Homemade Refried Beans Recipe - Our Stoney Acres (2024)

FAQs

Why do restaurant refried beans taste better? ›

If you're wondering what is the secret ingredient for restaurant-quality refried beans, the answer is fat. Restaurant-made refried beans honor traditional Mexican culinary practices by adding a hearty helping of lard or bacon fat drippings to their recipe.

Onion and garlic: I can't help but add some extra onion and garlic to the skillet when cooking the beans. They add a little texture and flavor. Spices: I use cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt to keep the seasoning simple. Toppings: My favorite Mexican restaurants serve refried beans topped with melted cheese.

Once made, the beans will last about 3 to 4 days in the fridge. To reheat them, just add more water and heat them up on the stovetop. If the beans smell at all bad or have developed mold, discard them. You can freeze the beans, either before or after you mash them.

Cream cheese is the not-so-secret weapon for making refried beans a yummy side dish to accompany rice, or a versatile taco or nacho topping. The dairy in cream cheese not only thickens refried beans to a creamier consistency — cream is in the name — but it also incorporates the rich, silky flavor of dairy.

Refried beans are a nutrient rich food! They provide plenty of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. People who are at higher risk for heart disease may want to watch for the saturated fat content, but the average person can fit them into an overall healthy diet with minimal problem.

Milk makes refried beans creamy

This liquid can help make your beans smoother and taste richer. Once the beans are tender, it's time to fry them.

Add milk instead of water.

You'll see in the recipe below that I add milk, not water, to my refried beans. It's just enough to give them a creamier texture and a richer flavor. If you prefer non-dairy, just swap out the milk for water or even chicken or vegetable broth.

Refried beans are not cooked twice; they are only cooked once. According to the book "American Regional Cuisine" by The Art Institutes, this misnomer results from the fact that that the prefix "re-" means "very" in Spanish, but Americans misunderstand it to mean "again".

Refried beans will stay fresh in your freezer for at least three months, but they'll start to dry out even under the best conditions if you don't use them in that time. Plus, it's easy to misplace a small bag of beans only to find them several months later hiding behind a bag of peas.

Lard – Here's where the secret ingredient comes in. Use lard to add a rich, savory thickness to the beans, or, use bacon fat like I do.

Why are my refried beans so watery? ›

One must attentively manage the cooking water and cooking time to avoid watery refried beans. To prevent excess liquid, it is essential to: Drain beans thoroughly after cooking. Simmer the beans at a low heat to evaporate excess moisture.

Potatoes! Just add 2 or 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered/sliced/chopped, to the pot of frijoles and let simmer for about 15 minutes. (Add 1 to 2 cups of water to the beans, if necessary.) The potatoes will absorb some of the salt, and salvage your pot of frijoles.

Beans contain raffinose and other oligosaccharides (a type of carbohydrate) that our digestive system can't break down because we lack the enzyme alpha-galactosidase. This can increase gassiness.

Beans are a superior choice to ground beef when it comes to fiber and saturated fat. Beans have almost half the calories, roughly 20 fewer grams of fat, and 6 grams more fiber than the same serving of ground beef.

There are tons of great ways to use canned refried beans in appetizers, dinners, salads, and sides. Sure, you can just warm them up and serve them with a main dish like steak or chicken. Or, you can go all out and mix them in with Mexican rice or with pico de gallo and guacamole on homemade tortillas.

In the United States, refried beans are most commonly made from pinto beans. They are served as a side dish with most Tex-Mex restaurant meals. They also have become very popular as a dip for corn tortilla chips. Refried beans are also a primary ingredient in many tostada, chimichanga, and pupusa recipes.