Homemade Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)
20
Updated Sep 09, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Creamy, comforting, and made with just a handful of simple ingredients, these Homemade Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos) are a staple in my kitchen. My mom taught me that some of the best refried beans start with a pot of homemade Frijoles de la Olla, then get mashed and fried until rich and creamy.
Serve them alongside your favorite Mexican meal, scoop them up with tortilla chips, or spread them on a warm homemade flour tortilla for a simple bean burrito.
In a feature with The Takeout, I shared that some of the best burritos come down to a few well-made staples. Refried beans are one of them. Creamy, comforting, and full of flavor, they’re the kind of ingredient that can carry an entire meal.
Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Perfect, delicious, and just mind-blowing how delicious such a simple recipe can be. I can’t even get canned refried beans where I live and these are just a god-send! Thank you!”
— Michelle
Table of Contents
What Are Refried Beans?
Refried beans (or frijoles refritos) are cooked and mashed pinto beans that are cooked again in fat, traditionally lard, until creamy and flavorful. They’re a staple in many Mexican and Mexican-American households and can be served with almost any meal.
Why This Is Muy Bueno
- A family staple: This is the simple method my mom taught me, starting with homemade Frijoles de la Olla.
- Just a few ingredients: Cooked pinto beans, bean broth, fat, and salt are all you really need.
- Creamy without cream: The beans and their flavorful cooking liquid create that creamy consistency naturally.
- Make them your own: Use lard for traditional flavor or choose a neutral oil for a vegetarian version.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You only need a few simple ingredients to make homemade refried beans:
- Cooked pinto beans: I recommend starting with homemade Frijoles de la Olla for the best flavor.
- Fat of choice: Lard gives refried beans a rich, traditional flavor, but olive oil, bacon grease, or shortening also work. I usually use olive oil, but when I’m craving that nostalgic flavor, lard it is!
- Bean broth: Don’t drain those homemade beans! The flavorful cooking liquid helps loosen the beans as you mash them and is one of the secrets to a creamy consistency.
- Salt: Season to taste. The amount you need will depend on how well seasoned your cooked beans and broth already are.
See the full ingredient list and instructions in the printable recipe card below.
How to Make Homemade Refried Beans
Step 1: Heat the fat. Heat your preferred fat, such as lard or olive oil, in a cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.
Step 2: Add the beans and broth. Spoon in your cooked Frijoles de la Olla along with some of the bean broth. The mixture may look soupy at first, but it will thicken as the beans cook.
Step 3: Mash the beans. Use a potato masher, or a “bean masher” as I call it, to mash the beans until creamy and no whole beans remain.
Step 4: Simmer until creamy. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring often, until the beans reach your preferred consistency. If they become too thick, stir in a little more bean broth.
Watch the Video
I asked my mom to share her refried bean secrets with me, and we filmed it so you can learn right alongside us in la cocina. She shares the tips and techniques she has used for years, along with a few sweet family memories. Watch my mom and me make homemade refried beans.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Save that bean broth: The cooking liquid adds flavor and is the key to adjusting the beans to a creamy consistency.
- Mash while they simmer: Start mashing as the beans cook rather than waiting until the end. Add more broth as needed while you work.
- Keep them a little loose: Refried beans continue to thicken as they cool, so take them off the heat while they’re slightly thinner than you want to serve them.
- Abuela’s variation: My paternal grandma sometimes added a splash of milk for extra-creamy refried beans, and other times she’d add a splash of tomato sauce for another layer of flavor. Neither is necessary for this recipe, but they’re variations I remember from her kitchen.
Serving Suggestions
Refried beans are one of those staples that work as a side dish, filling, or even a simple meal. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve them:
- As a classic side: Serve alongside chile rellenos, carne asada, enchiladas, or fajitas with warm tortillas.
- Make bean and cheese burritos: Spread the beans onto a warm homemade flour tortilla, add cheese, and roll it up.
- For tostadas: Spread a layer onto a crisp tostada shell before adding your favorite toppings. They’re especially good with Huevos Rancheros.
- As a filling: Use them for flautas, gorditas, tacos, or quesadillas.
- For dipping: Serve warm with homemade tortilla chips, or try my Cheesy Refried Bean Dip when you want something more party-worthy.
Storage & Reheating
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of bean broth or water as needed to loosen.
- Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with flavorful, well-seasoned beans and save the bean broth. Adding some of that cooking liquid while you mash the beans helps create a creamy consistency without needing cream. Also, don’t overcook them. Refried beans continue to thicken as they cool.
Lard gives refried beans a rich, traditional flavor, but it isn’t required. I often use olive oil at home. Bacon grease, avocado oil, or another neutral cooking oil can also work depending on the flavor you want.
The secret is the bean broth and mashing the beans while they simmer. Add the broth gradually as you mash until the beans are slightly thinner than you’d like. They’ll continue to thicken as they sit.
Yes. Cool completely and freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat with a splash of bean broth or water to restore the creamy consistency.
