Beans, along with rice and corn, are one of the trilogies of Mexican cuisine, another one is tomatoes, peppers, and onion. But today it is about the beans, the perfect refried beans, that’s it.
Frijoles Refritos Recipe
Beans are often just fried after they have been cooked. What do I mean by that? Well, after the beans are cooked with a piece of onion-garlic cloves, a Serrano pepper, and some Epazote leaves, they are lightly fried in a frying pan with chopped onions. The amount of oil is not as considerable as for refried beans.
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 had 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.
How to make Frijoles Refritos Recipe
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat the oil or lard in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Start frying the onions until they become transparent and start to brown.
- Add the beans and mash down until they become a paste. 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 tortilla chips.
Frijoles Refritos Recipe
Beans, along with rice and corn, are one of the trilogies of Mexican cuisine, another one is tomatoes, peppers, and onion. But today it is about the beans, the perfect refried beans, that’s it. To serve, place them on a plate. Sprinkle with cheese and garnish with tortilla chips.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked beans, with some of the cooking liquid
- ⅓ cup white onion, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp lard of vegetable oil, bacon or chorizo drippings
- To garnish: Mexican Crumbling Cheese and Tortilla chips.
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil or lard in a frying pan over a medium-low heat.
- Start frying the onions until they are transparent and start to brown. About two minutes.
- 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
Nutrition
Serving: 0.33cupCalories: 167kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 8gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 90mgPotassium: 320mgFiber: 8gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 180IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Enjoy!
Buen Provecho,
Mely,
To my friends that visit this blog... How often do you eat refried beans?
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
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.
Will A.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Now I know how to make them like they do in Mexico City. Thanks to you!
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
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.
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.
Retsuko
These are so good as a side to eggs or on tostadas.
IA
So, so, SO tasty! Thank you so much for sharing this ❤️