In my quest to eliminate processed foods, I'm learning how to make even more of my own food from scratch. Like many of you, I'm busy and some recipes take a lot of prepping or time. I canned up a bunch of our heirloom October beans this fall.
I've used them in soups, Instant Pot chili, and casseroles, but decided to try them with sourdough tortillas to make soft tacos. Enter my homemade refried bean recipe, that get this, only takes 10 minutes to make!
While I love our Tarheel Green Beans, the versatility of October beans make them a close second as my favorite. Like our Tarheel beans, this seed came from North Carolina. If you're just venturing into heirloom seeds, beans are the perfect intro as you don't have to worry about cross-pollination or fermenting when saving the seeds.
Though I'm getting better, I don't always plan out or prep our meals in advance. So when I find a quick recipe or easy way to do it, I love to share it with others. I couldn't believe how good these homemade refried beans turned out in so little time.
10 Minute Refried Beans
1 quart canned October beans (or any bean of your choice)
½ medium chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic (We grow our own and so can you, How to Plant Garlic)
1 and ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, place a tablespoon of olive oil, bacon grease, lard, or coconut oil and coat pan.Saute onion for 3 minutes. Add garlic and spices and continue sauteing for 1 minute.
Add beans to pot. I do NOT drain my home-canned beans. I only use a minimal amount of salt in canning and the juice in the can adds flavor on its own to recipes. If using store bought beans, drain, rinse, and substitute chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Mash with a potato masher or immersion blender. I used a potato masher the first time, but you get a much smoother consistency with this immersion blender *aff link. If there's too much liquid, let it simmer off for a few minutes.
Ready, set, devour!!
Want more easy from scratch cooking? You need a copy of The Made-From-Scratch Life.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Refried Beans in 10 Minutes
Ingredients
- Pioneering Today 10 Minute Refried Beans
- 1 quart canned October beans or any bean of your choice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil coconut oil, or lard
- ½ medium chopped onion
- 3 cloves minced garlic We grow our own and so can you, How to Plant Garlic
- 1 and ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan over medium heat, place a tablespoon of olive oil, bacon grease, lard, or coconut oil and coat pan.
- Saute onion for 3 minutes. Add garlic and spices and continue sauteing for 1 minute.
- Add beans to pot. I do NOT drain my home-canned beans. I only use a minimal amount of salt in canning and the juice in the can adds flavor on its own to recipes. If using store bought beans, drain, rinse, and substitute chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Mash with a potato masher or immersion blender. I used a potato masher the first time, but you get a much smoother consistency with this immersion blender. If there's too much liquid, let it simmer off for a few minutes.
What's your favorite garden veggie? Are you planting a garden this year?
This post featured on Thrifty Thursdays.
Cora Sue Fields
Hi, I somehow lost the email that had mixes, (things like pancake mix). Could you please send me that email again? I would appreciate it!
Thank you
Melissa Norris
I think this is the post you're wanting https://melissaknorris.com/homemade-pancake-mix/
John R
When I have my grain mill out, I usually run a few dried pinto beans through to make pinto been flour. I can use it to thicken the soup in the beans I cook, or mix the flour with a little water, heat and make refried beans.
Melissa Norris
Great tip!
Jan
Hi Melissa,
I often hear of Re-Fried beans. We don't have them here in Australia to my knowledge. Could you please explain what they are. Canned beans re cooked into something else?
Melissa Norris
You can purchase them in a can here at the store, they're cooked beans that have been fried and pureed down with chili and spices. Unfortunately, store bought ones often contain GMO oils or hydrogenated oils.
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Jan @ Another Hatchett Job
We usually also add some garlic and a small can of diced green chiles to our refried beans. It adds a little something different and good. Otherwise, we do it just like you do! Thanks for sharing this tutorial. I know what I am hungry for now!
Melissa Norris
I'll have to try the diced green chiles! Thanks for the suggestion.
Kathleen
I love growing tomatoes! I want to try beans next year.
Amy
Yea!!! I would LOVE to win these seeds. I tried looking all around for them and they just cannot be bought. Thanks for the giveaway again.
Melissa Norris
You're welcome! I've never seen this exact strain in magazines either, though I think Dragon's Tongue seeds are close.
Martha Ramirez
Love your recipes 🙂
Melody Green
Love to grow tomatos but actually don't like to eat them LOL
Leslie
Love me some refried beans! I love all kinds of beans. Goodness, it's hard to say what my favorite veggie is - maybe tomatoes - love the flavor when they're out of the garden, or strawberries when they are fresh off the vine but I also love cucumbers. 🙂
Melissa Norris
Leslie, everything tastes better fresh off the vine. 🙂 But I'm partial to a juicy ripe strawberry, warm from the sun.
Mippy/Sabrina
I would have to say my favorite veggie from the garden is a toss up between carrots and green beans. 🙂
Holly
Thanks for sharing some of your own personal stash of beans. 🙂
My favorite vegetable is tomato (although some refer to it as a fruit)!!
Jen Lunde
My fav garden veggie is green beans; just love them fresh cooked the day they are picked! And I would love to try making my own refried beans.
Sharon Chery
Hi I would have to say tomatoes...they are so yummy you can eat them right off the vine...
Polly Morgan
Red Bliss potatoes as they roll out of the earth like jewels.
Chara @ Stitching Hearts Together
Favorite veggie from the garden would probably have to be zucchini... I love a LOT of the veggies- but I love the zucchini's flexibility!
Melissa Norris
Chara, I think the October bean is my favorite stored veggie. I do freeze zucchini, but it shines for me the best when fresh. I can't wait for summer harvest time now!
Mary Somerville
I love my Heirloom Current (Spoon) Tomatoes.Being so small, they are good in things I wouldn't usually put fresh tomatoes in. They are also great dried-quick & easy!
Melissa Norris
Mary, I haven't heard of that variety of Heirloom tomato. They sound great!
Theresa
My favorite veggie is potatoes. I recently learned about Yukon gold and love them. They have a slight buttery flavor.
Melissa Norris
Theresa, we love the heirloom Purple Majesty potato. It's a deep purple, higher in anti-oxidants, and makes regular recipes turn out really cool looking. My kids think they're fun. Yukon gold are very smooth and buttery. 🙂 I like the fingerling potatoes, too. Oh, is there a veggie I don't like? lol
Mary C
Love the story of Ruth.
Stephanie
My favorite Old Testament story is the story of Esther.
Stephanie
Thanks for the recipe and the chance to win some of your beans!
Kate
I like the book of Ruth and for really in-depth Bible time, I like the book of Daniel. That's one amazing book!
Thanks, Melissa, for a chance to win the beans. I'm planning to grow beans this year so I can dry them and I'll try the Dragon's Tongue if I don't win your beans 🙂
Melissa Norris
Kate, I'm re-reading the Old Testament and am looking forward to going back through the book of Daniel. Excited to hear what you think of the Dragon's Tongue if you're not the winner here. I'll have more to giveaway next year.
Melissa Norris
Donna, I love asparagus. Grilled with a little seasoning salt is my favorite. I don't have a patch yet, it's on my to plant list.
Sue D
I like the story of Rahab.
Donna Godfrey
We are planting a garden this year. I have never heard of this bean and would love to have some. I love our tomatoes and make a lot of salsa and sauce with them. We have asparagus this year and I love that!
Becky I.
I like the book of Ruth and the book of Esther!