Easy Vegetarian Refried Beans With Canned Pinto Beans

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This vegetarian refried beans recipe with onions, jalapeños, garlic, and spices is so easy and fast thanks to two cans of pinto beans. No soaking, no long cooking time, and you get delicious, consistent results every time using simple ingredients. 

Traditional refried beans come from Mexican cuisine, and are cooked pinto beans that are mashed and then fried in lard. These beans are usually found as a side dish to your favorite Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas. 

This recipe is vegetarian because we will not be frying our beans in lard, or at all. We will start by sauteing onions and jalapeños, then adding garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, chipotle chili powder and a little water. After the beans simmer for a few minutes, we mash them up and eat them as a bean dip of alongside our favorite Mexican dishes. You are going to absolutely love the rich flavor and creamy texture of these homemade vegetarian refried beans.

Ingredients

To make this easy refried bean recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• neutral cooking oil - vegetable, canola, or avocado oil are great choices. I've also used olive oil, which is not neutrally flavored, and it works great too. 
• half of a yellow onion
• one fresh jalapeno pepper
• two garlic cloves
• fine sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper - if you're frustrated because it takes too long to crack pepper, try a high output pepper mill. It will change your life. 
• cumin
• chipotle chili powder - this is optional, but I really recommend it. It adds some heat and a smoky flavor to your homemade refried beans.
• two 16 ounce cans of pinto beans - see why I don't use dry beans in the FAQ section below. 
• water

That's it! Soon you will be digging into your very own bowl of delicious, creamy refried beans. You don't even have to share if you don't want to. I won't tell. 

Equipment For Vegetarian Refried Beans

• chef's knife
• cutting board
• medium saucepan with lid
• rubber spatula - these spatulas by ThermoWorks are my absolute favorites. Get the medium size. Thank me later. 🙂 
• can opener
• medium mixing bowl
• potato masher - I prefer to use a potato mashes to achieve a creamy texture that still has visible pieces of beans. You can also use an immersion blender, and this tool would be better if you want a really smooth texture for your home-cooked beans.

How To Make Easy Vegetarian Refried Beans With Canned Pinto Beans

It is incredibly easy to make your own refried beans. You will never buy the canned stuff again. Also, everyone will think you're SO FANCY when you show up to a big game party or a taco dinner with the best refried beans they've ever had. Here's how you achieve beany greatness:

1. Dice the onions and jalapeños, and mince the garlic. Drain the pinto beans.
2. Saute the onions and jalapeños over medium heat until they are translucent - about 10 minutes. 
3. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and chipotle chili powder. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. This blooms the spices, bringing out their maximum flavor. 
4. Add the drained pinto beans and water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. 
5. Transfer the delicious bean mixture to a medium mixing bowl. With a potato masher or immersion blender, mash the beans until they look like the creamy beans of your dreams.  

Variations

These tasty beans can be prepared and served a million different ways. You could add smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, red onion, or you could even saute the aromatics in bacon grease. They wouldn't be vegetarian anymore, but you could do it! And then there are the serving options. You can serve these refried beans alongside your favorite Mexican recipes with some mexican rice, or as a dip with tasty toppings and tortilla chips. Possible toppings include:

• cheese
• sour cream
• pico de gallo
• salsa
• fresh cilantro
• green onions
• avocado slices
• a squeeze of lime juice

​Once you make these delectable beans, taco tuesday will never be the same. 

How To Store Vegetarian Refried Beans

Homemade refried beans can be stored in an airtight container for about four days in the fridge. You can also freeze them by placing the beans into a freezer bag, and flattening the beans inside the bag and squeezing the air out. You can also use these one cup souper cubes to freeze the beans in multiple portions. Refried beans will last about three months in the freezer.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you using canned beans instead of dried pinto beans?

Originally, I was testing this recipe as Instant Pot refried beans with dry pinto beans. The problem with dry beans is that they have inconsistent cooking times. Older beans take much longer to cook, which can be frustrating, and the end result doesn't taste any better if you use dried beans. Canned beans are an awesome product. They are delicious and consistent every time, not to mention using canned beans speeds this recipe way up. 

Why not just mash the refried beans in the pot? Why transfer them to a bowl?

Take it from me, if you mash your beans with a potato masher in the pot, you will scratch your pot to kingdom come. Ask me how I know. If you're using an immersion blender, you can probably blend them in the pot, but I would still transfer them to be safe.

Can I use black beans?

Yes, you can definitely use black beans, or even kidney beans if you wanted! 

Isn't this recipe actually vegan?

Very astute! Yes, the refried bean recipe itself is vegan, but my suggested toppings are not, so I'm calling it a vegetarian recipe. 

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Leave Me A Comment, Please!

If you are a Mexican food fan, I know you are going to absolutely love these vegetarian refried beans. My darling husband, who claims to "not like beans," loves these. Make a double batch for your midnight snacking needs and thank me later. 

Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think of this recipe! I love to hear from you. I hope you have an amazing day.

Happy Cooking!

​Carli

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