Instant Pot!
How To Make Refried Beans The Traditional Way (Stove-Top)
You might be wondering, “What are refried beans, exactly?”
Honestly, I never understood why beans are actually re-fried or why this is beneficial for flavor. While researching, I found the answer in the traditional Mexican method of cooking.
First, pinto beans are boiled slowly. Then, a good helping of lard is heated in a skillet.
The beans are fried in the hot lard before mashing. This process imparts an incredible flavor to the beans.
I don’t know about you, but I love using shortcuts like these 10 healthy eating kitchen hacks whenever I can to save time. Especially if I’m making multiple things at once like taco seasoning, taco meat, salsa, Mexican rice, etc.
So today, instead of re-frying the beans, I’m simply adding bacon grease or lard during the mashing step. You get the yummy flavor with less work and less mess.
Feel free to re-fry your beans the traditional way if that’s what you prefer!
The Crock Pot Method
This recipe is so easy to make in the slow cooker. Just soak the beans 8 hours or overnight in warm water.
When you’re ready to cook, drain the beans and add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours until beans are soft.
Next, drain the bean liquid and reserve. Add the lard or bacon grease, then blend with a stick immersion blender or mash the beans with a potato masher.
Add bean liquid as you mash until beans reach your desired consistency.
The Instant Pot Method
The instructions for Instant Pot are basically the same as the slow cooker instructions, except for cooking time variations. These refried beans are done in just 20 minutes cooking time!
I love that if I forget to cook my beans all afternoon for Mexican night, I can still make refried beans in the IP while I’m prepping all the other dinner elements.
I cook mine for 20 minutes on manual high pressure. You can do a natural pressure release to reduce splattering, or do a quick release if you’re short on time.
Recipe Variations
Here are some different ways to change up this recipe if you so choose:
- Add more cayenne for spice, or even a whole jalapeño!
- Increase the garlic and onion to your liking.
- Add a squeeze of fresh lime and some cilantro for additional flavor.
- During cooking, you may substitute part or all of the water with chicken or vegetable broth to add flavor and nutrition.
- Dried pinto beans are typically used in this recipe. But feel free to experiment with other varieties of beans — refried black beans are delicious!
How To Serve Homemade Refried Beans
There are so many yummy ways to use these refried beans! Here are our favorites:
- The perfect side dish for classic tacos
- Make quesadillas with melted cheese inside these authentic corn tortillas
- As a topping for taco salad
- The ultimate base for bean bowls with avocado
- As a tasty filling for homemade burritos
- Topping for nachos
- Use inside this chicken enchilada casserole (pictured above)
- Stirred into your favorite homemade chili
- Create a refried bean dip by topping with cheese and sour cream
Homemade Refried Beans (3 Ways)
Take Mexican flavors over-the-top with homemade refried beans made on the stove top, Crock Pot, or Instant Pot! The perfect easy, healthy dip or side dish!
Ingredients
- 1 pound pinto beans about 2 cups
- 14 cups pure water divided, may sub part bone broth
- 1 onion peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lard or bacon drippings
Instructions
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Place beans in a pot or large jar and cover with 6 cups water. The beans will absorb water and expand over time, so there needs to be enough water that they stay covered.
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Soak beans for a minimum of 8 hours, or up to 24.
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When ready to cook, drain and rinse.
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Add beans, 8 cups water (or broth), and all other ingredients except lard to a large stock pot.
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Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer around 3 hours or until beans are soft and fully cooked.
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Drain beans, reserving bean liquid (aquafaba) for later.
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To re-fry, heat lard in a large skillet.
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Add cooked beans and fry for several minutes to infuse flavor into beans.
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Blend with a stick immersion blender or mash the beans with a potato masher, adding bean liquid until beans reach your desired consistency.
Recipe Notes
Refried beans in the Crock Pot:
- Soak beans for a minimum of 8 hours.
- When ready to cook, drain and rinse.
- Add beans, 8 cups water (or broth), and all other ingredients except lard to slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Drain the bean liquid and reserve.
- Add the lard or bacon grease, then blend with a stick immersion blender or mash the beans with a potato masher.
- Add bean liquid until beans reach your desired consistency.
Refried beans in the Instant Pot:
- Soak beans for a minimum of 8 hours.
- When ready to cook, drain and rinse.
- Add beans, 8 cups water (or broth), and all other ingredients except lard to Instant Pot.
- Cover the pot, checking the seal and components to make sure all is well.
- Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
- Once cycle is complete, allow to naturally release pressure, or do a quick release and open lid after pin drops down.
- Drain the bean liquid and reserve.
- Add the lard or bacon grease, then blend with a stick immersion blender or mash the beans with a potato masher.
- Add bean liquid until beans reach your desired consistency.
How do you like to serve your refried beans? Do you make healthy, homemade refried beans?
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Hi Wardee!
I’ve been lurking on your site for a while now and absolutely enjoying it! Thank you for the recipes and hints and general encouragement.
Anyway, are the refried beans freezable? (Is that even a word???)
Are most of your recipes freezable?
