How To Make Homemade Refried Beans

Name: How To Make Homemade Refried Beans
Cuisine: American, Latin American, TexMex
Ingredients: 4 cups cooked pinto beans (You may used canned whole beans if you like. I prefer to use dry beans and cook them myself. Directions follow below.); 3 T. healthy fat for sauteing (Butter, coconut oil, beef tallow, or lard would all work here. Avoid olive oil as it isn’t stable at high temperatures.); 1 cup chopped onion; 5 cloves minced garlic; 2 1/2 t. cumin; 2 t. paprika; 2 t. sea salt; 1/2 t. chili powder (more or less- the intensity of chili powders seems to vary); 1/2 t. black pepper; Milk, as needed (water or bean broth can be used if your family is dairy-free. However, I prefer the richness that the milk adds.)

7 steps

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 08:02:51 GMT

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Ingredients

0 servings

4 cupspinto beans

cooked, You may used canned whole beans if you like I prefer to use dry beans and cook them myself

1 cupchopped onion

5cloves garlic

minced

2 ½ tcumin

2 tpaprika

2 tsea salt

½ tchili powder

more or less- the intensity of chili powders seems to vary

½ tblack pepper

Milk

as needed, water or bean broth can be used if your family is dairy-free, However, I prefer the richness that the milk adds

Instructions

Step 1

To prepare dry beans, place the beans in a large bowl, cover with an ample amount of water and allow to soak overnight. (Keep in mind that 1 cup of dry beans equals approximately 3 cups of cooked beans).

Step 2

The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Cover them generously with fresh water and simmer for several hours or until tender. A slow cooker works wonderfully for this as well! I like to make up a big batch of beans and freeze the leftovers in 2 cup portions.

Step 3

In a large pot or saucepan, saute the onions in the fat until they are soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

Step 4

Add the beans. If your beans are without liquid, you may need to add extra water or milk at this point. (I prefer to leave a little of the bean broth in with the beans when I freeze them.)

Step 5

Stir in the cumin, paprika, salt, chili powder, and black pepper. Bring to a slow simmer and allow it all to cook on low heat for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 6

If the mixture is dry, you may need to thin it with a splash of milk or water at this point. However, if you started out with extra liquid in your cooked beans, you may not need to add anything.

Step 7

Once the beans have cooked down for a while and the flavors have had time to incorporate, mash them with a potato masher, fork, or my personal favorite an immersion blender. I prefer slightly chunky beans, versus a super-smooth “puree” consistency.