Cheater Refried Beans Recipe

(3 votes)
32 Comments
3 minutes
April 10, 2023
Andi GleesonJump to Recipe

This cheater refried beans recipe is made with only a few ingredients in the food processor or blender. Make this tasty side dish in only 10-15 minutes!

These cheater refried beans are made with a food processor. Ready in only 10-15 minutes!
These cheater refried beans are made with a food processor. Ready in only 10-15 minutes!
These cheater refried beans are made with a food processor. Ready in only 10-15 minutes!

When I told my husband that these were cheater refried beans, he said, “They are made out of beans. I don’t think that’s cheating.” I guess he has a point. If they were made out of tofu, and I called them beans, that would be more suspicious. I still think refried beans technically require a lot more steps and ingredients than this super easy blender refried beans recipe needs, so I feel like I’m breaking some rules somewhere.. Here’s what you do: Blend canned pinto beans (drained), fresh salsa, and a little lime and cumin until smooth. Heat them up with a pat of butter, and you’ll have a pretty close approximation of the real thing! Why butter? Surely you know that really good refried beans are really good because they contain lard. If I’m buying canned refried beans, I always look for an authentic brand that uses real, live lard. In any other situation I try to avoid extra fat, but it seriously makes refried beans taste better! Even though I am willing to buy beans with lard in the ingredients, I can’t bring myself to actually but a jar of the white stuff. To add that richness to these cheater refried beans, I used butter instead, and the result was fabulous! If you need to watch your fat intake, you could leave out the butter and still have some tasty beans. I hope you love the recipe either way!

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These cheater refried beans are made with a food processor. Ready in only 10-15 minutes!

Cheater Refried Beans

These shortcut refried beans only need a few ingredients and about 15 minutes to prepare!

  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 30 ounces canned pinto beans drained
  • 1/3 cup fresh salsa like you find in the refrigerator section of your grocery store
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice about 1/2 lime
  • 2 tbsp. water
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Add beans, salsa, cumin, lime juice, and water to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. Add butter to a medium saucepan, and heat over medium heat until melted. Add blended beans, and stir in butter. Heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking over low heat at least five minutes. Add salt to taste.
  • Author: Andi
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Mexican

 Here are some other bean-tastic dishes you’ll love!

Andi Gleeson

32 comments

Thalia @ butter and brioche
9 years ago

Love how super easy and delicious these refried beans are. They look great!

Andi
9 years ago

Thanks, Thalia! Nice to hear from you :)

ATasteOfMadness
9 years ago

I love refried beans! I gotta try this sometime!

Andi
9 years ago

Thank you! I hope you like them too :)

Marissa | Pinch and Swirl
9 years ago

This is such a great idea! While I don’t always have a can of refried beans in the cupboard, I almost always have cans of whole beans. And I agree with you completely that refried beans are best with a little added richness and butter is perfect.

Andi
9 years ago

Thanks Marissa! I think I usually have refried and whole beans in the pantry. I’m a bit of a hoarder of canned goods, but who even knows what’s in the back of the cabinet because I can’t get to those cans! I need some sort of slide-out shelf or something.

Joanie @ ZagLeft
9 years ago

What a great idea and so much healthier too!

Andi
9 years ago

Thanks, Joanie!

Kelley
9 years ago

Haha.. I totally agree with the lard thing! Gotta have it in refried beans! Or any Mexican food really. Mmmm.

Andi
9 years ago

Yes, you don’t want to skip the lard ;)

Nutmeg Nanny
9 years ago

While I do love the time consuming refried beans I’m all about the cheater beans. I love being able to get that flavor in a quarter of the time. Delicious!

Andi
9 years ago

Thanks! Glad you like them!

Carol at Wild Goose Tea
9 years ago

I do something almost identical. I can tell you quite frankly that THIS
WORKS. It’s good and it’s quick. Everyone seems happy when they eat them. End of Story. Lol.

Andi
9 years ago

Thank you! Even though it’s still canned beans, I think this way tastes more homemade than canned refried beans :)

Julie @ Tastes of Lizzy T
9 years ago

I’ve never made my own refried bean but they look super easy!

Andi
9 years ago

Thanks, Julie!

Dana Flagg
9 years ago

Can’t wait to try this dish.

Andi
9 years ago

Thanks, Dana! I hope you like it!

Joanne
9 years ago

These ‘refried’ beans look quite tasty to me! However, I am looking at your Mocha Poke Cake, and will put that in my recipe file. :-)

Andi
9 years ago

Thanks, Joanne! I loooove that cake :)

Rebecca Brewer
9 years ago

I just finished eating a pile of these as I was going through my email and saw your post. Only diffence – black beans. Yummy!

Andi
9 years ago

Oh how funny! I’ll have to try black beans next time. Thanks, Rebecca!

Karen @ The Food Charlatan
9 years ago

ooh. I’m lovin this idea. Refried beans are my weakness.

Andi
9 years ago

Well you can eat a big pile of these and not even feel bad about it ;) Thanks, Karen!

Deb @ Cooking on the Front Burner
9 years ago

Great idea and recipe Andi!! Again, I love your new look!!

Andi
9 years ago

Thanks so much, Deb!

Liz
9 years ago

Thank you Andi. Have a great day and week.

Andi
9 years ago

Thank you, Liz!!

Melanie | Melanie Makes
9 years ago

Love this cheater version, Andi! And leaving out the butter? HA! So not an option!

MaryB
9 years ago

I love the new format! I love all the recipes. So many great recipes!
This is just yet another one! I make mine like this so I know we love it!
Thank you, Andi!

Andi
9 years ago

Thank you so much, Mary!!

Andi
9 years ago

I knew I liked you, Melanie. You don’t strike me as someone who would skimp on butter ;)

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