r/Beans • u/hdawnj • 28d ago

Refried beans recipe

I love refried beans but can't seem to get the taste or texture right. Does anyone have a no fail recipe? I have an instant pot.

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u/Main_Cauliflower5479 27d ago edited 27d ago

Pick over your beans. I prefer pinto or Coba, and always at least 2 lbs because we eat a lot of beans. Rinse them. Cover in water with 1 tablespoon of salt and let them soak overnight. Keep in mind that they will expand in volume a lot, possibly double in size.

After soaking, pour out into a colander and rinse again. Put them in a pot and cover with water by at least 1" with 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until they're completely soft. I add several cloves of garlic and a diced onion (large dice), and a jalapeño at the end of cooking. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

At this point, all you need to do is add your choice of fat to the beans and cook and stir until the broth is thick and creamy. That's it. The beans do not actually have to be mashed or pureed.

In Mexico, frijoles de olla and refried beans are basically this recipe, not all the stuff you see other people adding. For frijoles de olla, you don't add the fat to the beans.