Refried Beans
Silky, smoky refried pinto beans — a simple, vegetarian Mexican staple ready in under 30 minutes.
Refried beans are the unsung hero of a Mexican spread — creamy, smoky and stupidly useful. This version uses tinned pinto beans for speed, aromatics for depth and a little butter and olive oil for sheen. Perfect alongside tacos, as a burrito base or simply with tortilla chips for dipping.
Make them as smooth or as rustic as you like: mash by hand for texture or blitz briefly for a velvety purée. Either way, a squeeze of lime at the end wakes everything up.
Ingredients
- 2 tinned pinto beans — 2 x 400g tins, drained
- 30 ml olive oil
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 1 brown onion — about 150g, finely chopped
- 3 garlic — cloves, minced
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 150 ml vegetable stock — hot
- 5 ml sea salt — adjust at the end to taste
- 0 ml black pepper
- 1 lime — juice only
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped, for garnish
- 2 spring onion — thinly sliced, for garnish
Equipment
- potato masher or hand blender
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Drain both tins of pinto beans in a colander and give them a quick rinse under cold water; leave to drain while you prepare the other ingredients.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium hob and add the olive oil and unsalted butter. When the butter has melted and is foaming, add the finely chopped brown onion. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and just starting to colour, about 7 minutes.
Add the minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika and dried oregano to the pan and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Tip the drained pinto beans into the pan, pour in the hot vegetable stock, stir, then bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 8 minutes so the beans soften and absorb flavour.
Use a potato masher to mash most of the beans in the pan for a rustic texture, or transfer two-thirds to a food processor or use a hand blender for a smoother purée — pulse briefly until you reach the desired consistency, then return any puréed beans to the pan.
Cook the mashed beans over a low to medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened and looks creamy, 5 minutes. If they get too dry, add up to 50 ml more hot vegetable stock to loosen.
Remove from the heat, stir in the lime juice, sea salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm, garnished with fresh coriander and sliced spring onion and a little drizzle of olive oil if you like.
Tips
- For a more authentic flavour, fry the drained beans first in a little lard or duck fat (not vegetarian) instead of olive oil; add butter afterwards if you want the gloss.
- If using a blender, pulse in short bursts and scrape down the bowl — over-blending makes beans gluey.
- Make ahead: beans keep well in the fridge for 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of stock to loosen.
- Freeze portions in an airtight container for up to 3 months; defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly on the hob.
- If your tins are very salty, rinse the beans more thoroughly and use extra stock to soften the flavour before seasoning.
Substitutions
olive oil → lard, 2 tbsp (no longer vegetarian)
Noticeably differenttinned pinto beans → tinned black beans, same quantity
Stays closeunsalted butter → vegetable oil or dairy-free spread, 25 g equivalent
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 290
- Calories
- 11 g
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 550 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use dried beans instead of tinned?
Yes — soak and cook 250 g dried pinto beans until tender (allow 8–12 hours soaking and 1–1½ hours simmering). Use the cooking liquid instead of stock; this adds passive time.
How do I stop the beans from becoming gluey?
Avoid over-blending. Mash most by hand and only blitz a portion if you want smoothness. Keep the simmer gentle and don’t cook off all moisture.
Can I make these spicy?
Absolutely. Add ¼–½ tsp chilli powder with the spices, or a finely chopped fresh chilli when frying the onion.
Are refried beans suitable for freezing?
Yes — cool completely, portion into airtight tubs and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly with a splash of stock.
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