Thanks!
Hi, Staci! These refried beans are definitely freezeable. (And it is a word I use, too!) Just thaw and reheat… delicious! Alot of my soups and main dishes are freezeable, especially the ones with beans. I’d be cautious about freezing rice, though. I have the best results with rice if it is frozen in a soup or as a component in another dish, but not on its own. I’d be happy to give you my opinion on freezing any dish in particular, if you let me know which one(s( you’re thinking about.
Wardee, Love these beans! Thank you! I have been making a ton of stuff from your website, but haven’t had a chance to comment on all the recipes… but I haven’t been disappointed yet! If you ever write a book, I’ll be in line to buy! Oh – and I received my first Azure Standard order yesterday. I read about them on your website. What a find! Thank you for everything you share on this website… We made a delicious slaw tonight with raw beets. YUM! And I love your vinaigrette! I have a few beautiful organic sweet potatoes… and I’m considering going really crazy and grating those up for tomorrow’s slaw. I’ve been making slaw daily for the last week and both hubby and I feel so great. And my four year old eats it up as well! Amazing how wonderful good food can make you feel. Thank you again! 🙂
Jen, thanks for all your kind comments! I really love hearing that you enjoy my recipes. Please let me know if I can ever help you with anything. Enjoy those sweet potatoes! Have you tried the sweet potatoes grated as a raw breakfast cereal? It is really yummy — Raw Sweet Potato Cereal.
Hi! I was reading through the comments and was very intrigued by your raw sweet potato cereal but when I clicked on the link it said the page was gone. 🙁 I tried doing a search for it, but I wasn’t able to find it. Is there any way you might still have it on the site somewhere and it just got moved?
Thanks for all you do!
Hi Kelli,
Wardee removed the recipe from the site after discovering that raw sweet potatoes are not a good thing to eat.
Millie
Support Team
Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS
Hi Wardee! Just wanted to let you know that we are using this for soaking/cooking beans. 🙂 What is the acid for? We are using lemon juice. We probably will turn the beans into your refried beans. I printed off the recipe a few years ago and still have it. Have a wonderful week and thank you for these awesome instructions.
Hi, Robin! The acid is to neutralize phytic acid, which is present in all seeds. The phytic acid gets in the way of mineral absorption, so it is very good to neutralize. Ever since we have been cooking this way, my mineral deficiencies have gone away. I used to get leg cramps, but no more. I also used to be anemic, and while I haven’t had a test to confirm that I’m not anymore, I certainly am not in an “anemic fog” anymore. The soaking/cooking beans info is here:
https://traditionalcookingschool.com/2006/05/12/cooking-dry-beans/
I’m glad you’re making the refried beans – so yummy!
I love making my own refried beans and have been making them for a few years now. The one thing I love to add to my beans is butter! It makes the beans taste so yummy! You just can’t go wrong with butter.
I made these beans for our “taco tuesday” last week. They were so fabulous! And we ate on them all week! Glad to know they can be frozen as well, as I could double the batch to save the work!
This is the best recipe for refried beans I’ve ever tasted! I made it last night with sprouted pinto beans because we were having tacos. My MIL uses a can of refried beans in her taco meat, so I wanted to copy that but healthier.
My tastebuds were literally shocked when I tasted them after they were done. It was really an a-ha moment for me in the sense that real food tastes SO much better than processed. Another reason why I am so thankful I decided to become a member. 🙂
Marcella
I just got into more culturing using NT book and made a bean recipe similar to this except at the end you lacto-ferment it for a while. Boy does it come alive with a delicious probiotic tingle on the tongue. I did it once with kidneys and once with black beans and next will try the pintos, but I highly recommend that last step.
How do you lacto-ferment the beans? So you sprout them how? Then what? Thanks, I’m a newbie!
First time making my own refried beans. I had some sprouted kidney beans in the freezer that I wanted to use up. This was so easy and so much better than canned! We had it in an omelette and my husband loved it!
Thank you for the recipe! We miss refried beans so im happy to see this.
I have a question though. The nutrition listing says it’s for one serving, 0.5 cup size. Are the numbers really for one serving? Or is it possible that the nutrition numbers actually represent the entire batch?
Hi Cheryl! Yes, you’re right. We’re having issues with our nutrition calculator. It’s not dividing the total number of calories by the number of servings at this point, so the 742 calories is for the entire recipe. We hope to have this fixed soon!
Hi Cheryl! Just wanted to let you know that the nutrition data is now correct. I hope this helps!
Just came across your recipe for refried beans. Something I have been wanting to try for awhile now. But 742 calories in 1/2 cup? I hope I’m not reading this right.
Hi Carol! So sorry for the confusion. We’re having issues with our nutrition calculator. It’s not dividing the total number of calories by the number of servings at this point, so the 742 calories is for the entire recipe. We hope to have this fixed soon!
Hi Carol! Just wanted to let you know that the nutrition data is now correct. I hope this helps!
Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ve attempted homemade refried beans in the past but was never pleased with the result. These are delicious and I can easily make up a big batch to freeze for later!