Frijoles Refritos
Pinto beans simmered then fried and mashed with onion.
Ingredients
- 2 tin Pinto beans
- ½ Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 40 g Lard
- ½ tsp Salt
- 40 g Cotija (optional)
Method
- Finely chop the onion and garlic.
- Soften the onion and garlic in the lard until fragrant.
- Add the beans with a little of their liquid and mash to a coarse paste, frying until thick.
- Crumble cotija over and serve.
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About Frijoles Refritos
Frijoles Refritos, the "refried" beans of Mexican cooking, are pinto beans fried in fat and mashed to a thick, savory paste. The name is often misread — refrito means "well-fried," not fried twice — and that frying is exactly what gives the dish its silky richness and concentrated bean flavor. Cooked onion and garlic soften into the lard base, and the beans are mashed coarse rather than pureed smooth, so there's still texture in every spoonful. A crumble of salty cotija over the top adds a sharp, milky contrast to the mellow beans.
What sets a good pot of frijoles refritos apart is the fat and the mash: lard carries flavor the way nothing else quite does, and mashing the beans with just a little of their cooking liquid lets you control the consistency as they fry down and thicken. It's a workhorse side, at home next to eggs at breakfast, tucked into tacos and tortas, or spread as a base under tostadas and nachos. Naturally high in fiber and endlessly adaptable in thickness, it comes together in about twenty minutes from cooked beans — a small effort for something this versatile.
Frijoles Refritos: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Frijoles Refritos?
A serving has about 269 calories — 11.1g protein, 33.1g carbs, 10.8g fat, 11.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Frijoles Refritos gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Frijoles Refritos has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Frijoles Refritos dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Cotija. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Frijoles Refritos?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out cotija — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Frijoles Refritos make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.