Refried Beans
Beans mashed into their own seasoned fat until creamy — taco night's most underrated player.
Ingredients
- 2 tin Pinto beans
- ½ Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 3 tbsp Neutral oil
- ¾ tsp Salt
- ½ Lime (optional)
Method
- Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Soften the diced onion in the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat until translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and the cumin to the skillet and fry for one fragrant minute.
- Add the beans with about half their tin liquid and simmer gently, about 5 minutes.
- Mash the beans in the pan with the salt to your texture — silky or rustic — loosening with more tin liquid as needed.
- Squeeze the lime over, if using, and serve alongside anything with a tortilla.
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About Refried Beans
Refried beans, or frijoles refritos, are a foundational side and filling of Mexican cooking: pinto beans cooked down and mashed into their own seasoned fat until soft and creamy. Despite the English name, they are not fried twice; the term comes from the Spanish refritos, meaning well-fried. The flavor here is warm and earthy, the pintos deepened with sautéed onion, garlic and cumin, brightened with a squeeze of lime, and seasoned simply with salt. The texture is entirely up to the cook, and that adjustability is part of their charm. They are one of the quiet workhorses of the table, turning up in tacos and burritos, spread on tostadas, or spooned beside rice and eggs.
This version keeps things fast and honest, coming together in about twenty minutes from a tin of beans. The onion is softened first, the garlic and cumin bloomed for a fragrant minute, and then the beans simmer briefly in some of their own tin liquid before being mashed right in the pan. Mashing them in the skillet with that starchy liquid is what makes them silky, and you can loosen with more liquid to leave them as smooth or as rustic as you like. A final squeeze of lime keeps them from tasting heavy. Vegan as written, they pair with anything involving a tortilla and make a genuinely useful thing to have in the fridge for quick meals.
Refried Beans: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Refried Beans?
A serving has about 275 calories — 11.3g protein, 33.7g carbs, 11.4g fat, 11.2g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Refried Beans gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Refried Beans 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.
Do I need every ingredient to make Refried Beans?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out lime — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Refried Beans make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.