Refried Beans
Prep Time: 8 hours | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 8 hours, 25 minutes | Makes approx: 4 cups
I am amazed at the difference in taste and texture of homemade refried beans versus a store-bought can. Canned cannot touch the flavor and freshness of homemade. Even though the process is long (soaking overnight), the recipe is incredibly simple. I use a pressure cooker, but an Instant Pot will work, too.
Refried beans, though, have not really been cooked twice. They are beans that have been cooked once, mashed, and served. It’s basically a language interpretation between English and Spanish. “Re” in English means “again;” but in Spanish the term means “very” as in “very friend beans.” Not beans that were fried a second time. Interesting.
There is much debate over soaking or not soaking when it comes to pressure-cooked beans. What it boils down to, in my opinion, is just soak the beans. Take the precaution, so that you’re not hating yourself later. However, if you’ve had great success in not soaking and the beans cooked well, keep your method by all means. And drop me a note! I’d love to hear about your success.
Using a flavorful stock instead of water for soaking and cooking can bring an element of flavor, but here, I use just plain water. I like the basic flavor of the pinto beans behind these refried beans. The recipe uses 5 cups of water to cook the beans. You can add more water/stock if you would like to. I would only add 1 or 2 more cups, or you will really dilute the flavor.
Lard is used as a fat in a lot of Mexican dishes. If you don’t normally use it and don’t want to buy a small tub, a neutral oil such as canola, avocado, or vegetable oil works great. I have actually used lard in the place of shortening in a cookie recipe! It did have a small undertone of the lard’s flavor, but I was trying to get away from the trans fats of that “certain brand.”
Even though Refried Beans are absolutely delicious on their own, try using them in my Mexican Chalupas and Taco Cups in Wonton Wrappers recipes!
Quick backstory on the why I think homemade refried beans are better than canned…We love chalupas at our house. Growing up, my dad would take me to a Mexican buffet in Huntsville, Alabama called El Palacio. It was incredible. Honestly, to this day, I’ve never tasted Mexican restaurant food that was that good. Their chalupas were made of a crispy, corn tortilla smeared with delicious refried beans, sprinkled with shredded white and cheddar cheeses (Monterey Jack and Cheddar?) topped with crisp lettuce and a dollop of freshly-made guacamole. Do I have your attention yet? It was a whole new food experience for me. I tried recreating this food just from childhood memories. I think I did pretty good, but it really boils down to how well and tasty the beans are! So, learning to make my own refried beans became essential. Sadly, El Palacio closed their doors after serving customers for over 50 years. But, this is what brings the tears… their salsa is now available online and in some areas of AL. Talk about nostalgia!
I know making a pound of dried beans produces more than a 15-ounce can and no one wants to waste food, so here are a few ideas…
– Share! Split the beans between family, friends, etc.
– Freeze for later! Refried beans are a food that freezes well.
– Make a Mexican week of food – tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and more and use the beans throughout the week.
Refried Beans
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- Water, to soak and cook the beans, see Notes
- 1 tablespoon lard or oil
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped, optional
Instructions
- Place the beans in a colander/strainer and pick through to remove any tiny pebbles or other stray objects that do not belong. Rinse the beans well to remove any dust/dirt.
- Place the beans in a large bowl and add enough fresh water to cover by 3 inches. Remove floating beans and discard.
- Let the beans soak overnight. (If you choose to soak the beans in a flavorful liquid, such as a stock, you must refrigerate while soaking.) Or, you can do the quick soak method from the package directions.
- After soaking, drain the beans through a colander. Rinse. Set aside.
- In a 6-quart (or larger) pressure cooker over medium-high heat, melt the lard. Add the onion and sauté until softened, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the bay leaves, 5 cups of fresh water or stock, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to your preference.
- Lock the lid into place. Allow the pressure cooker to come up to pressure. Once you have full pressure, set a timer for 15 minutes. It could take up to 20 minutes cooking time depending on your pressure cooker/instant pot.
- After the cook time, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release.
- Once the pressure has completely subsided, remove the lid away from you (for safety) and gently stir. If the beans are still lightly firm, pressure cook for another 3 or 4 minutes. Or, you can allow the beans to cook on the stovetop, uncovered, until they are at the desired tenderness.
- Remove the bay leaves. Adjust any seasonings as needed.
- If you have quite a bit of liquid in your pot, strain the beans into another large bowl, reserving the liquid. See Notes. Or, what I usually do, use a 1-cup measuring cup to skim about 1 cup out of the beans and reserve it.
- Return the beans to the pot. Using a potato masher, mash the beans to the consistency you desire. The beans can alternatively be pureed in a food processor (not the blender) or with an immersion blender.
- Add some of the reserved liquid from the beans, adding as much as needed to achieve the consistency you desire.
- Serve warm with tortilla chips (or just a spoon!), or use for chalupas, quesadillas, taco cups, etc.
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