Easy Refried Beans

Rich, creamy, and so easy! These refried beans start with canned pinto beans, but we doctor them up and turn them into restaurant quality refried beans!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 157kcal

Author Karly Campbell

Ingredients

30 ounces canned pinto beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup chicken broth more as needed
1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste

Instructions

Drain and rinse the canned beans.
Add the olive oil to the bottom of a sauce pan and heat over medium heat.
Add the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and garlic to the oil and toast the spices, stirring constantly, for about 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Do not burn the spices.
Stir in the flour to form a paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add the beans to the pot and stir well to combine. Heat over medium heat until beans are warmed through. Use a potato masher to mash the beans.
Add the broth and cheese to the beans and stir to combine. Once cheese is melted, taste beans and season with salt to taste. Add additional broth to thin the beans out, if you prefer a thinner consistency.
Continue cooking beans for 5 minutes to fully heat through and let the flavors distribute.
Serve hot with additional cheese sprinkled on top, if desired.

Notes

We like our beans on the saltier side. We start with a teaspoon of salt and add more to taste.

You may use any type of cheese you like. Cheddar, monterey jack, and pepperjack are all delicious.

Nutrition