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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.
Table of Contents
- The Easiest and Tastiest Refried Beans
- Simple Ingredients for Our Beans
- How to Make Cheater Refried Beans
- Tips and Suggestions
- Recipes that use Refried Beans
- Questions About Cheater Refried Beans
- Authentic Refried Beans (Using Dried Beans)
- More Mexican Food Recipes
- Cheater Restaurant Style Refried Beans Recipe
The Easiest and Tastiest Refried Beans
I have to tell you—I am absolutely obsessed with these “cheater” restaurant-style refried beans! Why are they “cheater,” you ask? Well, because we’re starting with canned refried beans. Yep, no need to spend hours in the kitchen soaking and simmering dried beans. This recipe lets you whip up a creamy, flavorful side dish in just minutes. Bonus: these beans are naturally gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy them!
I love how easy these beans are to make, and trust me, they taste so much better than anything you’ll find in a can. They’re perfect for dipping chips, spreading on tacos, or serving alongside all your favorite Mexican dishes. Have you ever noticed how the beans at restaurants are creamy and smooth, but the canned stuff is so thick it breaks your chips? Well, this is my no-fail method for turning the canned stuff into something even better than what you’d get at a restaurant.
Simple Ingredients for Our Beans
Just four simple ingredients to make these flavorful beans.
1. Canned Refried Beans
- Why use it? Canned refried beans are the foundation of this recipe, offering convenience and a good base flavor to build upon. They save time compared to starting from dried beans, which require soaking, cooking, and mashing.
- Pro tip: Choose a high-quality brand with simple ingredients like beans, salt, and minimal additives for the best flavor.
2. Sour Cream
- Why use it? Sour cream adds creaminess and a slight tanginess, giving the beans a smooth texture and balancing the richness of the dish. It also helps achieve that restaurant-style consistency that’s perfect for dipping or spreading.
- Substitutes: Greek yogurt (for a lighter option), cream cheese (for extra richness), or plant-based alternatives if dairy-free.
3. Hot Sauce
- Why use it? Hot sauce brings a subtle kick and depth of flavor to the beans, enhancing their overall taste without overpowering the dish.
- Which type to use: A Mexican-style hot sauce like Cholula, Tapatío, or Valentina works best, but you can adjust based on your preferred heat level.
- Customizations: If you prefer milder beans, use less hot sauce, or try smoky flavors like chipotle for variation.
4. Monterey Jack Cheese (Optional)
- Why use it? Monterey Jack is a mild, creamy, and melty cheese that complements the flavors of the beans while adding a satisfying gooey texture.
- Alternatives: Cheddar, cheddar-jack blend, pepper jack (for added spice), or dairy-free cheese if avoiding dairy.
- Optional toppings: Instead of melty cheese, try crumbled cotija or queso fresco for a fresher, saltier finish.
How to Make Cheater Refried Beans
This recipe uses just a few simple ingredients: canned refried beans, sour cream, Mexican-style hot sauce, and cheese. It’s so easy to get that creamy, restaurant style flavor and texture in just a few minutes, here’s what you do:
- Combine ingredients – Combine all the ingredients and place the mixture in an oven-safe baking dish. This can be anything from a cast-iron skillet to a 9×13 glass baking dish.
- Bake – Bake for 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Stir and Bake Again – Remove the beans from the oven and give it a good stir. Top with cheese and then bake again until the cheese melts. If you prefer to not have cheese over the top, you can always just stop after the first bake and serve.
- Garnish and Serve – When beans are done, garnish with cotija cheese, queso fresco, and/or chopped cilantro.
Tips and Suggestions
- Adjust the sour cream – 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.
- Kick up the heat – 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!
- Try some onion – Dice green, yellow, or even red onion and add to the refried beans for more flavor.
- Add some seasonings – Try adding a dash of cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt.
- Top with cilantro – Garnish with cilantro to improve refried beans taste.
