I’m sharing a Homemade Refried Beans Recipe that produces restaurant-style creamy refried beans in the slow cooker or Instant Pot, perfect for Mexican recipes, as a side, or as a standalone dip.
I never thought dried pinto beans could turn into something people fight over, but after this, they do. I cook them low and slow with a yellow onion and garlic cloves, and it magically tastes like The Best Refried Beans you get at a late night spot.
It’s creamy, a little smoky, and weirdly addictive, way more than a side. Honestly it reminded me of a Mexican Restaurant Refried Beans Recipe but better, like someone nudged the flavor up a notch.
Use it in tacos, as a dip, or just sneak spoonfuls when no ones looking.
Ingredients
- Pinto beans, packed with fiber and plant protein, make refried beans hearty and creamy.
- Onion adds sweetness and depth, softens into a savory backbone, kinda melds with the beans.
- Garlic gives pungent aroma, boosts flavor, has antioxidants, sometimes leaves a little bite.
- Lard or bacon fat lends rich mouthfeel, helps crisp bits, brings that classic restaurant taste.
- Cumin adds warm earthiness, subtle smokiness and that familiar Mexican bean spice note.
- Butter or cream makes them silky, rounds flavors, adds calories and a luxurious texture.
- Lime juice brightens, cuts richness with acid, adds fresh tang if squeezed at the end.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 lb dried pinto beans
- 6 to 8 cups water or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 medium yellow or white onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons lard or bacon fat or neutral vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 to 2 bay leaves
- 1 jalapeño or serrano chile optional
- 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules or 1 bouillon cube optional (for restaurant flavor)
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh lime juice to taste optional
How to Make this
1. Rinse and pick through 1 pound dried pinto beans, then put them in a big bowl or pot and cover with 6 to 8 cups water or low sodium chicken broth, stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda, cover and let soak 30 minutes to 1 hour if you got time, otherwise you can skip soaking and just cook longer.
2. While beans soak or before cooking, chop 1 medium yellow or white onion and mince 4 garlic cloves, and if you like heat slice 1 jalapeño or serrano chile; heat 2 tablespoons lard or bacon fat or neutral vegetable oil in a skillet and gently saute the onion, garlic and jalapeño with 1 teaspoon ground cumin until soft and smelling good, do not burn.
3. Transfer the sauteed aromatics to your slow cooker or instant pot, add the soaked or unsoaked beans, 1 to 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules or 1 bouillon cube if using, and add enough of the 6 to 8 cups water or broth to cover the beans by about an inch or so.
4. Cook the beans: in the instant pot seal and cook on high pressure about 25 minutes then let natural pressure release for 15 minutes, or in the slow cooker cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours, until beans are very tender and falling apart.
5. When beans are done, taste a bean for doneness, fish out and discard the bay leaves and the jalapeño if you used a whole chile, then reserve 1 to 2 cups of the bean cooking liquid and set aside.
6. Mash the beans right in the pot with a potato masher for a chunkier texture, or use an immersion blender or food processor for ultra creamy restaurant style beans, adding reserved cooking liquid a little at a time until you get the thickness you want.
7. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons more lard or bacon fat in a skillet over medium heat, add the mashed beans and fry them while stirring, this gives the real refried flavor and helps thicken and concentrate taste.
8. Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or 1/4 cup heavy cream and continue to cook a minute, season with freshly ground black pepper to taste and add more kosher salt if needed; if you used bouillon be careful with extra salt.
9. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten everything up, taste and adjust seasonings, thin with more reserved cooking liquid if too thick, and serve hot as a side, filling or dip.
Equipment Needed
1. Large bowl or pot for rinsing and soaking the beans
2. Colander or fine mesh sieve to drain the beans
3. Cutting board and chef’s knife for the onion, garlic and chile
4. Skillet (cast iron or heavy) for sautéing and frying the beans
5. Slow cooker or Instant Pot for cooking the beans
6. Measuring cups and spoons for liquids, salt and baking soda
7. Potato masher or immersion blender or small food processor for mashing
8. Wooden spoon or spatula and a ladle for stirring and serving
FAQ
BEST REFRIED BEANS RECIPE Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Pinto beans: swap for black beans or cannellini (white) beans. Black beans are firmer and earthier, cannellini make it extra creamy. If using canned, about 3 to 4 (15 oz) cans drained and rinsed, and cut cooking time a lot.
- Lard or bacon fat or neutral oil: use extra virgin olive oil for flavor, or regular butter for richness, or coconut oil or vegan butter if you want dairy free. Keep in mind bacon fat gives a smoky note you won’t get with veg oils.
- Unsalted butter or heavy cream: try crème fraîche or full fat Greek yogurt (stir in off the heat so it doesn’t split), or use a vegan buttery spread for dairy free versions.
