The Best Vegan Refried Beans [No-oil recipe]
Servings: 4
Calories: 253kcal
Our Vegan Refried Beans are one of the best and most delicious side dishes - quick, easy, and packed with flavour, while being incredibly wholesome, gluten-free, and a no-oil recipe. However, refried beans can also be the star of the dinner table. What could be a more delicious way to celebrate a special occasion, Mexican festival, summer party, or even for a movie night or game day meal than with a tasty, fun refried bean bar? Check out our recipe FAQs section above for guidance.This is truly the best and easiest vegan refried beans recipe, as our kids will testify - they literally eat it by the skilletfull!
Print Recipe
Equipment
- non-stick sauté pan, skillet pan or deep frying pan
- mixing spoon
- Potato masher or fork optional
Ingredients
- 720 grams mixed beans, cooked [Use three 400-gram (14 oz) cans of beans, drained, which will provide around 600-720g (4 ½ cups) of cooked beans. If using dried beans, cook about 2 cups. Instead of mixed beans, you can use one type of bean, such as pinto beans.]
- 375 millilitres bean water [Use the canned bean water or the cooking liquid from pre-cooked beans. However, if the canned water contains added salt, you may prefer to use plain water. Add more water if required.]
- 2 teaspoons onion powder [or granules]
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder [or granules]
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika [or sweet or ordinary paprika]
- 1 tablespoon liquid aminos [or 2 tablespoons of soy sauce]
- ½ vegetable stock cube [or ½-1 teaspoon of vegetable stock powder or paste]
- 25 grams nutritional yeast flakes
Optional addition (add at end of cooking)
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
Instructions
- Add the cooked beans, onion and garlic powders, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast flakes, stock cube, and bean water to a non-stick pan. If you are replacing liquid aminos with soy sauce, add two tablespoons of soy sauce, as it is not as strong as liquid aminos. Mix well and bring the bean mixture to a gentle boil.720 grams mixed beans, cooked, 375 millilitres bean water, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon liquid aminos, ½ vegetable stock cube, 25 grams nutritional yeast flakes
- Lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the refried beans are nice and thick. Stir frequently, and add a few extra tablespoons of water if required.
- Mash the refried beans, or mash just half of the beans and keep some whole for texture. If you cooked your beans in a pressure cooker, they might already be very soft before adding to this recipe, so mashing may not be required. Some people, like my family, enjoy more texture, so sometimes we don't mash the beans at all.
- Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste, although the beans may not need any. Add more nutritional yeast flakes if desired. Also, mixing 1-2 teaspoons of liquid smoke through the beans after cooking is especially tasty and very much liked by my kids. However, if you used smoked paprika, this ingredient may not be needed.2 teaspoons liquid smoke
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not an exact calculation as ingredients vary.
- Refried beans can be prepared gluten-free by using Tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos and choosing a gluten-free vegetable stock cube or powder. Although you may be able to feed gluten-free liquid aminos. Liquid smoke is usually gluten-free but always check your labels.
- Store refried beans in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Serve chilled or warmed through.
- Place in a pan, add a tiny splash of liquid if needed, and gently heat through stirring all the time. Or reheat within the microwave.
- Check out the recipe notes and FAQ sections above the recipe for useful information including how to repurpose refried beans, additional ingredients to add to refried beans, how to plan a refried bean bar, etc.
- Pinto beans make the best creamiest refried beans, but a mix of other beans including pinto are also delicious.
Nutrition
Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 329mg | Potassium: 830mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 493IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 4mg
