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    You are here: Home / Sides / Easy Vegan Refried Beans

    LAST UPDATED: May 1, 2020 • FIRST PUBLISHED: May 1, 2020

    Easy Vegan Refried Beans

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Easy Vegan Refried Beans

    These quick and easy vegan refried beans are perfect for dipping, served as a side dish, or stuffed into burritos. Ready in minutes and full of flavor!

    Hand Dipping a Chip into a Skillet of Vegan Refried Beans

    When I was growing up, mom always keep a can of refried beans on hand for me. I was the only vegetarian in the house, and when you've got vegetarian refried beans, you've usually got a meatless meal that can be assembled in minutes.

    Nowadays, I don't bother keeping cans of refried beans on hand. I just hang onto this recipe, because it's almost as easy as cracking open a can!

    Aren't All Refried Beans Vegan?

    Nope!

    Be really careful when buying premade canned refried beans or ordering them at a restaurant, because refried beans often contain lard. Not only are they not vegan, they're not even vegetarian!

    If you do choose to buy premade refried beans, look for cans labeled "vegetarian." They'll be made with oil instead of lard (and are generally also vegan).

    Vegan Refried Bean Ingredients

    Skillet of Refried Beans on a Wooden Surface with Spoon and Bunch of Cilantro

    Here's what you'll need:

    • Olive oil (or any kind of high-heat oil)
    • Onion
    • Garlic
    • Cumin
    • Oregano
    • Canned pinto beans
    • Water
    • Lime juice
    • Salt

    How to Make Vegetarian Refried Beans

    Start by heating up your oil in a large skillet, then add an onion. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes, just to soften it up and brown it a bit. Now add your garlic, cumin and oregano. Cook everything for about a minute to toast the garlic and spices.

    Add the beans and water. Bring the liquid up to a simmer and let it cook for about 10 minutes, to soften up the beans. You can add more water to the skillet if it gets too dry while cooking.

    Collage Showing Steps 1-4 for Making Easy Vegan Refried Beans: Sauté Onion, Add Garlic and Spices, Add Beans and Water, and Simmer

    Now take the skillet off of the burner and grab a fork or potato masher. Mash your beans as much or as little as you like! I like to keep mine a little chunky, but feel free to mash the heck out of them if you prefer super creamy beans. You can even puree them in a blender or food processor if you like.

    Reheat the beans for a minute after mashing, and add more water if needed.

    Collage Showing Steps 5 and 6 for Making Easy Vegan Refried Beans: Mash Beans, and Reheat on Stove

    Season the beans with some salt and lime juice after they've finished cooking.

    Refried Bean Tips & FAQ

    • Are these beans gluten-free? They sure are!
    • Can these beans be made oil-free? I haven't tried making oil-free refried beans, but I don't see why not! Try sautéing your onion in some water or broth instead of oil.
    • Storage and shelf-life: homemade refried beans will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
    • How are refried beans served? Refried beans make a great side dish with any Mexican-inspired meal. They're also awesome for dipping chips in or topping nachos with. You can also wrap them in a warm tortilla to make a burrito, pile them onto tostadas, or stuff them into tacos.
    • Can these be made with a different variety of bean? Absolutely! Black beans work particularly well, but you could also use navy beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans.

    Skillet of Refried Beans with Chips in the Background

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Hand Dipping a Chip into a Skillet of Vegan Refried Beans
    5 from 3 votes
    Print

    Easy Vegan Refried Beans

    These quick and easy vegan refried beans are perfect for dipping, served as a side dish, or stuffed into burritos. Ready in minutes and full of flavor!

    Course Side
    Cuisine Mexican
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 25 minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 174 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil (or high-heat oil of choice)
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 2 (14 ounce or 400 ml) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 cup water (or as needed)
    • 1 tablespoon lime juice
    • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    1. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the oil and place it over medium-high heat.

    2. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes, until soft and beginning to brown.

    3. Add the garlic, cumin, and oregano to the skillet. Cook everything for about 1 minute, until the garlic becomes very fragrant.

    4. Stir in the beans and water. Raise the heat and bring the water to a boil.

    5. Lower the heat and allow the water to simmer for about 10 minutes, until most of it has evaporated and the beans have softened a bit. You can add more water to the skillet if it becomes too dry while cooking.

    6. Remove the skillet from heat. Mash the beans as much as you like with a fork or potato masher — they can be made creamy or left somewhat chunky. It's up to you!

    7. Return the skillet to the burner and reheat the beans if needed. You can also add more water if needed.

    8. Remove the skillet from the burner and season the beans with lime juice and salt.

    9. Serve.

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Vegan Refried Beans
    Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)
    Calories 174 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 0.9g5%
    Sodium 609mg25%
    Potassium 394mg11%
    Carbohydrates 24.3g8%
    Fiber 7.1g28%
    Sugar 1.2g1%
    Protein 7.3g15%
    Calcium 79mg8%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Dijon & Herb Potato Salad
    "Beefy" Vegan Burritos »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. ana says

      May 07, 2020 at 4:47 pm

      5 stars
      DELICIOUS, my first time preparing this, truly amazing.

      Reply
    2. Mars says

      April 30, 2022 at 9:36 pm

      5 stars
      I have dietary restrictions and cannot eat dairy, soy, gluten, or eggs which obviously makes it hard to find things to eat but this recipe is absolutely DELICIOUS!

      Im in college and this is a staple I will put into my routine of easy foods! It’s so versatile yet so good on its own.

      Reply
    3. Kathleen G says

      May 14, 2022 at 10:03 pm

      5 stars
      This was so good! I needed to use up some canned beans and came across this recipe. I wasn't sure about the lime, but recently I have been using it more instead of lemon. I have to say it gave it an extra flavor that was excellent! I am eating it out of the pan as I type this. I was really surprised by how flavorful this was. Definitely a keeper!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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