Refried Beans From Scratch

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5 from 1 vote

Skip the can and make your own!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings cups

Calories 636kcal

Author Tracy

Equipment

Ingredients

To Prepare Dried Beans

1 lb dry pinto beans or 2 15.5 oz canned pinto beans
2 bay leaves
2 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 white onion
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Refried Beans

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 white onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon jalapeno diced, about 1/4 a jalapeno
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Instructions

Dried Beans: Add dried beans to a medium sized bowl and fill with water, leaving 2-3 inches of water above the beans. Remove and discard any beans that float to the top.
Soak for 6-8 hrs.
Drain soaked beans and add them to a large pot of water. Add 1/2 a white onion, bay leaves, 3 cloves of garlic, oregano, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for 40-50 minutes or until the beans are tender.
Drain and set aside.
Canned Beans: Drain and rinse beans and set aside.
Sauté: Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add oil, and then add the diced onion and saute for 1 minute. Add the 2 cloves of minced garlic and jalapeno to the pan and saute for another 2 minutes. Add cumin, paprika, and salt and mix well. Sauté for another 2 minutes
Add Beans: Add lime juice to the pan to deglaze, mix, and then add beans. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
Blend: Add the sauteed beans with onions to a blender with warm water and cilantro. Blend until it is the consistency that you would like.
Serve and Enjoy!

Notes

Storage

Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Substitutions

Pinto Beans: This recipe is great with canned pinto beans, too. Just rinse and use!

Onion: Yellow works great, too.

Olive Oil: You can also use butter or lard if it does not need to be vegan.

Using Canned Beans

If using canned pinto beans, this recipe will take under 20 minutes. Also, you will not need the 1/2 white onion, bay leaves, oregano, and 2 teaspoons of salt as listed in the first part of the ingredients.

Skip Soaking the Dried Beans

You can skip the soak and cook the dried beans by simmering them for 1 1/2 - 2 hrs until tender.

Instant Pot

Add dried or soaked beans to an Instant Pot with 6 cups of water and the onion, bay leaves, oregano, and salt. Set to pressure cook and high pressure. If beans are dry, set to 50 minutes, if they are soaked then set for 15 minutes.

Bean Notes

The cooking time for beans will vary based on how fresh the beans are. Older beans will take longer to cook.

The dried beans do not need t soak for much longer that 6-8 hours. Too long will cause them to lose flavor and will affect their texture.

Nutrition