Refried Beans
User Reviews
5
Refried Beans
Description
This recipe starts with sorting and rinsing dry pinto beans, then simmering them with onion wedges, cumin, salt, oregano, and black pepper until fully tender. After draining but reserving the cooking liquid, the beans are cooked with diced onion and garlic sautéed in avocado oil. The beans are mashed partially with some cooking liquid added back to reach the desired texture. Lime juice is stirred in to enhance flavor with a fresh note. The seasoning can be adjusted prior to serving.
These refried beans offer a creamy and mild flavor with the toasted aromatics of onion and garlic, suitable as a side for Mexican-style dishes or as a filling for burritos and tacos.
If using canned beans, skip the initial cooking steps, add spices during sautéing, and use water or broth in place of cooking liquid for mashing. The recipe allows flexibility in bean texture from smooth to chunky based on preference.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pinto beans dry
- 8 cups water plus more as needed
- 1 white onion half cut into wedges, half diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- ¾ teaspoon salt plus more to taste, sea salt
- ½ teaspoon oregano dried
- black pepper freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 garlic chopped, cloves
- 2 tablespoons lime juice plus more to taste, fresh
Instructions
- Place the beans in a colander and sort through them to remove and discard any stones or debris. Rinse well.
- Place the beans in a large pot and add the water, onion wedges, cumin, salt, oregano, and several grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the water’s surface, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Check the beans. If they are not fully tender, continue simmering, checking them every 15 minutes, until tender, up to 90 minutes more. Add water to the pot as needed if it begins to dry out.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Drain the beans into the strainer, reserving the cooking liquid in the bowl.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Stir in the beans and reduce the heat to low. Add ½ cup of the bean cooking liquid and use a potato masher to mash the beans until they reach your desired consistency, adding more cooking liquid, ½ cup at a time, as needed (I typically use 1 to 1½ cups). For smoother refried beans, blend the beans with an immersion blender or transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Add the lime juice. Taste and add more salt and lime juice as desired. (I typically add another 1 teaspoon salt and ½ tablespoon lime juice at this point.)
- Serve as a side dish or try one of the serving suggestions in the blog post above. Store leftover refried beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They also freeze well.
Notes
- When using canned pinto beans, omit the dry bean cooking steps and add spices to the skillet during sauté.
- Add water or vegetable broth instead of bean cooking liquid when mashing if using canned beans.
- Adjust salt to taste before serving, as canned beans may require different seasoning.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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