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Refried Bean Dip is a fast and flavorful appetizer that you can whip up in minutes. Serve it with tortilla chips and sliced veggies as a snack, or slather it on tortillas to make your favorite fajitas more filling.
If you love the canned bean dip from the chip aisle of your grocery store, you’re going to love this easy bean dip recipe. You can make it with any beans that you keep in the pantry!
This dip is perfect for a game-day snack or a party appetizer. Made without cream cheese, it’s naturally vegan, dairy-free, and loaded with flavor. With that being said, you can melt some shredded cheddar cheese on top, for a warm dip if you prefer.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Featuring onion, garlic, and jalapeño, this recipe requires just a few minutes of chopping to get started. Be extra cautious when handling fresh jalapeño, as its juices can burn your skin and eyes. (Use a few jarred jalapeno slices as an easy swap, if you prefer.)
Paired with lime juice, cumin, and salt this dip is flavorful and easy to customize. If you keep a taco seasoning blend on hand or want to add in a dash of chili powder, onion powder, or other spices, feel free!
This dip is easy to taste and adjust as you go. Using two cans of beans will make it easy to blend, so if you cut this recipe in half, you may need to stop and scrape down the machine more often.
If you have any leftovers, add them to quesadillas, nachos, and burrito bowls for the rest of the week.
How to Make Refried Bean Dip
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the onion and jalapeño until soft, about 5 minutes. Omit the jalapeno seeds, unless you’d like a spicy dip.
Next, add in the garlic and stir for 1 more minute, just until fragrant. Then remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool briefly.
In a blender or food processor, add the drained and rinsed beans, along with the cumin, lime juice, and salt.
Transfer the cooked onion, jalapeno, and garlic to the machine, then secure the lid and start processing.
Blend until the mixture looks smooth, then taste it and make any adjustments. Add an extra pinch of salt to boost the flavor, or add a few slices of jarred jalapenos for a mild spice.
Transfer the blended bean dip to a serving bowl, garnish with fresh cilantro or chopped red onion, and serve right away with tortilla chips or sliced veggies, like bell peppers, carrots, and celery.
For a Mexican-inspired snack platter, serve with bowls of salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, too.
For a warm bean dip, transfer the dip to a baking dish and top with shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese. Bake at 350ºF for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Garnish with any options you love, like chopped tomatoes, black olives, green onions, or fresh cilantro.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a shortcut, you can swap the sauteed onion, garlic, and jalapeno in this recipe for a 4-ounce can of green chiles. In this case, I’d also recommend adding in a few jarred jalapeno slices (like the kind you’d put on nachos) for extra flavor. Or try my black bean dip, which uses salsa for blending.
While they are similar, bean dip often has a softer consistency that is ideal for dipping with chips. Refried beans tend to have a thicker consistency with more texture, depending on how they are prepared.
Pinto beans and black beans are the most common beans used for bean dip. If you’re trying to replicate Frito Lay bean dip, use pinto beans.
Looking for more dip recipes? Try White Bean Dip, Cottage Cheese Dip, Healthy 7-Layer Dip, or the Best Hummus for more easy ideas.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 jalapeño , chopped (white pith and seeds removed)
- 2 (15 oz.) cans pinto beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then saute the onion, and jalapeno until they start to soften, about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir for 1 more minute, then turn off the heat and set the pan aside.
- In a blender or food processor, add the drained beans, cumin, salt, and lime juice. Add in the sauteed vegetables, then secure the lid and start blending. Stop and scrape down the sides of the machine, if needed, and blend until smooth.
- Taste the dip and make any adjustments as you see fit, adding an extra pinch of salt if needed. For extra flavor, add a handful of fresh cilantro leaves or a few jarred jalapeno slices, and blend again. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl, add any garnishes you like, and serve right away with chips or sliced veggies.
- Leftover dip will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will thicken slightly when chilled.
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If you try this bean dip recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
This dip is SO ADDICTING! It’s so easy to make. I love that it’s all stuff I already have in my pantry. I could eat the whole bowl of this 🙂 YUM! It’s also great on taco night in tortillas (my kiddos loved it!)