Skip navigation

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/recipes/refried-beans/

Refried Beans

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Number of Servings: 5

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups or 1 can (15 to 16 ounces) cooked beans (pinto or other type)
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped onion
  • 1 clove minced garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin (or 1/2 teaspoon chili powder)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Drain beans and reserve liquid. Rinse canned beans to reduce sodium.
  3. Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is soft.
  4. Mash beans and cumin into onion mixture in skillet. Use a potato masher or back of a spoon.
  5. Add reserved liquid or water (1 Tablespoon or more) until the mixture reaches the thickness you want.
  6. Cook and stir until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.
  7. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes:

  • Try adding cilantro on top for more flavor.

Find more delicious recipes from FoodHero.org

Food Hero Be A Food Hero Cookbook

Recipes that make it to Food Hero have had a long journey getting there. Most of the recipes have been used by our nutrition educators in the field and then submitted to the Food Hero team to be considered for the website. Recipes have the criteria found at this link: https://foodhero.org/recipe-criteria.