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

FAQs

Why are Mexican restaurant refried beans so good? ›

Restaurant-made refried beans honor traditional Mexican culinary practices by adding a hearty helping of lard or bacon fat drippings to their recipe.

If you prefer thicker beans, there's a simple solution to boost flavor, add moisture, and thicken refried beans. 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.

Refried beans are traditionally cooked in lard in order to get that signature, delicious refried bean taste. Neutral oil or bacon grease are commonly used instead, but I highly recommend using lard for the best results. If you can't find it or prefer not to use it, my second suggestion would be neutral oil.

If you're adding refried beans to your regular diet, you may gain weight because you'll be consuming more calories. For reference, 1 cup (260 grams) of regular pinto beans contains 220 calories and no fat, whereas the same amount of refried beans packs 234 calories and 5 grams of fat ( 23 ).

Sometimes, depends if they use lard or not to cook them. You'll have to ask every time you order from a different location. Sometimes even every few months of you frequent a place, make sure they don't change the recipe on you. Most refried beans are made with lard.

What are the risks of eating refried beans? While refried beans can be a decent weight-loss option, they pose a few risks. Many people fry refried beans in butter, bacon fat, or lard. These foods can contain high amounts of trans fat, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.

While specific recipes and methods may vary, here are some common factors that can contribute to the flavorful taste of restaurant-style refried beans: Fat and seasoning: Refried beans typically start with cooking beans in fat, such as lard, bacon fat, or vegetable oil. This fat adds richness and flavor to the beans.

Milk makes refried beans creamy

This liquid can help make your beans smoother and taste richer. Once the beans are tender, it's time to fry them. Garlic is cooked in the oil and then the beans are added. The beans are mashed, and this is where the milk comes in.

Add a bit of fat

While there are many tips for cooking beans, the addition of fat gives your refried beans a luxurious taste. Different types of fat will offer unique flavor profiles to canned refried beans. Bacon fat can impart smokiness, while olive oil will be slightly more neutral.

You can swap equal amounts of coconut oil for lard in many recipes, especially when baking, grilling, or pan-frying foods. Note that unrefined coconut oil tends to have a strong coconut taste and aroma, so it may slightly change the flavor of certain dishes.

Can I use butter instead of lard in refried beans? ›

But then — fun trick — if you stir an extra pat of cold butter into the refried beans at the very end, it will make them extra silky and add a rich hint of buttery flavor. It's a great way to achieve some of the flavor and feel of traditional lard-based refried beans without the lard.

Ingredients. Cooked Pinto Beans, Water. Contains 2% or less of: Lard, Salt, Tomato Paste, Cumin, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Chili Pepper, Hydrogenated Lard, Sugar.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommends eating about 3 cups of legumes—like pinto, kidney, or black beans—per week. If you eat about ½ cup of beans every day, you'll meet the weekly Dietary Guidelines for beans.

As mentioned, while beans can be a great source of protein, fiber, and other nutrients, refried beans also contain lard and salt. If you're watching your diet, you may want to keep this in mind before ordering a burrito or a side of refried beans.

The secret to creating beans that taste like they're from a restaurant is a long simmering time. This softens the beans and brings out all the flavor as well as marries the flavor from the add-ins into the beans. Mixing with a hand mixer softens the beans and gives them an authentic texture.

Some spotted beans, some red beans, some black beans and I have even had mashed, refried black-eyed peas in Northern Mexico. Mexican restaurants typically use pinto beans for making refried beans. Pinto beans are a common choice for their creamy texture and mild flavor.

The pinto bean is perhaps one of the most common type of beans used in most Mexican dishes. Like the black bean, the pinto bean is also loaded with nutritious elements including high fiber and protein. Pinto beans are served both whole and mashed, which will become the refried bean.

Refried beans can be a healthy food or an unhealthy food -- preparation makes all the difference. Refried beans prepared with animal fat can be high in cholesterol and saturated fat, while beans fried with a small amount of olive or canola oil can be relatively low in fat and cholesterol free.