Homemade Refried Beans Recipe (Frijoles Refritos)
Published April 27, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
You will never buy canned again once you taste this delicious, refried beans recipe that is simple to prepare and loaded with flavor. This traditional side dish is a staple to serve up with all your Mexican recipes.
Side dishes can take a meal over the top with all the different flavors and ingredients. If you are looking to try out some new dishes to accompany your main entrée, then for sure try my spaetzle or sauteed mushrooms.
Refried Beans
Refried beans, also known as frijoles refritos, are a popular Mexican dish consisting of cooked beans such as pinto or black beans that are mashed and fried in onions and melted in rendered bacon fat. While they are cooked twice, they are only fried one time.
While you can purchase these pre-made in a can, the flavors are much more complex when homemaking them. In addition, there are more opportunities to add different ingredients and flavors when making it from scratch.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beans – You can use dried pinto or black beans.
- Liquid – Water is traditionally used, but you can enhance the flavors by using chicken stock.
- Onions – Yellow onions work great, but you can use white or sweets.
- Garlic – Whole garlic cloves are what you will need.
- Herbs – Classically epazote is used, but you can substitute with oregano or marjoram.
- Spices – I like to use cumin, but you can also add in things like chili or chipotle powder.
- Peppers – Feel free to use serrano or jalapeño peppers.
- Cheese – I believe Oaxaca or Mexican melting cheese is best.
How to Make Refried Beans from Scratch
Use these easy-to-follow instructions to make these tasty, refried beans from scratch:
Pick through the beans for any unwanted particles and give them a rinse under cold water.
Transfer the beans to a large pot and cover them in water by about 3 to 4 inches. Add onions, garlic, epazote, and cumin, and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat to low and cook for 90 minutes or until the beans easily squish when pinching them with your fingers.
In a large frying pan or rondeau add in the rendered bacon fat over medium heat and fry a seedless serrano pepper just until lightly browned and then remove it.
Next, add in the onions and cook over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned and tender. Then, pour in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the beans from the liquid and add it to the pan with onions and turn the heat to medium-high and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Mash the beans until smooth and add in additional liquid that the beans were being cooked in so that it keeps a good consistency.
Season with salt and pepper and add the pepper back as well as the cheese, and mix until combined.
Serve with cheese and cilantro.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 1 day ahead of time, just reheat before serving.
How to Store: Store the refried beans covered in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. You can freeze them covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of refried beans to a saucepot with a few tablespoons of water or chicken stock and heat over low heat while stirring until warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between refried beans and regular beans?
- Refried beans are cooked twice and mashed while regular beans can be dry, canned, or cooked until done.
chef notes + tips
- Feel free to expand the flavors of this by adding spicy peppers, dry spices, herbs, or cheese.
- Substitute the bacon fat with butter.
- When adding the beans, also add in the garlic, onion, and herbs cooked along with it when simmering.
- You can keep the beans a little bit chunky when mashing.
- If you do not want to cook the beans from scratch, use drained canned beans and proceed straight to the 4th procedure.
- You can find epazote commonly at your local Latin market.
More Side Dish Recipes
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Video
Homemade Refried Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- Water
- ½ peeled yellow onion
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon dry epazote
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/3 cup rendered bacon fat
- 1 seedless serrano pepper
- 1 peeled and small diced yellow onion
- 1 cup Oaxaca or Mexican melting cheese
- cotija or queso fresco for garnish
- chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pick through the beans for any unwanted particles and give them a rinse under cold water.
- Transfer the beans to a large pot and cover them in water by about 3 to 4 inches. Add the ½ yellow onion, garlic cloves, epazote, and cumin, and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat to low and cook for 90 minutes or until the beans easily squish when pinching them with your fingers.
- In a large frying pan or rondeau add in the rendered bacon fat over medium heat until melted and fry a seedless serrano pepper just until lightly browned and then remove it, this takes about 2 minutes total.
- Next, add in the small, diced onions and cook over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned and tender while occasionally stirring.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the beans from the liquid and add it to the pan with onions and turn the heat to medium high and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Mash the beans until smooth and add in additional liquid that the beans were being cooked in so that it keeps a good consistency. There will be about a cup or two of liquid leftover.
- Season with salt and pepper and add the peppers back along with the melting cheese and mix until combined.
- Serve with cheese and cilantro.
I love this recipe. It’s the best one I’ve made. Thank you Billy, you’re the best chef.
How much fresh epizote do you use? I grow the stuff. Thanks.
not sure what the 1 to 1 would be from dry
These beans are Well Worth the extra effort! They are So much better than any I have ever had. Next time I’ll double the recipe to have extra so I can freeze them to have on hand.
so easy, so good
Refried black beans are awesome as well. These are a great dip and also great on nachos.
Absolutely delicious! Have made these a few times now! If you haven’t it’s a must try! My only caution is how long to leave the serrano cooking in the oil. I left it until it was brown and it made my batch of beans a bit spicy but I like that….just a heads up for those of you who don’t handle spice well. 🙂 Definitely a 5 star recipe!
thank you for trying this!
I made this recipe and it was absolutely fabulous! I cooked my beans with the onions, garlic and spices overnight in the crockpot and loved the results, so flavorful, my go to recipe for refried beans
fantastic!
This is a must try dish! We loved it! Delish!!!
excellent!
Please Chef, love your recipes!! It appears that your go-to pan is the Rondeau pan. I’ve looked everywhere on line to figure out which brand and size Rondeau pan you have/use/recommend but to no avail!! Can you please share the info? Would reeeeeally very much appreciate it. Thank you for the help in advance.
Check the cooking equipment i use under the technique section. Honestly, brand is irrelevant, they’re all so similar. Just get one that is 6-8 qts and is stainless steel.
Though I’d give it a go thank you ChiefBilly 👋😁👌😉
my pleasure!
This is about the 4th time I’ve made this so far and the only way I will ever cook re-fried beans forever! My husband is Mexican and is crazy about this recipe. He brought some to work and his co-workers raved about it. Thank you so much for this recipe!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
I made this, it was amazing, the best refried beans I ever tasted. But the real kicker is I gave some to my neighbor who is Mexican. Both here parents were born & raised in Mexico. The mom only made Mexican food from scratch.
My neighbor said they were ever better than her mother’s. The secret is the bacon & the bacon grease flavoring them. Definitely a
***** 5 Star Recipe
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Easy to make and DELISH!!
so good!!
I love this refried beans!!!
so much flavor!
I have made this recipe twice, it is fantastic! This is now my go to recipe for refried beans.
Made this and they were great!
excellent!
So simple to make these from scratch and WELL worth the little extra time and effort!
so good!!
I’m boning up in the kitchen and went deep using dry not canned beans. Your refried beans made me shudder. Canned beans are a mere blip for me. I won’t go back.
It’s hard to!
Best ever
thank you so kindly!!
Best ever! Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you share.
Amazing, thank you!
Absolutely delicious. Great recipe!!
thank you so kindly!!
Used canned beans and a food processor as I wanted it to be a little creamier. Most excellent and quick recipe.
Perfect!
Will never ever buy these in a can again! OMGoodness, was it good. Great recipe, easy to make.
Amazing!
Tastes great
excellent!
These beans are absolutely delicious! I typically substitute black beans, and use them as an inexpensive, alternative taco filling. My family never complains that there is no meat on the table. I make these with the homemade corn tortillas and serve with Pico and Oaxaca cheese.
I love the caramelized onions in this recipe! So tasty, I have stopped buying beans in the can forever! Great Recipe…. Thanks Chef Billy!
I have made this recipe two times, first time I did not have the dry epazote, so used oregano and marjoram. I ordered the dry epazote, made this a second time using the dry epazote. The package I received in the mail was very rough, more stems than I would have preferred. I liked the first one, with oregano/marjoram far better. I have to say though the beans turned out fabulously, both times. I loved them far better than any restaurant. You make cooking fun. Thank you
This is the second time that I’ve made this and it tastes even better than the first time I’ve made it! My husband is Mexican and he says it’s the best re-fried beans he’s ever tasted with the exception of his Mom’s!
So you don’t have to pre-soak the beans?
nope
Any suggestion on a substitute for bacon fat?
butter or oil
Perfect refried beans! I’ll be making huevos rancheros Sunday morning!!
Awesome recipe! I found fresh green leaf Mexican tea My Mexican grocery. I actually put in the whole pepper with all of the seeds and it was a perfect spice for me. Only problem is I’m a single guy and 1 lb of beans makes enough to last I don’t know for the next 10 days!! I really don’t like freezing things or storing in the refrigerator I like to cook each and every day. All in all I loved it!
Is it possible to make a double batch and freeze portions?
Thanks.
Yes, I freeze my leftovers.