Restaurant Style Refried Beans
These homemade creamy refried beans (frijoles refritos) are a top-notch restaurant quality side dish. With a rich creamy consistency and delicious flavor from plenty of aromatics, it's better than any can of refried beans any day!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 120kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 15 oz cans pinto beans, drained
- Juice of ½ a lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Monterey Jack cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a medium sized saucepan, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat.
- Add ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 4 cloves of minced garlic to the fat and stir with a wooden spoon for about a minute to infuse the fats with all the aromatics.
- Once the garlic has become fragrant, add the pinto beans and ½ cup of chicken broth, stirring well. Cover the saucepan with its lid and cook for 10-15 minutes, The beans should be very soft and the skin of some of them should be splitting.
- After the beans are softened, begin to mash the beans (or if using immersion blender, turn the heat off and blend carefully with short bursts).
- Stir in lime juice, taste, and and salt and pepper to taste, serve topped with cheese.
Notes
Storing and Reheating Instructions
Keep the refried beans in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, put them into a microwave-safe dish and heat until completely warmed through. To reheat stove top, put into a saucepan with a splash of broth or water over medium heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through.Variations
Add in crisp, crumbled bacon (and cook the beans in the bacon grease!) and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro to take this dish to the next level! Dollop on or stir in a scoop of sour cream to make the beans even more rich and creamy and turn it into a bean dip for your next party.Pro Tips
A regular blender or food processor work well to mash the beans if you want, just keep a little bit of water on hand to make it smoother, if needed. Refried beans are made with pinto beans in Northern Mexico, but they're made with all types of beans. So use that can of black beans you have waiting in your pantry! Did you know that dried beans can expire? They can last a minimum of 1 year in a cool, dark pantry or storeroom in an airtight container up to 3-5 years before they lose their nutritional value. Make sure your beans don't have any wrinkles, mottled skin or mold.Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 158mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g