refried bean

Refried beans, a staple of Mexican cuisine, is a flavorful side dish that’s surprisingly easy to make at home. (They’re not really fried twice — “refried beans” is derived from their Spanish name, frjoles refritos, which means “well-fried beans.”) Throughout Mexico, the beans are cooked in freshly rendered lard, which adds a deep, caramelized pork flavor. In this quick recipe, smoked bacon stands in for the lard while chipotle pepper in adobo adds heat, sweetness and a long-simmered flavor that makes canned beans taste homemade. For a meatless version, replace the bacon with half a bell or poblano pepper, and swap the vegetable oil with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. You can easily make a double batch and freeze the leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Refried Beans

vegetable oil

white onion, finely chopped

garlic cloves, finely chopped

bacon,

pinto, kidney

chipotle pepper chili powder

Salt

Pico de gallo and Cotija cheese,

NYT Cooking

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Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In a large (preferably cast-iron) skillet, heat oil over medium. Cook onion, garlic and bacon, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered, the bacon is crispy and the onion is browned and tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and add beans, chipotle and adobo sauce, and 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Using a potato masher, smash beans until the mixture is thick and creamy. Remove from heat, taste and season with salt, if necessary. Let cool slightly; the refried beans will thicken as they sit. Serve with pico de gallo and Cotija cheese, if desired.

Instead of adding 2/3 cup water, can you simply not drain the beans?

I made these using the end of a pot of homemade vegan chili beans. I could have kept it vegan, but chose to use about 2 Tbsp saved bacon grease for the fat. Added a little leftover chopped garlic, but didn’t add any more chili onion or seasonings as the beans were already great. Used the broth from the beans instead of water. Turned out great.

Mad almost as written but used about 1 tsp liquid smoke, veggie stock and  black beans. For extra decadence added some asadero cheese at the end. A keeper!!

Smoked paprika adds a certain nice something!

no can beans, please! There is no comparison to black beans cooked in a pressure cooker.

Used dried pinto beans instead of canned. Soaked 1 cup overnight with 1/2 tsp baking soda. Rinsed, brought to a high boil and then boiled on medium for an hour with a whole onion, added a tsp of salt, and then continued to boil for another 15 minutes.

Rehydrated dried chipotle and ancho chiles by boiling them and then diced to fry with the garlic and onions and saved the liquid they were boiled in to make arroz rojo.

Well, the recipe does say rinsed, which strongly imply they would be drained!

A soupy mess. I expect it was because the beans in the can should have been drained. But, the recipe didn't indicate that. I should have realized my mistake when it said to rinse the beans. Phooey.

Keep chipotle in adobo handy by dumping the extra peppers and sauce into a freezer bag. Once frozen, it slices easily so that you can always have on hand. 

Yes, homemade beans are superior, but for the rest of us, who just need something to eat NOW, it's really okay to keep a pantry stuffed with a variety of canned beans for last-minute dinners.

Added 1/2 lime, a third can of beans and some crushed hatch pepper. Omg delish!

A great recipe just as it is and it looks like it could be modified to suit what you have on hand.  I used three cans of beans.  As for the canned beans controversy, canned beans are great if you drain and rinse them first.

Delicious recipe. I doubled the bacon. I always double the bacon (or Parm) in all recipes because you can’t go wrong.

delish! made w/ dried beans, otherwise followed recipe exactly.

Made this as written and we all enjoyed it very much. Waaaay better than the canned stuff. Do it!

I flavor my beans with Mexican chorizo. l also use canned beans but instead of mashing them by hand I pour a can of pinto beans into my bullet blender and process for about 2 seconds. Then I combine the chorizo and beans in a frying pan and gently simmer the beans until they are thickened and can be eaten with a fork. Makes really good beans.

@Taszbo but you do need to have a pressure cooker which not everyone owns or has the additional storage space for.

Hi Sam and and any who are interested in cooking their own beans. Dried black beans can be cooked completely in 30 minutes at high pressure in a stove top pressure cooker. No advance planning or hours needed. I highly recommend this method for all dried beans.

Um, no. It takes advance planning and hours of cooking (even with a pressure cooker) to make scratch beans. The texture is (potentially) better... but, really, who cares when you're literally smashing them to paste? 

Canned beans are a fantastic resource. I have never seen canned beans with sugar. Rinsing will deal with excess salt. 

We should all be eating more beans. Please make this with canned beans, save hours of your life, and enjoy your perfectly delicious, healthy beans.

I lived in Costa Rica in 1984 as a teacher.  This was a staple of my diet.  A three ingredient side/meal.
1 - Refried Beans
2 - Minced Garlic to taste
3 - Diced Sweet Green Pepper
Optional Chopped Cilantro on top.

That's it.  All She Wrote.  Fini.  Perfecto!

Here’s my 3-can version: 1 can vegetarian refried beans, 1 can drained pinto beans, I can fire-roasted tomatoes. Add to 1 sautéed onion, add trifecta of cumin, chili powder and chipotle Chile powder to taste.  Top with grated cheese of your choosing and lots of chopped cilantro.  Always a potluck winner!

Draining and rinsing the beans reduces salt and starch, leaving you in control.

The most important ingredient in refried beans are good made from scratch beans.
Canned beans are filled with sodium and sugar.  I grew up with homemade beans and refried beans were a common meal - but the shortcut method of using canned beans destroys any authenticity to this simple and delicious dish

I learned that my stick blender fits perfectly in a can of pintos. Pour off the top half inch or so of liquid in the can, leave the rest to help emulsify the beans. The result is smooth refritos, which is how we do them where I'm from. Fry in bacon grease as noted, and cook them (stirring constantly) until they change color noticeably and a spoon dragged through leaves a lasting trail (like with risotto).

A can of beans does not have “extra chemicals” though maybe added salt.  Buy salt free if you’d like or rinse. Canned beans are a cheap and convenient nutrition power house!

I’m Mexican and i recently learned from the lady that used to work in my house that they are refried because you fry them every time to reheat them. They are literally refried.

The Introduction to the recipe has recommendations for a meatless version.

I agree with Sam -- though, if you've got the time, cooking your own beans is always a great option (and cheaper).  Here's another option -- if rinsing isn't "enough", buy salt-free canned beans.  You've effectively reduced any risk of salt even further. I still rinse them.

Lightlife makes a Smoky Tempeh Bacon that I like for vegan BLTs. You might try that. It's not going to render fat the way bacon does, though, so you might need to add a little more oil.

I entirely agree! I _never_ buy canned beans or chickpeas, I don't want all the extra chemicals and sodium. I set up my Instant Pot and and hour later I have fully cooked beans - less if I remember to soak them the night before.

Mildly spicy and satisfying, these easy enchiladas stuffed with refried beans, onion and red pepper will be popular with the whole family

Chicken enchiladas

olive oil

onions

red peppers

coriander

garlic

tbsp coriander

cumin seeds

chicken breasts

can refried beans (we used Discovery)

can sweetcorn drained

passata

golden caster sugar

tortillas

x 142 milliliters pots soured cream

cheddar grated

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in your largest pan, then fry the onions, peppers, chopped chilli and coriander stalks with half the garlic for 10 mins until soft. Stir in 2 tsp ground coriander and 2 tsp cumin seeds, then fry for 1 min more. Meanwhile, in another frying pan, fry the chicken in the remaining oil, in batches, until browned – add it to the pan of veg as it is done.

Stir the beans, sweetcorn, coriander leaves and 150ml of the passata into the veg and chicken. In a bowl, mix the rest of the passata with the other crushed garlic clove, the remaining spices and the sugar, then set aside.

To assemble, lay the tortillas onto a board and divide the chicken mixture between them, folding over the ends and rolling up to seal. Divide the passata sauce into the dishes you are using, then top with the enchiladas. Dot over the soured cream, sprinkle with grated cheese and scatter with the sliced chilli.

Cool and freeze (see freezing tips, below) or, if eating straight away, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, then bake for 30 mins, scattering with more coriander leaves to serve, if you like.

Make homestyle Refried Beans Recipe with home cooked or canned beans. Three ingredients and the steps and tips you gotta have for that weekly batch.  Slather these delicious beans onto your favorite tostaditas, bolillos, and more.

Easy Homemade Refried Beans

(whole cooked beans)

1-1/2 bean reserve water

salt (if beans are unsalted)

Chili pepper (or dried chile, see options below)

Separate beans from liquid, keep the liquid in a bowl nearby.

Heat sauté pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. Let oil heat up for about 2-3 minutes.

After the oil has heated do the following: If you&#39;re spicing up the beans, carefully add, a washed and towel dried, fresh jalapeño or serrano into the oil before the beans. You may add it whole or chop it up, I do whole (de-seed for less spice). Let the fresh chili pepper sauté in the oil for about 1-2 minute(s).

Carefully and quickly, add 2 cups of drained beans to the pan followed by 1 cup of bean liquid (add additional 1/2 cup if you like creamy beans). Cover with lid. Let the beans heat on medium/low for about 7-10 minutes. [You will first hear the sound of the beans hit the pan and refry in the oil, and then smell their yummy-savory aroma as they heat up!]

Now that beans have heated they will be soft enough for easy bean mashing. Begin mashing for approximately 45-60 seconds for creamy and delicious pinto beans.

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Top 3 refried bean recipes from across the web

The most viewed refried bean recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Refried Beans

Chicken enchiladas

Easy Homemade Refried Beans

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