- Water or low sodium chicken broth: use low sodium vegetable broth instead, or plain water plus bouillon paste or granules to taste. Remember to lower added salt if the broth is already salty.
Pro Tips
– Don’t overdo the baking soda. It speeds softening but a teaspoon can make beans taste weird, so try a pinch or half a teaspoon the first time and rinse well after soaking if you used more. Too much also makes the skins fall off and turn mushy fast, so go slow.
– For best texture, keep some whole beans. Mash most of them but leave about a third chunky so you still get little bites, and always keep 1 to 2 cups of cooking liquid on hand to loosen things up while you mash or reheat.
– Build flavor in layers, not all at once. Brown the onions until they’re sweet, fry the mashed beans a bit to get browned bits for real refried character, and add butter or cream only at the end. If you used bouillon or bacon fat, taste before salting more because those pack salt.
– Storing and reheating tip: they firm up in the fridge, that’s normal. Thin with reserved cooking liquid or a splash of broth when reheating on the stove, and finish with a squeeze of lime right before serving to brighten everything up.
BEST REFRIED BEANS RECIPE Recipe
I'm sharing a Homemade Refried Beans Recipe that produces restaurant-style creamy refried beans in the slow cooker or Instant Pot, perfect for Mexican recipes, as a side, or as a standalone dip.
6
servings
344
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large bowl or pot for rinsing and soaking the beans
2. Colander or fine mesh sieve to drain the beans
3. Cutting board and chef’s knife for the onion, garlic and chile
4. Skillet (cast iron or heavy) for sautéing and frying the beans
5. Slow cooker or Instant Pot for cooking the beans
6. Measuring cups and spoons for liquids, salt and baking soda
7. Potato masher or immersion blender or small food processor for mashing
8. Wooden spoon or spatula and a ladle for stirring and serving
Ingredients
-
1 lb dried pinto beans
-
6 to 8 cups water or low sodium chicken broth
-
1 medium yellow or white onion
-
4 garlic cloves
-
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more if needed
-
1 teaspoon baking soda
-
2 tablespoons lard or bacon fat or neutral vegetable oil
-
1 teaspoon ground cumin
-
1 to 2 bay leaves
-
1 jalapeño or serrano chile optional
-
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or 1/4 cup heavy cream
-
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules or 1 bouillon cube optional (for restaurant flavor)
-
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
-
Fresh lime juice to taste optional
Directions
- Rinse and pick through 1 pound dried pinto beans, then put them in a big bowl or pot and cover with 6 to 8 cups water or low sodium chicken broth, stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda, cover and let soak 30 minutes to 1 hour if you got time, otherwise you can skip soaking and just cook longer.
- While beans soak or before cooking, chop 1 medium yellow or white onion and mince 4 garlic cloves, and if you like heat slice 1 jalapeño or serrano chile; heat 2 tablespoons lard or bacon fat or neutral vegetable oil in a skillet and gently saute the onion, garlic and jalapeño with 1 teaspoon ground cumin until soft and smelling good, do not burn.
- Transfer the sauteed aromatics to your slow cooker or instant pot, add the soaked or unsoaked beans, 1 to 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules or 1 bouillon cube if using, and add enough of the 6 to 8 cups water or broth to cover the beans by about an inch or so.
- Cook the beans: in the instant pot seal and cook on high pressure about 25 minutes then let natural pressure release for 15 minutes, or in the slow cooker cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours, until beans are very tender and falling apart.
- When beans are done, taste a bean for doneness, fish out and discard the bay leaves and the jalapeño if you used a whole chile, then reserve 1 to 2 cups of the bean cooking liquid and set aside.
- Mash the beans right in the pot with a potato masher for a chunkier texture, or use an immersion blender or food processor for ultra creamy restaurant style beans, adding reserved cooking liquid a little at a time until you get the thickness you want.
- Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons more lard or bacon fat in a skillet over medium heat, add the mashed beans and fry them while stirring, this gives the real refried flavor and helps thicken and concentrate taste.
- Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or 1/4 cup heavy cream and continue to cook a minute, season with freshly ground black pepper to taste and add more kosher salt if needed; if you used bouillon be careful with extra salt.
- Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten everything up, taste and adjust seasonings, thin with more reserved cooking liquid if too thick, and serve hot as a side, filling or dip.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 267g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 344kcal
- Fat: 9.5g
- Saturated Fat: 4.7g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.7g
- Monounsaturated: 3.3g
- Cholesterol: 17mg
- Sodium: 670mg
- Potassium: 700mg
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 12g
- Sugar: 2g
- Protein: 16g
- Vitamin A: 150IU
- Vitamin C: 4mg
- Calcium: 80mg
- Iron: 2.5mg