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.
- 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.
Questions About Cheater Refried Beans
These beans are called “cheater” because they use canned refried beans as a base, saving you hours of cooking while delivering restaurant-quality flavor and texture.
Absolutely! Monterey Jack is great for a melty topping, but you can also use cheddar, a cheddar-jack blend, or even crumbled cotija or queso fresco for a different flavor profile.
These beans have a mild kick from the hot sauce, but they aren’t overly spicy. You can easily adjust the spice level by adding more or less hot sauce to suit your taste.
Yes! You can prepare the beans, store them in an airtight container in the fridge, and reheat them when you’re ready to serve. If you’re adding cheese on top, add it just before reheating.
Yes! To make it dairy-free, skip the sour cream and cheese or use dairy-free alternatives like vegan sour cream and plant-based cheese.
Absolutely! You can add diced onions, garlic, or seasonings like cumin and garlic powder for extra flavor. Fresh cilantro makes a great garnish.
While baking enhances the flavor and creates a smooth, creamy texture, you can heat the mixture on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot.
Yes! Let the beans cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat before serving.
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!
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. Here are some of my favorite dishes to serve with our beans and rice:
- Carne Asada Burritos
- Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
- Sweet Pork Baked Burritos
- Pizzadillas (Pizza Quesadillas)
- Hatch Chiles Rellenos
- Chicken Tostadas
- Taco Bowl Recipe
- 75+ Best Mexican Recipes
Cheater Restaurant Style Refried Beans
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Ingredients
- 1 can refried beans
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl combine the refried beans, sour cream, and hot sauce.
- Pour into a oven safe skillet, glass pie pan or 9×9 dish.
- Bake at 400℉ for 10 minutes, or until its hot and bubbly.
- Remove and stir well. Optional: Top with grated cheese and heat in the oven for 3 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Garnish with cilantro and 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.
Nutrition Information
Ready to elevate your next Mexican-inspired meal? Try these Cheater Refried Beans and see how easy it is to achieve restaurant-quality flavor at home! Whether you’re dipping chips, layering tacos, or building the ultimate nachos, this recipe will become your go-to side dish.
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and share your favorite ways to enjoy refried beans. Happy cooking! 🌮🎉
Thank you for this great recipe! I did do a taste test with Rosarita beans vs the Taco Bell beans just out of curiosity. The Taco Bell beans won hands down! The color, texture and taste are amazing! I’ll be serving these at my sons wedding rehearsal dinner.
I plan to try this refried bean add-on this week, and I’m giving it 4 stars because it sounds so good. However, nobody ever said TexMex is health food, so may I (a Texan who has eaten TexMex for almost all of my 79 years) suggest another addition? Anybody from this part of the country knows that pinto beans must be seasoned with a tad of bacon drippings or some ham hocks —the way that greens, dried beans and such are always cooked in this southern part of the U.S. And really, you’re going to have to add a little water to what comes out of the can to get a consistency that can be dipped with a chip.
[Bless your hearts, you don’t have HEB grocers, which sell OUTSTANDING frijoles refritos (refried beans) close to GREAT straight out of the bag they are packaged in.]
Many of us cook pinto beans from scratch, simmering slowly for most of the morning, but I have cheated for a while now, (with canned Bush’s beans seasoned as if they were my own from scratch, then smushed to the desired consistency).
Thanks for your recipe—I would NEVER have thought to incorporate sour cream. Of course, I also have to make arroz Mexicano (Mexican rice), and use our classic bottled heat from McIlhenny on Avery Island, Tabasco. So many brands are regional, but they usually have quality equals where we live.
I’m so glad to have found your site; you seem dedicated to being the best cook possible. I had to wait until my retirement to have time to devote to improving cooking skills!
Everything I’ve tried has been excellent! Thank you so much.
The best refried beans I’ve ever had! Easy, quick and always loved by everyone! I’ve also made these with refried black beans and they are just as yummy!