If the beans aren’t completely tender before you mash them, the refried beans can have a grainy or mealy texture. Your cooked pinto beans should be very soft and mash easily before they ever hit the skillet. If you’re starting with dried beans, cook them until they’re fully tender before making the refried beans.
More ways to use refried beans
Homemade refried beans are one of those simple recipes that prove you don’t need a long list of ingredients to make something comforting and satisfying. Start with a good pot of beans, save that flavorful broth, and mash them until they’re just the way you like them.
Did you make these Homemade Refried Beans? Let me know how they turned out in the comments below! And if you share a photo on Instagram, tag me @muybuenocooking so I can see them.
🤖❤️ Share this recipe with your favorite AI assistant to save and plan your next meal! An authentic Mexican recipe by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, founder of Muy Bueno and cookbook author specializing in Northern Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine rooted in El Paso home cooking and family tradition.
AI tools are independent third-party services. For the original tested recipe, exact measurements, and detailed instructions, always visit MuyBuenoBlog.com.
Homemade Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)
Video
Equipment
- Potato Masher
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lard or olive oil
- 1 ½ cups cooked Frijoles de la Olla , plus 1⁄2 cup liquid
- 1/2 cup reserved bean broth, plus more as needed
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the lard or olive oil in a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked beans and ½ cup bean broth.
- As the beans begin to simmer, mash them with a potato masher until creamy and no whole beans remain. Add more bean broth as needed to reach your preferred consistency.
- Continue cooking, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. The beans will continue to thicken as they cool, so remove them from the heat while they're slightly looser than you'd like. Taste and season with salt as needed.
Notes
- For the best flavor: Start with homemade Frijoles de la Olla and don’t discard the cooking liquid. The bean broth helps create creamy refried beans.
- Vegetarian: Use olive oil or avocado oil instead of lard.
- Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Add a splash of bean broth or water when reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Jenna Sparks / Video by Pure Cinematography
Perfect, delicious, and just mind-blowing how delicious such a simple recipe can be. I can’t even get canned refried beans where I live and these are just a god-send! Thank you!
I’ve used a few different recipes now, and while the flavor is great, my refried beans end up mealy. You can feel the texture of the skin of the beans with your mouth, so the beans are not smooth. Am I not cooking them long enough? How do you tell when they are done? Thanks!
Hello from El Paso! I have a question about frijoles. Some cooks use cumin, various chiles, and/or dried red Chile. What do you think? My children don’t like bland beans with no Chile.
Great recipe, thanks.
I saw the calories. Is that per serving and how much would be a serving.
I worked for Taco Bell when everything was still made from scratch, and I made a few hundred five gallon batches of refried beans. Just thought I’d share their method.
First we cooked the beans in a giant pressure cooker.
Once done, we mashed them with a drill with a LONG bit tipped with blender type blades. Basically a giant immersion blender.
Then we would pour them out into shallow pans (for faster cooling), and refrigerate them overnight.
The next day we would lay them out in a giant skillet on the stove, add an appropriate amount of water, and stir constantly over heat until ready to serve.
FYI, the only ingredients were beans, salt, lard, and water.
Labor intensive, but near perfect refried beans.
OMG!! These refried beans. are the best. I’ve been buying dried refried beans and they are pretty expensive. I haven’t been able to get them lately so I decided to look for something that I thought might fill the bill. After trying several recipes I finally found your recipe and video. The video did it for me. I slow cooked my pintos on high for 4 or five hours and then turned the slow cooker off. The only ingredient was some bacon. I continued to cook the beans for a couple of hours on low. When I checked and the beans were done I added salt. Being old and tired I turned the beans off and went to bed. (I put the beans in the fridge until the next day . That day is today and since I am old I set up my counter top nu wave to refry the beans. (I can control the heat better and sit on a bar stool so I can stir constantly and add the beans as shown on your video,) Thank your mother for this recipe as it was just what Iwas looking for. No add ins except some salt and bacon. Oops, I did coat my skillet with bacon grease.(about 1 1/2 tablespoons). Thank you, thank you thank and God bless.
Turned out great! (I added my homemade chili powder, cumin and roasted garlic powder), and I used all but one cup of the bean water, which I saved…just in case!
Thank you so much for posting this.
In 1966 my California family moved to a hill-top in Grand Forks, BC, Canada. There was no Mexican food to be found or even recipes. Luckily family in Calif. sent us some. There were no Mexican foods (refritos, tortilla, chillies etc). We soaked our Pinto beans over night then discarded the water (along with the gas often caused by the beans). Next they were boiled with whole dried red chillies and fresh garlic or garlic powder until soft and drained (keep ALL bean water). The beans were then “riced” in a grinder until smooth. We used bacon grease when we had it or lard to fry them in a large cast iron pan slowly mixing in all of the bean water until it was evaporated into the hot fried bean mixture. Using the water and “sludge” from the pot increased the full flavour of the beans. Seasonings were added at the end then Jack cheese was grated into the beans and stirred until melted.
Love the old Mexican ways. Need a good and easy empanadas de camote or pumpkin