Refried beans are a classic Mexican & TexMex side dish that everyone can easily make at home. All you need is some pinto beans (canned, or prepared from dry), that are mashed in a skillet. And then “fried” in some form of fat until thick and creamy!
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- Can you use other types of beans?: The cool thing about refried beans is that you can make them with literally any type of beans imaginable. It doesn’t matter if they’re black beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, or even mayocoba beans. So if all you have on hand is something other than pinto beans then feel free to use them. Just make sure to use the same amounts and follow the same instruction. And I guarantee you’ll end up with a delicious side of refried beans!
- Using dried beans instead of canned: For today’s recipe, we will be using canned pinto beans mainly because it’s a major time saver. That being said if you want to make pinto beans from scratch you are more than welcome to do so. Just rinse ½ pound of dry pinto beans (no need to soak them overnight). Then add them to a pot with enough water to cover them. And finally, let them simmer away for 3 hours or until super tender.
- Butter vs. Lard vs. Oil: Obviously in order to “fry” our beans we’ll need a bit of fat. And generally speaking, you have three options that will give you varying results. First, there’s butter which is a great option as it will give the beans a nice creamy flavor. Secondly, you have lard which is the most traditional and will give the beans a great authentic flavor (I highly recommend it!). And lastly, you can use any type of neutral flavor oil. However, it doesn’t add much flavor, so I’d only use it if you need the beans to be vegan friendly.
- Flavor enhancers: Add things like spices (cumin, chili powder, onion powder), herbs (dried oregano, cilantro), or even a squeeze of lime juice to kick up the flavor of the refried beans.
- Serving suggestions: These refried beans can be used in so many different ways. You can add them as a filling for tacos, burritos, or enchiladas. They’re also great as a base for tostadas, or huevos rancheros. And of course, you can simply use them as a side dish for just about any meal!
Other Bean Recipes You Might Enjoy
Refried Beans (Easy) Recipe
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Servings: 3 to 4
Ingredients
2 15oz. Cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tablespoons of lard, butter, or oil
1 Clove of garlic, minced
1 Cup of water
Salt & black pepper to taste
Optional Garnish:
Shredded Mexican blend cheese, or crumbled cojita cheese
Instructions
- Sautee garlic: Melt/heat the lard, butter, or oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute it for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Make sure not to burn the garlic.
- Heat the beans: Add the drained beans to the pan along with the ½ cup of water. Give everything a good stir and let it come to a simmer. Let this cook for 1 minute so that the beans are heated through.
- Mash: Use a potato masher to smash the beans for 30 seconds to a minute or until they are the desired consistency that you prefer.
- Reduce: At this point, all you need to do is let the beans simmer and cook for another minute or two so that they reduce and thicken up. Then once they are nice and thick taste some of the beans and add salt and black pepper as needed.
- Use the refried beans as a side, in burritos, or however you want to enjoy them!
Refried Beans (Easy) Recipe
Refried beans are a classic Mexican & TexMex side dish that everyone can easily make at home. All you need is some pinto beans (canned, or prepared from dry), that are mashed in a skillet. And then “fried” in some form of fat until thick and creamy!
Servings: 4
Equipment
- potato masher
Ingredients
- 2 15 oz. Cans of pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons of lard butter, or oil
- 1 Clove of garlic minced
- 1 Cup of water
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Optional Garnish:
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese or crumbled cojita cheese
Instructions
- Sautee garlic: Melt/heat the lard, butter, or oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute it for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Make sure not to burn the garlic.
- Heat the beans: Add the drained beans to the pan along with the ½ cup of water. Give everything a good stir and let it come to a simmer. Let this cook for 1 minute so that the beans are heated through.
- Mash: Use a potato masher to smash the beans for 30 seconds to a minute or until they are the desired consistency that you prefer.
- Reduce: At this point, all you need to do is let the beans simmer and cook for another minute or two so that they reduce and thicken up. Then once they are nice and thick taste some of the beans and add salt and black pepper as needed.
- Use the refried beans as a side, in burritos, or however you want to enjoy them!
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