To refry means to fry something again, usually food that has already been cooked once. When you refry beans, you take cooked beans and fry them in oil or fat until they get soft and flavorful. Mexican restaurants serve refried beans that have been mashed and fried, giving them their distinctive creamy texture.

Leftover rice often gets refried the next day to make fried rice. The second frying crisps up the rice and gives it a completely different texture and taste than when it was first cooked. People also refry potatoes, plantains, and many other foods.

When you refry something, that second frying can transform yesterday's leftovers into today's delicious meal.