Refried Beans Recipes

HOMEMADE REFRIED BEANS RECIPE

Steps:

• Chop the onion. Finely chop the garlic.
• In a medium-sized pan, heat the oil to medium and add the chopped onion. Cook until the onion becomes transparent.
• Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute. Do not allow the garlic to brown which will give it a bitter taste.
• Add the cooked beans with a little bit of the cooking water plus the salt and pepper.
• Cook for 2 minutes before mashing.
• Mash the beans to the consistency you prefer.
• Cook for 5 minutes stirring continually.
• Turn off the heat and allow the beans to rest for 3 minutes before serving.

QUICK AND EASY REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Heat canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
• Cook garlic cloves in hot oil, turning once, until brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Smash garlic cloves in skillet with a fork.
• Stir pinto beans, cumin, chili powder, and salt into mashed garlic and cook until beans are thoroughly heated, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Smash bean mixture with a potato masher to desired texture. Squeeze lime juice over smashed beans and stir until combined.

REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• In a large pan saute the onions and garlic to just translucent.
• Add the jalapenos and continue to saute until JUST beginning to brown.
• Add the beans, 2 cans rinsed and drained, two with juice.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for around 1 1/2 hours, adding beer as needed.
• You don't want the beans to dry out.
• If there's any remaining beer left drink it.
• Sometimes 2 cans are needed.
• Don't add salt until dish is done and taste first.

EASY REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are turning translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add the garlic, chili powder and cumin. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained beans and water. Stir, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low and remove the lid. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to mash up about at least half of the beans, until you reach your desired consistency. Continue to cook the beans, uncovered, stirring often, for 3 more minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste, and add more salt and lime juice if necessary. If the beans seem dry, add a very small splash of water and stir to combine. Cover until you're ready to serve.

HOMEMADE REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Rinse pinto beans in a colander, removing any unwanted pebbles or pieces that may be in the bag.
• Add the beans to a large pot, cover with water and soak overnight.
• Drain soaked beans and return them to the pot. Add fresh water to cover the beans up to two inches above them. Add onion to the pot and a couple dashes of salt.
• Bring beans to a boil, cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Check the beans and if they're not completely cooked after one hour, let them simmer a few minutes longer until they're done.
• Drain the beans, removing the onion and reserving the bean broth water.
• In a large skillet (preferably an iron skillet), heat lard or oil over medium heat.
• Add the garlic and stir. Add the beans, cumin, oregano and 1/4 cup of the bean broth. (You could also chop the reserved onion and add it to the pan).
• Cook, gently smashing the beans as they cook with a potato masher or fork.
• Continue stirring and mashing, adding additional bean broth as needed until you get the texture you like and the beans are the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Taste and season with additional salt, cumin and oregano, as needed. Top with shredded cheese, if desired.

REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Rinse the dry beans: Rinse the beans in water and check for and remove any small stones, pieces of dirt, or bad beans. Remove any beans that float in water.
• Cook the beans on the stove top or in the pressure cooker: Stove Top Method Put beans into a pot and cover with at least 3 inches of water-about 3 quarts total for 2 1/2 cups of dry beans. Add half an onion, salt, and oregano. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer, covered, for about 2 1/2 hours. The cooking time will vary depending on the batch of beans you have. The beans are done when they are soft and the skin is just beginning to break open. If the beans are still hard after 2 1/2 hours, add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda to the pot and cook a half hour or more longer. Pressure Cooker Method Put beans into a 4 quart or larger Instant Pot or pressure cooker with a 15 pound weight. Add 8 cups (2 quarts) of water. (Make sure you never fill a pressure cooker with water more than 2/3 of the way up the pot.) Add the onion, salt, and oregano. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes on high pressure, then let the beans cool naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure valve. The beans should be soft and the skins barely breaking open. If the beans are still quite hard, add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda and bring to pressure again for 10 minutes. Note: If you are using a standard pressure cooker (not an Instant Pot), allow the pressure cooker to cool completely before opening. If there is resistance when attempting to open the cooker, do not open it, allow it to cool further. Follow the directions for your brand of pressure cooker. (See How to Make Fast No Soak Beans in a Pressure Cooker .) Either method: Strain the beans from the cooking water, reserving about a cup of the cooking water. Remove the remnants of onion or oregano sprig if using.
• Sauté the onions in fat: Chop the remaining half an onion. Heat the bacon fat or oil in a wide, sturdy frying pan (not a flimsy nonstick) on medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent. (You can do this while the beans are cooking.)
• Add the beans, mash them in pan: Add the strained beans and about a 1/4 cup of the bean cooking water or plain water to the pan. Using a potato masher, mash the beans in the pan, while you are cooking them, until they are a rough purée.
• Add water and season: Add more bean water or plain water to desired level of creaminess and to keep the fried beans from getting too dried out. Add more salt to taste. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder, if using. When the beans are heated through, top with crumbled cotija cheese or shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 cup) to serve (optional). (You can also stir in slices of cheddar to melt into the hot beans.)

REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chili powder and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the beans and chicken broth and cook until the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Mash the beans coarsely with the back of a wooden spoon, adding more chicken broth to moisten, if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the cilantro.