Really good! And so incredibly easy! A must make with the restaurant style Mexican rice!
So simple and so good. Thanks for sharing.
We didn’t have all the ingredients on hand, so made something similar. I substituted vegan cream cheese for sour cream. And for cheese used queso fresco.
These substitutions worked well for us, and the beans added nice flavor and creaminess to tacos!
So perfect to accompany the rest of my Mexican dinner. And so very easy. My go to for Refried Beans!! Thank you so much.
WHAT SIZE CAN OF REFRIED BEANS DOES THIS RECIPE CALL FOR?
A 16 ounce can is what we use!
I substitute the sour cream for Mexican Crema and it makes it that much better.
My go to for recipe for refried beans!
I love the creamy restaurant style beans but until now have been unable to master them. As you suggested, I used Taco Bell (fat free) refried beans and added a little olive oil. I hit them with an emersion blender and a little water and they were perfect. I topped them with the sour cream.
Made this tonight. Everyone loved it. Super easy to make on a week night too. Made exactly as described. Would make this again for sure.
I so love your cookbook! I even bought a year of favorites for myself and a friend! Thank you so much for all your wonderful hints & tips also! ❤️❤️❤️
Hi Mimi- Thank you so much! I am so thrilled to hear that you have enjoyed our cookbooks 😀 We hope to provide you with many more recipes, hints, and tips for years to come. Thanks for your support! – Erica
Has anyone made this the night before and put in the oven versus stove top or done these in a crockpot? I’m making a large quantity for a party and would like to use the oven or crock pot! Thanks!
I would probably do them in a crock pot for a large crowd!
Thank you for Delicious recipes.
My husband walked up while I was prepping this and was instantly grossed out when he saw the sour cream, he hates sour cream. I asked him to give it a chance. He did and he did not regret it. These beans were as good, maybe better, than ANY that we’ve ever had anywhere. He was blown away and so was I! I did not have the hot sauce you described but used some Taco Bell Diablo sauce instead and wow, they had a great kick! I’m also a HUGE fan of your Restaurant Style Mexican Rice, I’ve been making it for a couple of years and it’s outstanding. I feel like after searching for years, I’ve found the perfect recipes. I can’t wait to see what kinds of meals we can whip us using these beans and your rice as staples!
This was so easy to make. It tasted exactly like what you’d get at a Mexican restaurant!!
These were delicious! I didn’t measure the sour cream as I was in a hurry and I think I added a little more than a third cup so mine were lighter in color but they were still very good. I didn’t have the hot sauce brand that you referenced so I used what I had in the pantry. This will be my new recipe for
quick refried beans. Thank you for sharing a great recipe.
Very good!!!! Now I need to find a way to make $1.00 Spanish rice side in a bag taste better. Any suggestions?
Hmmm our best suggestion is to make restaurant style Mexican rice. It tastes better than those rice side dishes 🙂 Click HERE for the recipe!
Wow, yum. I have added cheese and hot sauce to refried beans before, but never thought to use sour cream. So creamy, cheesy, and delicious. Thanks!
So glad you liked it! The sour cream makes all the difference. I think that is the “secret” that makes it taste like restaurant refried beans. 🙂 Thanks for the 5-stars!
My go-to recipe for beans (but my family likes to eat it as a dip with tortilla chips).
Same!!
Like another commenter I cooked a whole bag of pinto beans and needed a way to utilize them. Your recipe is great. I just wanted to add that you can freeze them for up to 8 months if you make a ton like I did. Just defrost a portion here and there night before and lunch is served next day — no problem. Also another idea is to make layered dip for evening snacking. Some guacamole, sour cream, refried beans, and hummus…. Mmmm mmmm mmm. Thanks for the sour cream tip!
Would it be okay to put these in a crockpot to cook?
That should totally be fine. Yo will just want it on low, probably, to avoid burning. Hope this helps!