5 Minute Refried Beans Recipe - Build Your Bite (2024)

FAQs

Why do restaurant refried beans taste better? ›

If you're wondering what is the secret ingredient for restaurant-quality refried beans, the answer is fat. Restaurant-made refried beans honor traditional Mexican culinary practices by adding a hearty helping of lard or bacon fat drippings to their recipe.

Refried beans are a nutrient rich food! They provide plenty of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. People who are at higher risk for heart disease may want to watch for the saturated fat content, but the average person can fit them into an overall healthy diet with minimal problem.

I like to sprinkle in some taco seasoning, but you could add whatever spices you like — garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder are all good calls. Then, you mash the beans up directly in the pan and add just a little bit of vinegar at the end to really make the beans sing.

As it turns out, baking soda significantly decreases the levels of raffinose, the gas-causing sugar present in beans. When should you add baking soda to beans? It works best with just a pinch (about 1/16 of a teaspoon) sprinkled into dried beans while they soak in water before cooking.

Cream cheese is the not-so-secret weapon for making refried beans a yummy side dish to accompany rice, or a versatile taco or nacho topping. The dairy in cream cheese not only thickens refried beans to a creamier consistency — cream is in the name — but it also incorporates the rich, silky flavor of dairy.

So “refrito” means “well-fried” but somehow the term “refried” stuck and is commonly used. You can use any kind of beans you like, although pinto beans are the most traditional.

Stewed over a few hours, pinto beans can be served whole and fried (frijoles chinos) or mashed and refried (frijoles refritos). Frijoles are eaten with almost every main course alongside arroz. In many Mexican restaurants in America, refried beans are served with a layer of melty, gooey, shredded cheese on top.

Milk makes refried beans creamy

Lard or vegetable oil would work well for this dish, but few recipes ever mention milk, which is a missed opportunity. This liquid can help make your beans smoother and taste richer.

2. Beans & Legumes. These foods combat inflammation because they're loaded with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, fiber, and protein.

Can a diabetic eat refried beans? ›

Controlled Blood Sugar

Because beans contain magnesium, consuming them as part of your diet can prevent your blood sugar from rising, also preventing type 2 diabetes. Not only does eating refried beans help you manage certain aspects of your health, but they taste incredible when fresh and authentic.

If you're looking for a restaurant-quality refried beans recipe, you trust us when you say you have found it. We love to serve the beans right out of the skillet, garnish with crumbled Cojita cheese, or shredded mozzarella.

If you're wondering what is the secret ingredient for restaurant-quality refried beans, the answer is fat. Restaurant-made refried beans honor traditional Mexican culinary practices by adding a hearty helping of lard or bacon fat drippings to their recipe.

The best side dishes to serve with refried beans are a chicken burrito bowl, birria tacos, tostadas, steak fajitas, mushroom tacos, stuffed shells, carne asada, sweet potato fries, taquitos, Mexican rice, chicken enchiladas, grilled corn on the cob, guacamole, chiles rellenos, quesadillas, and pico de gallo.

A few bloggers use the spices ajwain (or carom seed) and epazote in beans to reduce the gas.

Soak your beans: Soaking beans before cooking them can reduce the amount of oligosaccharides. Simply place your beans in a large bowl and cover them with water to soak them. Let them soak overnight before draining and cooking them.

If you want to season your own, start with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, garlic. If you want more, dice up and cook some onion, tomato, jalapeño peppers, and bacon, then add the beans and let them cook for a bit. Hmm, I like the Idea of using broth to add salt, fat, and flavor.

5If the beans seem a little dry as you are mashing them, add a splash more liquid. The beans dry out over time, so keeping the cooking liquid nearby is an excellent way to maintain the best consistency, especially if you make them in advance. 6Taste the beans and adjust with additional salt, pepper, or spices.

Add milk instead of water.

You'll see in the recipe below that I add milk, not water, to my refried beans. It's just enough to give them a creamier texture and a richer flavor. If you prefer non-dairy, just swap out the milk for water or even chicken or vegetable broth.

The English term 'refried beans' is a colloquial adaptation of the Spanish frijoles refritos. Frijoles means beans, and refritos means well-fried. A contributing factor may have been the Mexican habit of adding the prefix 're' to emphasize a word's special meaning.

What is the Spanish word for refried beans? ›

The English "refried beans" is a mistranslation, since the essence of "frijoles refritos" is the reheating and mashing of the beans. In this dish, after being boiled and then mashed into a paste, the beans are fried or baked, though as they are fried only once, the term "refried" is misleading.

fri·​jo·​le frē-ˈhō-lē : any of various beans used in Mexican-style cooking. usually used in plural. Etymology. Spanish frijol "bean"

"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.

Meanwhile, we include whole pinto beans as an ingredient in our Bueno Bowls and offer them as a side. Refried beans are pinto beans that have been mashed and pan-fried, and they are typically seasoned with a little chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Beans contain raffinose and other oligosaccharides (a type of carbohydrate) that our digestive system can't break down because we lack the enzyme alpha-galactosidase. This can increase gassiness.

Beans are a superior choice to ground beef when it comes to fiber and saturated fat. Beans have almost half the calories, roughly 20 fewer grams of fat, and 6 grams more fiber than the same serving of ground beef.