REFRIED BEANS (BETTER THAN STORE-BOUGHT)

Steps:

• There is no need to soak the beans for this recipe. Rinse the dried beans then add to a large pot. Add the onion half, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs. Cover with at least 3 inches of water. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the beans are extremely tender (almost silky inside), 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If during cooking the beans look dry, add a splash more water.
• Remove the onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs, and then discard them. Season the beans and liquid with salt. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there based on your tastes.
• Drain the beans, but do not discard the cooking liquid. We will use some of the liquid for making the refried beans. You will need about 3 cups of the beans to make refried beans. If you have more than 3 cups, reserve the rest for another recipe.
• There is no need to soak the beans for this recipe. Rinse the dried beans then add to a 6-quart pressure cooker (we have an Instant Pot). Add the onion half, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs. Add about 6 cups of water, but do not fill past the 'max fill line.' Add 1 teaspoon of neutral oil like vegetable or olive oil (this prevents the beans from foaming).
• Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes, and then allow the cooker to naturally release (you can tell when it is safe to open the cooker when the steam release valve drops). We recommend you read the user manual of your specific pressure cooker before using this method.
• Remove the onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs, and then discard them. Season the beans and liquid with salt. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there based on your tastes.
• Drain the beans, but do not discard the cooking liquid. We will use some of the liquid for making the refried beans. You will need about 3 cups of the beans to make refried beans. If you have more than 3 cups, reserve the rest for another recipe.
• In a large, skillet - a cast iron pan is perfect here - heat the oil (or butter/lard/bacon drippings) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it smells sweet and is starting to brown around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in the minced garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the 3 cups of cooked beans, moving them around the pan for a minute or two so that they are heated through. Add 1 cup of the bean cooking liquid and then use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to mash the beans into your desired consistency.
• If, as you are mashing, the beans seem a little dry, add a splash more liquid. The beans do dry out over time, so it's a good idea to keep the cooking liquid near by to maintain the best consistency, especially if you are making them in advance.
• Taste the beans and adjust with additional salt, pepper or spices. Serve with a squeeze of lime and your favorite toppings scattered on top.
• Use 2 (15-ounce) cans of pinto or black beans. Two cans will be approximately 2 3/4 cups of beans, which is close enough to 3 cups for this recipe.
• Open the cans, drain, and then rinse the beans. Follow the recipe instructions in the section labeled 'Make Refried Beans' above, but replace the 3 cups of home-cooked beans for canned beans. Instead of using the bean cooking liquid for thinning the refried beans, you will need to substitute for another liquid. We recommend using a flavorful stock (vegetable stock or chicken stock), you will need 1 to 1 1/2 cups.

EASY 1-POT REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• CANNED: If starting with canned beans, simply open cans and set aside. As the original recipe is written, about 2 15-oz (425-g) cans will yield 3 cups cooked beans.
• FROM SCRATCH: If cooking pinto beans from scratch, we recommend this recipe, which yields 5 cups cooked beans. We recommend reducing the serving size to six 1/2-cup servings (rather than 10 servings), which would yield 3 cups cooked beans. The spices and diced tomatoes with green chilies are optional.
• INSTANT POT: If cooking pinto beans in an Instant Pot, we recommend following this recipe but swapping the black beans for pinto beans. Be sure to save any leftover cooking liquid.
• REFRIED BEANS: To prepare refried beans, heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add oil (or water) and onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender - about 4-5 minutes. Then add minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Turn down heat if browning too quickly.
• Next add your cooked beans and any of the cooking liquid. Depending on your cooking method, your beans may be looking somewhat dry or they may be submerged in cooking liquid. Because we're going to simmer the beans even more, you want them to be just submerged, so add only as much vegetable broth as needed to just cover the beans.
• Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Then add your salt. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes to further cook and tenderize the beans. If they begin looking dry or stick to the bottom of the pan at any point, add more vegetable broth to moisten.
• Your beans should now be tender. Our preferred way of mashing is with an immersion blender. If using an immersion blender, tip the pot to one side so the blade can be submerged and blend until the beans are creamy and smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, a bean or potato masher will also work. It just takes more work and they won't get quite as creamy.
• If you're blending or mashing and your beans have become too thick, thin with more vegetable broth as needed.
• Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste. We didn't find the beans needed more than this. However, you could add chili powder or chipotle pepper in adobo for some heat, or some ground cumin for smokiness.
• Serve as is, or garnish with desired toppings (lime juice, hot sauce, cilantro, red onion, or this vegan Mexican-style queso would be delicious).
• Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, warm in a pot or saucepan, adding more broth as needed.

REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan you will want to turn on medium heat. Then add your oil and let it get warm. Toss in your onions and salt.
• Cook your onions until they are softened and become translucent, this takes around 5 minutes.
• Add in your garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds, you want it to begin to smell fragrant.
• Now pour your drained beans in along with vegetable stock. Stir and cook covered for 5 minutes on medium-low heat.
• Reduce your heat to low and remove your lid. Grab a potato masher or blender and mix up the beans. I generally mix only half the bans up as I like a thicker texture. But mix to your desired texture.
• You will want to cook the beans for 2-3 more minutes stirring often.
• Once done remove beans from the heat, and stir in the lime juice. Add salt to taste if ou would prefer.
• If your refried beans seem dry you can add a splash of broth or even water. Cover and stir occassionally until you are ready to serve.

REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Rinse the beans thoroughly, then place them in a large pot with the bacon. Pour water over the top. Use enough water to cover the beans by 1 or 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours. If the liquid seems to evaporate too quickly, add more water during the cooking process. The beans are done when they're fork tender, without much bite.
• Add the chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir and taste, adjusting the seasoning as necessary. Add in other seasonings as desired.
• Heat the fat in a large skillet and cook the onions until translucent. Add the beans to the skillet and mash them until they're the consistency you want. Stir and cook them until heated, then add the grated cheese. Top with the jalapenos.