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

FAQs

Why do restaurant refried beans taste better? ›

If you're wondering what is the secret ingredient for restaurant-quality refried beans, the answer is fat. 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.

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.

If you don't like bacon flavor in your refried beans (which I don't, but some do), you can simply add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and some oregano to those beans. An alternate addition is adding a bit of your favorite salsa to them.

For that reason, most of our Test Kitchen recipes call for draining and rinsing canned beans, which can also help remove the metallic flavor sometimes found in cans. It's an added step that takes less than a minute but improves the flavor and texture of your finished dish.

Refried beans are healthy because they are high in protein, fiber, minerals, and other nutrients and they may help you lose weight. Refried beans are a delicious and versatile dish that appears on the menus of many Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants. You can also easily make this meal at home or buy it in a can.

If it's an authentic Mexican restaurant local to the area - not a chain - then they probably use lard or meat drippings of some sort for their beans. If it's a faux Mexican chain, some do and some don't. Most refried beans are made with lard. Unless thc menu says specifically vegetarian, assume it was made with lard.

Refried beans cannot be counted on to always be vegetarian, they're frequently made with bacon or bacon fat in them, but not Taco Bell's. Yes but they use unhealthy GMO soybean oil as opposed to proper lard.

How to make refried beans fancier? ›

Try adding some seasoning such as a little cumin and/or chili powder. Also try adding some monteray jack cheese and letting it melt into the beans. Why do refried beans at restaurants taste so much better than my homemade ones?

WATER, PINTO BEANS, SALT, SOYBEAN OIL, PINK BEANS, NATURAL FLAVOR, SOY LECITHIN.

Making Refried Beans at Home

I love refried beans or “frijoles refritos” and this homemade version tastes as good, if not better, than what you get out of a can or when out at restaurants. For the creamiest, most flavorful refried beans, start with dried beans. You can use pinto beans or black beans in this recipe.

Add anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of dairy, depending on how thick or how creamy you'd like your beans and then just heat through, stirring often, until all is warm. Some brands of refried beans are thicker or thinner to start with, so use your judgment.

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.

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.

Beans are high in minerals and fiber that may boost your digestive health and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Yet, since refried beans often contain added fat and salt, they may be higher in calories, saturated fat, and sodium than other beans.

It's just the liquid the beans were cooked in. To complete, a glug of extra virgin olive oil is poured over the beans. Since beans are pretty much fat-free, the olive oil lends necessary fat and a luxe mouthfeel that's rarely found in dishes made with canned beans.