Refried Beans

I am gonna be honest, I hat(ed) refried beans. The texture was nasty and the flavor was just blah, but it came from a can. After going to multiple restaurants and not getting disgusted by the beans I got with meal, I decided I was going to try making some at home, and I was not disappointed by the results. I have made it now with canned pinto beans and dried pinto beans – I will share both!

  • 2 cans of pinto beans / 2 cup of dried pinto beans
  • Half of a medium sized onion (cut into chunks)
  • 2/3 cloves of garlic (cut into chunks)
  • Salt to taste

For the dried pinto beans – Rinse the beans first, picking out any bad beans. Put the two cups of beans and 6 cups of water into your instant pot, add a pinch or two of salt. Put the lid on and make sure the valve is sealed then push pressure cook, high pressure and set for 50 minutes. Once the timer goes off let the pressure release naturally. Drain the beans, saving some liquid in case you want smoother beans when blending.

If you are using canned beans skip to this step and if you are using the dried beans and have cooked the beans you can keep going starting from here.

  • Get a pot on the stove going with a some olive oil – enough to cover the bottom of the pan – put on med-high heat. Once the oil gets hot, add the roughly cut onions and garlic with a pinch of salt.
  • Turn the heat down to med-low and let the garlic and onion caramelize for a couple minutes and then add the pinto beans.
    • If you are using canned pinto beans – drain out the liquids first – save a little bit of it if you want smoother beans when blending.
  • Let the beans simmer with the garlic and onions for 15-20 minutes (if you have less time, 10 minutes).
  • Add everything into a food processor or blender and blend to your desired consistency. If you want smoother, add some of the reserved liquid from the can (or water from the instant pot if you used dried beans). Taste the beans and add salt if needed (it is probably needed).
  • Add more oil into the pan to cover the bottom and heat the pan over medium heat. Once hot add the purred mixture into the pan to re-fry the beans. Turn the heat down to med-low and let the beans simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Taste again and season accordingly.

Serve with Chile Rellenos, tacos, or just as a dip with chips.

Let me know below if you have made these refried beans!

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