Get perfectly creamy restaurant style refried beans by adding just THREE extra ingredients to your canned beans! These refried beans are perfect served as a dip, side, or filling for burritos and tacos!
Homemade refried beans are a frequent dish at our house with all the Mexican recipes we make! It’s perfect served as a dip, side, or filling for burritos and tacos!
only 3 additional ingredients
Our family uses beans for dipping and all sorts of recipes—from our Tostadas to our Bean Burritos.
Yes, I know you can buy refried beans from the can, but this recipe calls for the canned beans as well as a few other ingredients that will take canned refried beans to the next level! These beans are so creamy and delicious, you will never want JUST the canned beans again.
My mom and aunt also make beans COMPLETELY homemade by smashing up beans and such, but we’ve found that this recipe is just as good and SO much easier. Once you add the extra ingredients (there’s only THREE!) to the canned refried beans, they become so smooth and creamy, just like the restaurant style!
They’re great for dipping chips in, as well as anything else you use beans for. Mind you, my family is Hispanic and we have Mexican dishes all the time so you better believe we make these pretty often. The next time you’re enjoying a Mexican meal, make these Creamy Refried Beans and I promise they’ll be a hit!
How to make refried beans
These homemade refried beans only require THREE additional ingredients besides the can of beans:
- crisco
- milk
- cheese
COMBINE & STIR. All you have to do is combine the can of beans, crisco, and milk in a pot over medium heat and stir vigorously with a wire whisk until silky smooth.
ADD CHEESE. Add the cheese and let it melt before serving. The recipe calls for 1-2 cups of cheese, but I suggest going more towards 2 cups… makes them even more delicious and cheesy!
homemade beans Tips and FAQ:
What kind of cheese should I use? I personally use either cheddar or a Mexican blend. Any variety that melts well will do, and it melts best if it’s shredded/grated.
How long can refried beans be left out? These shouldn’t be left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, otherwise harmful bacteria can start to grow. Either reheat them, or store them in the fridge to avoid bacteria.
Storing/Reheating. Put the refried beans in an airtight container, or in a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. They will stay fresh for 3-4 days. To keep them longer, store them in the freezer for several months. To reheat, put in a saucepan over low heat and stir until heated through.
Ways to use refried beans: There are unlimited ways to use these yummy beans. Whether you use them on the side of your Mexican dish, as a dip for your homemade tortillas, or a filling for your burrito, you can’t go wrong!
For more bean dip recipes, check out:
Refried Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 30 oz Refried Beans
- 1/4 cup crisco shortening
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1-2 cups cheese
Instructions
- Combine Beans, shortening and milk in a pot over medium heat. Stir vigorously with fork or wire whisk until silky smooth. Add cheese and let melt before serving. Enjoy with warm tortillas or tortilla chips.
What kind of cheese?
Thanks Kristyn – easy peasy. Happy New Year!
Wow, these look amazing as well as easy! I’ve never seen refried beans that creamy before. Yum.
Hi, what brand of beans do you recommend??? I have tried a couple brands that were pretty good when I seasoned them and some that were just bad…
instead of crisco, maybe use coconut oil.
Ive never written a review, but this was so good and so easy. My husBand made the comment that he had forgotten how good refrieD beans were. I then had to tell him why they were so good. Easy and good – what could be better? I will Use this recipe from now on. Try it. You wont be disappointed.
Thank you so much for sharing that!! I am so glad he liked them & thank you for the comment 🙂
Do u have to use shortening.. can u Just use butter?
I have not tried using butter, so not sure what that would do.
Good morning..do you use shortening or oil ?..Love your spanish rice…
I use shortening 🙂
Have you made this WIth not canned BEans before? I just can’t make Myself buy canned beans…
I have not, but you totally could.
Do you have a RECIPE of Homemade refried beans, not canned?
I am sorry, I do not. Have you looked on Pinterest?
When you say Crisco, do YOu mean vegetable shortening or vegetable oil? Also, what kind of cheese? What seasonings would you recommend if plain canned pinto beans were used instead of a can of premade refried beans? (Apologies for all-caps, don’t know why it’s not letting me type in mixed case.)
I am talking about vegetable shortening & I like to use cheddar cheese or a Mexican blend. I would just add salt & pepper for sure, maybe a little cumin or chili powder? I haven’t personally made re-fried beans from scratch, so I would need to test it out.
Super good! Hadn’t tried adding shortening before, but won’t be fogetting to add it any time soon!
I will use this recipe every time from now on! SO creamy & so good! They taste like restaurant beans! My family wants these again soon!
I’ve never been able to make good refried beans, so I appreciate this recipe so much!
We love beans! This recipe is AMAZING!
LOVE this recipe!
This is my kind of recipe! This will be perfect to serve with our tacos tonight; looks amazing!
These look so easy and delicious! can’t wait to try!
I love these refried beans. Especially on tostadas.
Perfection and ease in these beans! Nothing hard and qUick to come together.
I’ve never been able to make good refried beans, so I appreciate this recipe so much!
So glad you like the recipe! These are our favorite!! Thank you 🙂
I am reluctant to put crisco into the bean. Seems a bit high on the grease/fat side. Can i leave it out?
You definitely can 🙂
Made exactly as recipe stated…turned out very smooth and delicious… ..
worth the short amount of time to make a canned product taste even better.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!
Satisfied. Really good and creamy 😋
Yay!! I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed the beans!
Sorry when I try to view your videos. I can’t view them. Even when it states jump to video. Please advise
Thanks
Hi Patrice! If you scroll down the page just a bit to the heading “Only 3 Additional Ingredients” the video is embedded in the post right there and should pop up for you. It sometimes takes a second to load depending on your internet connection, but it should show up!
What is the serving size that goes along with the 262 calories?
It’s about a 1/2 cup.
1st time making these and they were so easy. This reminds me of a bean dip I used to get at my local childhood restaurant. So creamy and so so good.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the bean dip!
This recipe is quick, so good and we all love them for any Mexican style meal. Multiple times this has been requested from my family for me to make for them. I use them on tacos, quesadillas, many types of burritos, tostadas and just plain straight up with a little cheese on top. Thank you.
This recipe is quick, so good and we all love them for any Mexican style meal. Multiple times this has been requested from my family for me to make for them. I use them on tacos, quesadillas, many types of burritos, tostadas and just plain straight up with a little cheese on top. Dips too. Thank you.