This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
Cheater Restaurant Style Refried Beans taste exactly like what you get at your favorite Mexican restaurant! Creamy, flavorful, and easy to make, this is a perfect side for any homemade Mexican dishes.
Featured with this recipe
You are going to LOVE these “cheater” restaurant style refried beans. I love how they are so easy to make and so flavorful, they’re the perfect dip for chips, and make the best side dish to all your favorite Mexican recipes. Have you ever noticed that when you get refried beans at a restaurant, they are creamy and smooth and easy to dip your chips in, but the canned stuff is so thick, breaks your chips, and doesn’t taste nearly as delicious? Well this is my “cheater” recipe to make the canned stuff have that restaurant like consistency and flavor. In fact, I like the flavor of these beans even better than anything I have had at a restaurant.
Which Cheese to use on Refried Beans
I prefer to use Monterey Jack cheese. You can also use shredded cheddar cheese or any cheddar jack blend. Avoid using pre-grated cheese because it doesn’t melt as well as freshly shredded cheese from a block.
How to Make Canned Refried Beans Better
- To get a better flavor and creamy consistency from canned refried beans, adding sour cream and cheese is the answer! You can add more or less sour cream, depending on your desired consistency.
- These cheater Restaurant Style Refried Beans have a little more intensity and kick, which I love. They aren’t too spicy, but definitely have a little more spice than a regular can of refried beans. You can amp up the spice by adding more hot sauce, or tone it down by adding less — whatever your family prefers!
- Dice onion and add to the refried beans for more flavor.
- Add a dash of cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt.
- Garnish with cilantro to improve refried beans taste.
Authentic Refried Beans (Using Dried Beans)
Have a little more time on your hands and want to try a more authentic recipe? Try our easy guide on How to Make Refried Beans. Make restaurant style refried beans by starting with dried pinto beans. This is a more classic and authentic version that you don’t want to miss!
Recipes that use Refried Beans
Refried beans are the perfect side dish all on their own, but they are also great as an ingredient in a wide variety of recipes! Use them to add flavor, creaminess, and a protein boost to your favorite dishes, including:
- Burritos and Tacos: Spread a layer of refried beans on tortillas before adding your choice of protein, veggies, cheese, and toppings for delicious burritos or tacos.
- Enchiladas: Use refried beans as a filling for enchiladas along with shredded chicken, beef, or cheese. Top with enchilada sauce and bake until bubbly.
- Quesadillas: Spread refried beans on one tortilla, top with cheese and another tortilla, then cook until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are crispy.
- Bean Dip: Warm up refried beans and serve as a dip with tortilla chips. Add toppings like melted cheese, jalapeños, sour cream, and salsa. You can also serve cold and make a 7-Layer Bean Dip.
- Tostadas: Spread refried beans on crisp tortillas and add toppings like lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, and salsa for a tasty tostada.
- Navajo Tacos: Much like tostadas, you can layer the refried beans with some chili and toppings on some Indian Fry Bread for a delicious meal.
- Nachos: Layer tortilla chips with refried beans, cheese, and toppings like sliced olives, jalapeños, and guacamole for loaded nachos.
- Bowl or Plate: Create a bowl or plate by layering refried beans with rice, protein (like grilled chicken or beef), sautéed vegetables, and garnishes like avocado and cilantro.
- Dip for Vegetables: Serve refried beans as a dip for raw veggies like carrot sticks, celery, and bell pepper strips.
- Huevos Rancheros: Top corn tortillas with refried beans, fried eggs, and a zesty tomato-chili sauce for a hearty breakfast.
- Mexican Pizza: Use these refried beans to make your favorite taco pizza or Mexican-style pizza.
- Mexican Lasagna: Layer corn tortillas with refried beans, cheese, and a meat or veggie filling to create a Mexican-style lasagna.
- Use as a Chili Thickener: This is one of my favorite secrets for thickening chili! Add refried beans to chili for extra thickness and flavor. They work particularly well in Mexican-style chilis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Refried beans have lots of great health benefits including vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C. Not to mention that they are a great source of dietary fiber. Depending on how they are prepared, some can also be high in fat, calories, and sodium. Making refried beans at home is a much healthier option because you control the ingredients.
This recipe can make almost any canned refried beans taste great but my personal favorites are Rosarita or Taco Bell.
READ MORE: 75+ Best Mexican Recipes
More Mexican Food Recipes
I use these restaurant style refried beans and our Restaurant Style Mexican Rice for sides every time I make Mexican food at home, we honestly never make a Mexican dish without these two sides anymore. Some of my favorite dishes to serve these with are our Carne Asada Burritos and our Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas. It also makes a much better base for 7 layer bean dips (it’s perfect for our 9 layer bean dip HERE). You can also spoon these beans right into a burrito, taco, or on top of a big, cheesy pile of nachos. Whatever you do, just get these on your table next time you eat Mexican food!
Cheater Restaurant Style Refried Beans
Video
Ingredients
- 1 can refried beans I like the Taco Bell brand
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon Valentina hot sauce
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese grated (or a cheddar/jack blend)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl combine the refried beans, sour cream, and hot sauce.
- Pour into a glass pie pan or 9×9 dish and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until its hot and bubbly. Remove and stir well.
- Top with grated cheese and heat in the oven for 3 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Serve with tortilla chips and with our Restaurant Style Mexican Rice for a complete side dish to any Mexican meals.
Notes
- You can use an immersion blender or a potato masher to get an even creamier consistency to your refried beans.
- Heat refried beans in a crock-pot or even the instant pot.
- Garnish with diced onion, cilantro or shredded cheddar cheese.
Maybe use half the sour cream, though. A bit noticeable for my tastes.
I worked in a hospital kitchen with several sous chefs and an executive chef. I learned all kinds of shortcuts and tricks. For refried beans the easiest way to make them is to chop some garlic, onion and maybe some cilantro and other spices and salt and pepper, and toss into a commercial food processor or blender with cooked beans and just puree them for 15 or 20 minutes. If you want some kind of fat, toss it in with everything else. Butter is always on hand and easy enough to throw in.
When you’re making food for 800 patients you take as many shortcuts as possible.
I do something similar with my canned refried beans. They really do suck straight out of the can. I add some spices, but use heavy cream at the end (not sour cream) when cooking. For the cheese, you can get creative, but a few spoons of Queso from a can is always a quick standby. I’d like to try to do them from scratch someday, but I usually put my energy and thought into my main dishes.
I used to do something similar when I used canned refried beans. I would buy the one with the least amount of ingredients and then add my own fats and seasonings and stir it all in together in the sauce pan while heating it up.
Love these beans! I always get so many compliments when I make them too. So easy and so delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Been making my refried beans this way for years! Thank you for this great recipe. I often take this to family dinners and everyone loves it. So easy yet so good!