Frijoles Refritos (Chinitos)

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

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

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:

Black bean soup

Beans and chorizo soup

Mexican breakfast Migas 

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

Mely Martínez

Beans, along with rice and corn, are one of the trilogies of Mexican cuisine. This creamy recipe is the perfect appetizer, side dish, and layer to many dishes like tostadas, molletes, or just topped with cheese and corn chips. 

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Total Time 22 minutes mins

Course Appetizers

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 167 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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.

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

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