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Mexican

Refried Beans

Canned pinto beans are fried with onion, garlic, cumin, and chili powder, then mashed with their liquid. The beans should be thick enough to hold a shape on a plate, not soupy.

Prep
8 min
Cook
15 min
Total
23 min
Servings
6
Difficulty
Easy
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Skillet of thick mashed refried pinto beans with onion and a lime wedge

Why you’ll love it

  • Frying the mashed beans in oil, not just warming them, gives the toasted flavor of refried beans.
  • Bean liquid from the cans loosens the mash without watering down the seasoning.
  • A potato masher leaves some texture. A blender turns the beans into a puree.
  • Cumin and chili powder go in with the onion so they bloom in the oil.

Ingredients

Servings6

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Pour the pinto beans into a bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid from the cans. Drain off the rest.

  2. 2

    Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes.

  3. 3

    Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Cook 30 seconds, until the spices smell toasted.

  4. 4

    Add the beans and the 1/2 cup reserved bean liquid. Mash with a masher until most of the beans are broken and a few pieces remain.

  5. 5

    Cook, stirring, until the beans are thick and they pull away from the side of the skillet, 6 to 8 minutes.

  6. 6

    Season with the kosher salt, black pepper, and lime juice.

  7. 7

    Serve hot.

Pro tips

  • Add the reserved liquid a splash at a time if you like a thicker mash. You may not need the full 1/2 cup.
  • If the beans pop and stick, lower the heat. They should fry gently, not scorch.
  • Taste the salt at the end. Canned beans are already salted.

Easy substitutions

Olive oil
Bacon drippings or lard
Pinto beans
Black beans
Oregano
Ground coriander

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate in a covered container up to 4 days.

Reheating

Warm in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water, stirring, until hot and spreadable.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
211
Protein
9 g
Carbs
28 g
Fat
7 g
Fiber
9 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients