Refried Beans

Frijoles Refritos

Making homemade refried beans is easier than you might think and they are far superior in flavor and texture to canned refried beans. You might be surprised to know that they are not overloaded with lard. We prepare the recipe with 2 tbsp. of cooking oil. The more traditional preparation method calls for lard but this recipe substitutes cooking oil which is the way many people prepare beans today. Refried beans are the perfect side-dish for any Mexican meal.

Healthier than You Think

Normally, we don’t talk too much about calories and fats in our recipes but in this case we think it is worth mentioning nutrition. Many people are reluctant to make refried beans because they believe that the fat content is excessive and that they are really unhealthy. There are only 8 grams of fat per 1/2 cup serving. We think they are a healthy option.

How to Make

You will need cooked whole beans to prepare. We recommend that you cook your own beans using our frijoles de la olla recipe. Although, our method of preparation works equally well with your home cooked beans or canned beans.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked beans pinto, black, bayo (Different varieties of beans give a different flavor. Experiment to find your favorite.)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 finely chopped garlic clove
• 2 tbsp. oil
• A pinch of black pepper
• Salt 1/2 tsp. + to taste

Preparation

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 is just becoming transparent.

Add the chopped garlic.

Cook for 1 or 2 minutes until the onion is just starting to brown.

Add the cooked beans with a little bit of the cooking water plus the salt and pepper to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes before mashing.

Mash the beans to the constituency you prefer.

Once they are mashed to your preferred consistency, cook for 5 minutes stirring continually. Turn off the heat and allow the beans to rest for 3 minutes before serving.

Dishes Served with Refried Beans

To get you started here are some of our favorite dishes served with refried beans.

• Huevos Rancheros
• Huevo a la Mexicana
• Migas Norteñas
• Chorizo and Egg

Enjoy! 

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4.8 from 5 votes

Homemade Refried Beans Recipe

Flavorful homemade refried beans are easy to make in 15 minutes. Start with your favorite bean variety, pinto, black, or bayo.

Course Side

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword beans, black beans, frijoles, pinto beans

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 2 cups

Calories 182kcal

Author Andrés Carnalla

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked beans pinto black, bayo with a little cooking liquid (We recommend that you cook your own beans using our recipe for frijoles de la olla. But no need to worry, canned beans work perfectly well.
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 finely chopped garlic clove
• 2 tbsp. oil
• A pinch of black pepper
• Salt 1/2 tsp. + to taste

Instructions

• 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 constituency you prefer.
• Cook for 5 minutes stirring continually.
• Turn off the heat and allow the beans to rest for 3 minutes before serving.

Notes

Substitutions

• You can reduce the cooking oil by 1 tbsp. to reduce the fat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 cup | Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 207mg

More Bean Recipes

• Black Bean Soup with Avocado
• Enchiladas with Bean Sauce (Enfrijoladas)