Spicy Refried Beans

My boyfriend and I are absolutely obsessed with this little taco joint down the street from our apartment. It seriously has the best re-fried beans ever. Their burritos and tacos are kinda amazing also. But really it’s all about the beans. And get this – they aren’t made with lard! Say what?!? My kinda beans!

On nights when I don’t get home in time to make dinner, my boyfriend would hop on over to the taco house and pick up all the fixin’s and make himself a burrito or something of the sort. I decided that it was high time I started making my own re-fried beans and let me tell you, I couldn’t be happier with the results. 2 1/2 cups of dried pinto beans makes enough beans for the whole week for the 2 of us. We eat a lot of southwestern/mexican style food so these go like hot cakes in the kitchen! I’ve since stuffed them into burritos, made bean and cheese quesadillas, topped a bowl of re-fried beans with guacamole and make my favorite bean dip for a big Laker game party we had last week!

I made this batch with a bag of these dried pinto beans laying around from Cube Marketplace in LA – but you can use whatever dried pinto beans you have!

Spicy Refried Beans
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 120 mins
Total time: 2 hours 5 mins
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups of dry pinto beans
  • 3 quarts of water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup water
  • Salt
  • Cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Rinse the dried beans in water making sure to get rid of any dirt that might be hanging out.
  2. Add the beans to a large pot and cover with water. (Make sure there is about 4 inches of water above the dried beans – they will soak up a lot of water)
  3. Cook the beans for 2 1/2 hours. Bring the water to a boil and the cover and reduce to a simmer.
  4. Once the beans are cooked, drain the excess water and set aside.
  5. In a large skillet add the olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onions along with the red pepper flakes, paprika and cayenne pepper for about 5 minutes. Add in the drained beans and 1 cup of water. Using an immersion blender, lightly blend the beans until they have a consistency of mashed beans. Season with salt as needed.
  6. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,


34 thoughts on “Spicy Refried Beans

  1. We had a taco party last night, and it was the first time I realized I need to try my hand at refried beans. These may be a great way to start my refried bean bonanza!

  2. Interesting – I’ve never put paprika in my refried beans before. I’ll have to try that next time! (And I love that package of refriend beans. I couldn’t help but giggle.)

  3. Ever the simple dish! So homey and comforting, especially with some cheese on top. I think these would be good with queso fresco and possibly served with chopped onions and cilantro. Looks delicious.

  4. I eat beans pretty much everyday, but have never been bold enough to try my hand and making my own beans, from dried beans. This recipe looks so simple, yet delicious, I just may have to give it a whirl!

  5. Oh, thank God! Every refried bean recipe I’ve ever seen has lard in it! And I LOOOVE that you put some shredded cheese on top- beautiful and delicious!

  6. I learn something new every day! I’m all about preparing food from scratch and refried beans was one thing I have not yet done! Thanks for sharing!!

  7. I usually make mock refried beans in my crockpot. just beans, water, an onion and clove of garlic, with a little salt at the end for flavor. let them cook overnight in the crockpot and mash them in the morning.

    I wanna try your version now…paprika, huh.

    just every so often I like to splurge on my mom’s refried beans (with lard)…hay yay yay, they taste smooth as butter.

  8. It’s fantastic that so many readers have commented that they like refried beans – everyone usually looks at me in disgust when I say I like them. Thanks for sharing this healthier alternative. Do you have a recommendation of dried pinto bean brand?

  9. Pingback: Tlayuda: A Mexican Pizza

  10. beans are a staple in my house. there is always a batch of beans in the fridge. you can cut your cooking time, by using a pressure cooker. it only takes 30 minutes once the steam starts coming out.

  11. These are amazing. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I don’t even like refried beans and I love these!

  12. Pingback: Avocado Shrimp Tostadas

  13. Do you know if refried beans would freeze well? I would love to start making my own but soon I will have a lot less people in my house with the kiddos graduating/moving out on their own and a traveling husband. I’m not sure I can eat the whole thing by myself! However, I want to be able to make the whole amount and freeze half if possible.

    • I make my refried beans in the pressure cooker & freeze them in smaller ziploc bags so that I can take them to work. I will have to use your spice combination the next time I make a batch.

  14. Pingback: Spicy Refried Beans (Stovetop or Crockpot) « Scrumptious and Sumptuous

  15. Pingback: Avocado Crema Recipe

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *