Refried Beans

I love refried beans! Don't you?

We had refried pinto beans at least once a week my entire upbringing. They are such a staple in our family nary a week goes by without my mother making a batch.

Great with Mexican food (obviously), refried beans also go beautifully with a juicy steak and a big serving of salsa.

Why Are They Called Refried Beans?

"Refried" doesn't mean the beans have been fried twice. The word comes from the Spanish name for the dish—frijoles refritos. In Spanish "refritos" means "well fried".

To make the beans you have to cook them in water first to soften them. Then you fry them in a pot or skillet with fat and seasonings.

What Kind of Beans Are Best for Refried Beans?

Traditionally, for Mexican style refried beans, pinto beans are used. But black beans are also wonderful prepared this way too, as are cranberry beans.

In a pinch, I've even used white navy beans to make refried beans for tostadas. I just add some chipotle powder to them for seasoning. But usually we use either pinto beans or black beans.

Pressure Cooker vs. Stove Top Beans

There are two basic ways of initially cooking the dried beans:

1. Using a pressure cooker, which takes about a half hour to cook the beans.
2. On the stovetop, which can easily take 2 to 3 hours to cook the beans.

Since we make beans so often, we use a pressure cooker. It's the first step of making the meal—put the beans in the pot, cover with water and cook while preparing everything else. By the time the beans are done, so is the rest of the meal.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, no worries! We have included directions for both methods.

Tip: Old Beans Take Longer to Cook

Note that although beans have a relatively long shelf life, the older they are the longer you'll have to cook them to get them to soften. If you have dry beans that have been sitting around for more than a year, they may be tough. In this case, you might want to add an eighth of a teaspoon of baking soda to the cooking water. That can help soften the beans.

How To Cook Refried Beans

Once you cook the dry beans, you strain them and cook them with onions and fat in a skillet, mashing them while they cook. That's the "fried" part of refried beans.

You can also simply strain canned whole beans and mash them and fry them. Two cups of dried beans cooks to the equivalent of three to four 15-ounce cans of pre-cooked beans.

How To Store Refried Beans

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. Let them cool to room temperature, then put them in meal-sized portions in either heavy duty freezer bags or covered, air-tight containers. They'll last for several months frozen. If dry upon defrosting and reheating, just add more water and oil.

Ways To Use Refried Beans

Our favorite way to use refried beans? Along side a juicy steak with some green chile tomato salsa. The combination of the steak, beans, and salsa is fantastic!

Refried beans are a standard accompaniment to Mexican dishes. We use them:

• As a filling for burritos
• To spread over tostadas
• In a 7-Layer Bean Dip
• On nachos