When I heard that my friend Susan, The Well Seasoned Cook was hosting a roundup of legume recipes because she’d seen that it was National Bean Day that morning on “Your Morning Cuppa”, I was not only honored and flattered, but I knew I just had to be a part of it. I thought about making several different things, from a 5 bean soup, to several varieties of bean-based salads and even a relish, but in the end, there are really two ways I think of beans most commonly. The first is my mother’s recipe for beans and bacon, the second is frijoles refritos, what americans have incorrectly dubbed Refried Beans. Since I’ve already made the first variety from my mother’s own recipe, I had no choice but to make the latter, and as a Texan, I was bound and determined to do it right!
This recipe is the culmination of several hours worth of searching the web. It seems there are as many ways to create frijoles refritos as there are to make pancakes, which shouldn’t surprise me, as this simple dish is a staple in Latin, Latin American and Southwestern homes, which leaves a lot of room for interpretation. In the end, I took what I liked from several recipes, and left out what I didn’t. The result was a pretty good batch of beans, if I do say so myself! So here you have it, my Entry for The Well Seasoned Cook’s Legume Love Affair Roundup, the humble refried bean.
(Note: Refried beans are not refried at all. They are boiled or stewed enough to soften the beans, and fried once. Technically, they should be called “well Fried Beans” as the term refrito is an emphasized version of the Mexican frito, or fried. Refrito simply means “Well Fried” or “Very Fried”. We just got it wrong in translation.)
Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos) Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 409Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 359mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 10gSugar: 4gProtein: 12g
What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:
Judging from my wife’s reaction, nothing at all! For my own taste however, I’m going to pick up a little lard for my next go at these. For me the flavor was just a little bit flat, and I think that addition might just get it where I want it.
Other recipes like this one:
- Refried Bean Recipe, From Simply Recipes
- Refried Beans, From Closet Cooking
- Wholly Vegetarian Refried Beans, From Tigers & Strawberries
Nice to see a recipe for refried beans that doesn’t require bacon or ham. I tend to like a bit of heat in almost anything, so I’d go for my hot chili powder in this one.
Thanks for sharing this recipe Jerry. I’ve always wanted to know how they were done. Cheers
you know, i’d never think to make my own… i can only imagine how much better they are than the canned stuff!
i just joined the DB this month too, just checking out everyone else’s blogs, wanted to say hello :)
Looks great Jerry, nothing like a good batch of refried beans. Finely diced jalapeno’s and a squeeze of a lime would make it perfect.
A classic Latin American dish. I’ve been meaning to post a frijoles refritos recipe on my blog, but I must confess that sometimes I am too lazy and just buy them canned. I know that is like a sin for a Mexican cook, but sometimes time is really limited.
Your pics are amazing!
Lydia,
If you’re of the “No Pork” bent, you should try using suet as a replacement. It will still add a deeper flavor.
Peter,
They really couldn’t be much simpler. I’d been wondering about it myself.
Big Dawg,
I’ll pass on the peppers, but I think you’re right about the lime. It would have been a good addition.
MrsPresley,
The are infinitely better than canned, but the flavor is also quite a bit different.
Ben,
What’s sinful about it? I’m Irish-American and I sometimes buy frozen potatoes O’Brian. Sure they’re better when made fresh, but hey, at 0600 when I gotta eat, I’ll take “Just throw it it a pan!”
@ Ben potatoe O’Brian is not an Irish dish, its a Boston dish! God I hate yanks always claiming other peoples heritage. Your not Irish if you where born in the USA!!
Joe,
Actually, you’re correct in part. I am an American, and have edited the previous comment. But having said that, I’, a Texan, not a Yank, which is short for Yankee and refers to Americans who live on the upper east coast of the country. Y’all need to stop bundling us up. Also, I’m a Texan of both Irish and Native American (Cherokee) decent. I have great pride in both of these things and have studied the cultures and the food of both groups of my ancestors. We “Yanks” take these things to heart. Our roots are important to us. It’s what makes this country so diverse.
No, I’m not claiming to be an Irishman or a Native American. I do however, claim both as a part of what makes me who I am. I wouldn’t trade that for the world.
I just discovered your blog via Daring Bakers (I’m a newbie too:-) and I’m so glad I did! Your blog is terrific, and your writing wonderfully witty.
and I think you’re recipe for frijoles refritos is about to replace my current one, because it sounds sooo good…
Astra,
Wow, Thank You! It’s comments like yours that make writing this blog a pleasure!
I love your blog!! Your pics are amazing!!!
Terri
http://www.burningkitchen.blogspot.com
Jerry,
I have been eating refired beans since I was an infant. Seriously, when I and my siblings were just little kids we had Mexican nanny who took care of us while my Mom worked. Before I could walk she was feeding me refired beans tortillas and chorizo (mexican sausage). Your comment about using lard next time. Take it from me it has always been the lard that supper charges the favor of refried beans.
i’am bored with my daily food and this recipe sounds delicious, i will try, thanks for this recipe
Interesting food with interesting taste!
Thanks for the great recipe! I will be tempted to add some form of fat to it (lard, bacon…), but I think I’ll make it to the recipe the first time, since it looks wonderfully creamy even without the fat!
I checked this out, and it’s a great basic recipe! I never knew you could just make them, I thought the preservatives were what made them “refried” and mushy. I used some canned beans I had lying around (people give me weird stuff like that) and instead of using lard (which I didn’t have), I used butter and bacon bits (for the flavor). instead of the chicken stock (again, didn’t have), I used some milk. I didn’t have chili powder, but I had hot Hungarian paprika. That added a great kick. I hate Adobo as it’s too salty and full of preservatives. I just used garlic powder and salt to taste.
I added these to some lean ground beef and added some Ortega taco seasoning! Great start to Family Taco Night!
We have this recipe in Romanian. We call it fasole batuta. Fasole for beans and batuta (spanked or beaten) Beaten beans (to a pulp :) ! The same we fry onions and garlic and boil the beans, combine and condiment with salt, pepper, and boia (paprika) and eat it over bread. very yummy! Had the best frijoles refritos in Mexico this past April and true canned refried beans simply does it no justice!
Awesome! What kind of beans are used in the Romanian version? I’d love to give it a try. And you are correct, canned holds nothing to freshly made.