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You are here: Home / Recipes / Mexican Food / Cheater Refried Beans Recipe

Mexican Food Side Dishes

Cheater Refried Beans 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

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

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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

Did you make this recipe?

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

Slow Cooker Mexican Beans and Rice with Pork - A very easy, hearty meal!
Slow Cooker Beand and Rice with Pork
Simple Black Beans and Rice - This one-pot dish is perfect on its own or for stuffing into burritos!
Simple Black Beans and Rice


32 Comments

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Comments

  1. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

    February 10, 2015 at 12:16 pm

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

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 11, 2015 at 11:38 am

      Thanks, Thalia! Nice to hear from you :)

      Reply
  2. ATasteOfMadness says

    February 10, 2015 at 8:22 am

    I love refried beans! I gotta try this sometime!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 11, 2015 at 11:53 am

      Thank you! I hope you like them too :)

      Reply
  3. Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says

    February 10, 2015 at 7:33 am

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 11, 2015 at 12:02 pm

      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.

      Reply
  4. Joanie @ ZagLeft says

    February 10, 2015 at 6:50 am

    What a great idea and so much healthier too!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 11, 2015 at 11:41 am

      Thanks, Joanie!

      Reply
  5. Kelley says

    February 9, 2015 at 3:40 pm

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

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 14, 2015 at 6:52 pm

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

      Reply
  6. Nutmeg Nanny says

    February 9, 2015 at 3:22 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 14, 2015 at 6:52 pm

      Thanks! Glad you like them!

      Reply
  7. Carol at Wild Goose Tea says

    February 9, 2015 at 3:04 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 14, 2015 at 6:52 pm

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

      Reply
  8. Julie @ Tastes of Lizzy T says

    February 9, 2015 at 2:43 pm

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

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 14, 2015 at 6:55 pm

      Thanks, Julie!

      Reply
  9. Dana Flagg says

    February 9, 2015 at 1:29 pm

    Can’t wait to try this dish.

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 11, 2015 at 12:02 pm

      Thanks, Dana! I hope you like it!

      Reply
  10. Joanne says

    February 9, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    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. :-)

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 11, 2015 at 12:02 pm

      Thanks, Joanne! I loooove that cake :)

      Reply
  11. Rebecca Brewer says

    February 9, 2015 at 11:56 am

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

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 11, 2015 at 12:03 pm

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

      Reply
  12. Karen @ The Food Charlatan says

    February 9, 2015 at 11:00 am

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

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 14, 2015 at 6:56 pm

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

      Reply
  13. Deb @ Cooking on the Front Burner says

    February 9, 2015 at 10:59 am

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

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 11, 2015 at 9:14 pm

      Thanks so much, Deb!

      Reply
  14. Liz says

    February 9, 2015 at 10:30 am

    Thank you Andi. Have a great day and week.

    Reply
    • Andi says

      February 11, 2015 at 9:14 pm

      Thank you, Liz!!

      Reply
  15. Melanie | Melanie Makes says

    February 9, 2015 at 10:12 am

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

    Reply
    • MaryB says

      February 9, 2015 at 1:51 pm

      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!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Andi says

        February 11, 2015 at 12:02 pm

        Thank you so much, Mary!!

        Reply
    • Andi says

      February 11, 2015 at 9:14 pm

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

      Reply

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