Homemade Refried Beans
Making Refried Beans from Home Canned Pinto Beans
Making homemade refried beans using canned pinto beans is one of the easiest ways to create a quick and flavorful side dish at home. Using home canned pinto beans saves time in the kitchen while still giving meals a homemade taste and texture.
Refried beans are creamy, comforting, and incredibly versatile. They can be served along side tacos, burritos, enchiladas, rice bowls, and many other family meals. I love keeping jars of canned pinto beans in the pantry because they make homemade refried beans simple to prepare in just a few minutes.
Another benefit of using homemade canned beans is being able to control the ingredients and seasonings. Homemade refried beans can be adjusted to fit your family’s preferences while avoiding unnecessary preservatives often found in store-bought products.
Best Ways to Serve Homemade Refried Beans
Homemade refried beans pair well with many different meals and can be used in a variety of ways throughout the week.
Here are a few serving ideas:
- Tacos and burritos
- Enchiladas
- Taco salads
- Breakfast burritos
- Nachos
- Rice bowls
- Quesadillas
- Bean dips
Refried beans are also perfect for meal prep and can help make busy weeknight dinners faster and easier.
Tips for Making Creamy Refried Beans
For extra creamy refried beans, reserve some of the liquid from your canned pinto beans before draining them. Adding small amounts of the bean liquid while mashing helps create a smooth and flavorful texture.
You can mash the beans with a potato masher for a rustic texture or blend them for a smoother consistency. Garlic, onion, cumin, chili powder, and salt are popular seasonings that add extra flavor to homemade refried beans.
Cooking the beans slowly in a pot while stirring helps create a rich and creamy texture that works perfectly for preference.
Why Homemade Pantry Staples Matter
Keeping homemade pantry staples on hand can make preparing homemade meals much easier throughout the week. Home canned pinto beans are affordable, versatile, and useful for many recipes beyond soups and chili.
There is something satisfying about turning simple pantry ingredients into comforting homemade meals. Traditional kitchen skills like canning and scratch cooking help create a more prepared and intentional home kitchen centered around wholesome foods and simple living.
This is the best masher I’ve found for making smooth and creamy refried beans.
If you use my canned pinto beans recipe it already has salt, cumin, and garlic powder in it!
Any store bought canned pinto beans will work for this recipe.
Some of my favorite kitchen tools, baking supplies, and cooking essentials used for homemade recipes can be found in my Amazon storefront. From sheet pans and mixing bowls to pantry staples and kitchen gadgets, these are products I personally love using in my kitchen for easy homemade cooking and baking.
Homemade Refried Beans
Equipment
- saucepan
- masher
Ingredients
- 16 oz can pinto beans
- 1 tbsp lard optional
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Melt lard in medium saucepan.
- Open a can of beans and drain them a little if there is a lot of liquid (reserve the liquid to add in case the beans seem too thick as you start mashing), leaving enough liquid so that the beans are barely covered.
- Place beans in a medium saucepan with or without lard. Stir in the salt, cumin, and garlic powder.
- Heat over medium-high heat until bubbly about 5 minutes.
- Mix and mash the bean to the consistency you like.
- Serve while warm
