Make frijoles refritos also known as frijoles chinitos(refried beans) at home in a matter of minutes. Beans, along with rice and corn, are one of the trilogies of Mexican cuisine. This creamy and tasty recipe is the perfect side dish, appetizer, taco, and burrito filling.
Refried Beans Recipe | Frijoles Refritos Recipe
Refried beans have a smooth, creamy texture. I think of refried beans more like a Sunday treat in my breakfast brunch. A special occasion or as an ingredient of a dish like “Huevos rancheros” or "Molletes'. Even though I have lived in the North, South, and central states of my country, I have rarely seen refried beans being served as a dip like the ones you find here at the grocery stores sold in a jar next to the tortilla chips.
Finding refried beans in a jar is a great idea, but it’s much better if you make them at home without the added chemicals found in the store-bought versions. You will enjoy a greater difference in taste and an opportunity to add your own seasonings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Frijoles Refritos
Here, I will share a few questions and answers about homemade refried beans.
What makes refried beans refried?
The Spanish word “refried” means to cook | or saute the food really well. Most of the time, it is sauteed in oil or lard with onions, garlic, cumin, and other spices. Traditionally in Mexico, beans are often just fried after they have been cooked. What do I mean by that? After the beans are cooked with a piece of onion-garlic cloves, a jalapeño pepper, and some Epazote leaves, they are lightly fried in a frying pan with chopped onions.
Are Frijoles Refritos (Refried Beans) Healthy?
Refried beans are a healthy dish when prepared without too much fat or salt. Both black beans and pinto beans provide a great source of fiber and protein and a great alternative to animal products.
What is the Point of Refried Beans?
In Mexican cuisine, many recipes incorporate refried beans. Most of these dishes use the refried beans as a spread or base to hold other ingredients like tostadas, molletes, bean enchiladas, and even sandwiches. Plus, refried beans are great to eat as a bean dip with tortilla chips.
What are the Best Beans for Refried Beans?
Traditionally black beans are the most popular for this dish in most of Mexico. However, pinto beans make for a creamier texture. At the end of the day, the best beans are the ones you have on hand, even if they are whole canned beans.
How to make Frijoles Refritos Recipe
Ingredients:
- Cooked beans, with some of the cooking liquid
- White onion, finely chopped
- Lard, vegetable oil, olive oil, bacon fat, or chorizo drippings
- To garnish: Mexican Crumbling Cheese, fresh cilantro, and Tortilla chips.
- Salt to taste
Note: if you want to learn how to cook your beans from scratch, check my recipe Beans from the pot or instant pot black beans to get the list of the ingredients and directions. Using your high pressure to cook your beans only takes 30 minutes, and no soaking is needed!
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat the oil or teaspoons of lard in a frying pan over medium-low heat. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Sauté the onions until they simmer and become transparent, and start to brown.
- Add the beans and mash down until they become a paste or your desired consistency. Stir and taste to check if they need salt.
- Tilt the frying pan sideways and form a roll with the bean paste.
To serve, place them on a plate. Sprinkle with cheese and garnish with fresh cilantro and tortilla chips.
Enjoy!
How To Store Frijoles Refritos (Refried Beans)
Once made, let them cool off and store them in an air-tight container. The beans will last about 5 days in the fridge. Just add more water and heat them up on the stovetop to reheat them.
To freeze your refried beans, let them cool to room temperature, then put them in quart-size freezer bags or air-tight containers.
What to Serve with Refried Beans
These delicious and full-of-flavor frijoles refritos (refried beans) are great as an appetizer with tortillas chips. Or as a side dish with scrambled eggs, as a layer on a black bean tostadas or molletes.
More Authentic Mexican Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe for refried beans, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
I hope you make these refried beans! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment below and tell us all about it!
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
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📖 Recipe
Frijoles Refritos Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked beans, with some of the cooking liquid
- ⅓ cup white onion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon lard vegetable oil, olive oil, bacon or chorizo drippings
- To garnish: Mexican Crumbling Cheese and Tortilla chips.
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil or teaspoons of lard in a frying pan over medium-low heat.
- Sauté the onions until they simmer and become transparent, and start to brown.
- Add the beans and mash down using a potato masher until they become a paste. Blend to a smooth puree and then add them to the frying pan where the onions are being browned. "They will become a thick puree; keep scrapping from the edges and bottom of the pan. If you prefer to add a little more oil, this is the time".
- Tilt the frying pan sideways and form a roll with the bean paste. I like to flip them like pancakes a little bit. Taste to check if it needs salt.
To serve, place them on a plate. Sprinkle with cheese and garnish with tortilla chips.
Notes
- I can add chop bacon before the onions; you could also use chorizo
- Use your immersion blender if you find that you prefer a creamier texture.
Lacos93
Hi! I was wondering how long can you leave them in the fridge? And if you can freeze the refried beans? Thanks!
Mely Martínez
Hello,
You can leave it in the fridge for 3 days, and for a month in the freezer.
Anne22
Hello, what is the best way to reheat the beans? Thanks.
Mely Martínez
Hello Anne,
The best way to reheat them is on a frying pan. Medium-low heat.
IA
So, so, SO tasty! Thank you so much for sharing this ❤️
Retsuko
These are so good as a side to eggs or on tostadas.
James Gilboy
So simple, but still easily the best refried beans I've ever had, even though I substituted shortening for lard. I'll have to make this again when I have some on hand.
Mely Martínez
Hello James,
You can also use bacon drippings or even cook chorizo, and use the rendered fat with some of the chorizos to make them.
Lai-Sin Ley
Hi - quick question, would you be able to do this with canned black beans?
Mely Martínez
Hello,
Yes, you can. But first, rinse the beans to remove the flavor from the tin.
Jae
what tools were used traditionally?
love those deep heavy duty bowl used to mash things in but thinking originally a wooden spoon or fork or was there a version of potato masher carved from wood?
Thank you for sharing your experience and look forward to you reply!
mmartinez
Hello Jae,
Yes, we still use a wooden masher. I'll need to update this post to add a picture of my wooden masher making the refried beans.
There are two posts here in the blog that talk about Mexican cooking utensils. http://bit.ly/2J8hA3T
Will A.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Now I know how to make them like they do in Mexico City. Thanks to you!
Korey
Which recipe should I used for the cooked beans?
mmartinez
Hello Korey,
Here is the link for the beans: Mexican Beans Recipe
Janell
Thank you! My newbie self was wondering this as well.
Mexico in my kitchen
Hi iSavortheWeekend,
Maybe she cooked pinto beans, and the creamy version is delicious. Just add some of the cooking broth from the beans pot when you fry them and do not let them get dry. They will look like a thick gravy in consistency. The beans aren't completely mashed, they still have some of their shape when making as you mention.
I hope this helps.
Thanks for visiting.
Mely
iSavortheWeekend
I don't make re-fried beans and my gringo hubby has been asking me. My mom used to make them but she never taught us how to make them. Hers were a little lighter looking and creamier, do you know why? I will definitely have to try these next time we have frijoles - my hubby will be very happy 🙂
Lori
Those beans sure look delicious. I need to make these!
NORA
Mely contestando tu pregunta, nosotros casi no comemos los frijoles refritos, ni cuando hacemos antojitos solo los machacamos o los molemos, ya que tratamos de evitar la grasa, pero como se me antojan así "chinitos" y con chorizo o como los haz preparado en esta entrada!
Saludos!
Angela
I LOVED the refried beans I used to eat in Mexico. Yours looks delicious; and it has less lard than I expected!
Nina's Recipes
May all your dreams come true and may you be blessed with all the best things in life! Happy New Year 2010! XO