Mar 27, 2006

Homemade Refried Beans

I have been asked a couple of times recently about how to make homemade refried beans so I thought I'd post about it. Growing up in Arizona, I always had authentic, homemade Mexican food both in restaurants and at home. My mom is half Mexican so I've got lots of authentic recipes.

Homemade refried beans are pretty easy to make, but it does take a bit of time since you start off with dried beans. I personally think they are healthier than the canned kind because I know exactly what goes into them as opposed to canned beans and in my opinion they taste much better! Most of the canned beans (the ones that don't say vegetarian or fat free on the label) have lard or hydrogenated oil in them. I do use canned refried beans in a pinch. When I do I always heat a little canola oil in a sauce pan, add the canned beans and some milk (we use 2%) to loosen them up. I stir them until I get the consistency I like then add a little chili powder (New Mexico Ancho Chili) and cheddar cheese then stir until the cheese melts.

To make homemade refried beans, start off with a large pot... mine is 4 1/2 quarts. I use 3 - 4 c. of dried pinto beans. Sort the beans (remove any stones or broken or "yucky" looking beans) then rinse them well. If you want them to cook faster, soak them in water overnight but you don't have to do so if you don't want to. Drain your beans and put them in the pot and cover them with water to about 2 inches above the beans. Then add 3 strips of turkey bacon or a ham hock (we prefer turkey bacon because it is healthier than the ham hock and not greasy). Bring the beans to a boil then turn down to a simmer and allow to cook about 3 hours or until tender. You'll want to stir them every so often and add more water as needed. At about the 2 hour and 45 minute mark add salt to taste... I'd say at least 2 tsp.... I don't really measure it. You should put less than you think you need as you can always add more later. When the beans are done, remove the pot from the heat and set it aside. Now get a large skillet and heat about 1 Tbsp. of canola oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beans with a slotted spoon and about 1/4 c. of the bean liquid and 1/2 c. milk. Reserve the remaining liquid in case you need more. Don't overfill the pan, you can do this in batches if you need to or freeze and extra beans and liquid for later use. With a potato masher, mash the beans until they are of desired consistency, adding more bean liquid if needed. Stir well. Add chili powder and shredded cheddar cheese and stir until mixed well. Allow to cool a bit then stir again, if they seem too dry add more milk and stir again. If they seem too liquid, just keep cooking them and stirring them, the liquid will dry up as they cook. Leftovers can be frozen and reheated in the microwave.

If you're looking for refried beans that taste like they came from a Mexican restaurant, try this recipe!

18 comments:

Fiber said...

My mother is also part Mexican, and I am seriously addicted to authentic Mexican food. (Although, truth be told, I'll eat a bad version of it just as quick!) This recipe sounds almost exactly like the one I grew up on.
And now you've got me craving them!

Michele said...

LOL! You should make up a big batch and freeze them then when the cravings hit you can just pop some in the micro ;)

Anonymous said...

I've eaten refried beans all my life, and... we never add milk, chile powder or cheese. My grandma use to make the best frijoles refritos, and she made fresh tortillas de harina, yummy. I just learned a new trick from my momma, she cooks her beans on low, add the water and salt at the same time (and some garlic, if you desire less gas, lol, don't know if it really works, but I add it most of the time). They take a little longer, but...you don't have to worry about having to add water again. :) Love your recipes. txlady9

Michele said...

Hi txlady9, :)
I think that there are lots of different varations on making refried beans. The way I make them is common in Arizona. Your method sounds very easy! I'm so glad you enjoy the recipes! :)

Anonymous said...

I just tried your refried bean recipe and I loved it. I was just wondering if you know how to make tamales. I've tried recipes that don't have enough details about how to make them. What tools do you need and what are some of the tricks of the trade? If you don't have a recipe do you know where I could find one?

Michele said...

I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!

I have made homemade tamales many times with my mom and they are a bit tricky to make. I will try to get her to give me specific directions so I can post them here. There are a few tricks to making them but once you get the hang of it, they are very easy... just a bit time consuming... but well worth the effort!

Anonymous said...

I have been looking since I moved from Arizona for a real refried Bean Recipe and I am so glad tat I have finally found the right one. Thanks so very much.
Do you have any more real Mexican recipies?? What about homemade corn tortillias??
Denise J Illinois

Michele said...

So glad you enjoyed the recipe! If you look at my left sidebar, there is a section for Mexican recipes. Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

I am 17 and have been trying new things to cook(I want to be a chef) and I love this! I am making it right now, it's been cooking for just over an hour and I can't wait to eat it. Thank you for posting this!

Mindy Nielsen said...

Michele, you mentioned freezing them. Well, the truth is, I'm almost 30 and ashamed to say I am making refried beans from scratch for the first time. Although I'm excited to have my hubby come home and taste my experiment, the beans I used cooked up to about 3 times what I was expecting, (and I DID expect them to get bigger...) now I have WAY more beans than we could eat in a week if we ate nothing but beans!!! I don't want to waste, and I don't have canning supplies so I am trying to find out if I can actually freeze the final cooked product. Please Help!!!
Thanks!

Michele said...

Yes! You certainly can freeze them. Just put them in a freezer bag or container with their liquid and pop in the freezer. Thaw before reheating.

Anonymous said...

How much chili powder and cheese do you add?

Michele said...

I add a good healthy handful or two of cheese and just dust the top with chili powder. Stir well before serving and add more cheese on top if you'd like.

donnat728 said...

Can you freeze the refired beans after you mash them? Would you still need to freeze the bean water after you have mashed them and want to freeze them?

Michele said...

I have never frozen them already mashed. I would freeze the beans in the liquid then thaw them and mash them when you are ready to make the refried beans.

Anonymous said...

This is a great recipe and version of making great refried beans. I, too, am a Arizona person and missed the sonoran food all the time so I have to make my own.

A tip to share is one a friend taught me thirty plus years ago. If you and a whole potato and a whole carrot and simmer that with your beans while they cook you will not have the problems with gas when you eat your yummy beans. This works! Enjoy

Anonymous said...

Do you have any authentic Mexican rice recipes??!

Michele said...

Although it's called Spanish Rice, this is a Mexican style rice that we make.

Spanish Rice

1 c. uncooked long grain rice
3 c. water
1 tsp. beef bullion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. canola oil

Heat oil in a sauce pan. Add rice and spices, stir until fragrant. Add water. Bring to a boil, reduce to low and cover. Cook about 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy.