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    You are here: Home / Courses / Breakfast/Brunch / Refried Beans

    Refried Beans

    3 May 2017 - By Michelle Minnaar
    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Refried beans are at the heart and soul of Tex-Mex cuisine. Britons are known to have beans in tomato sauce, a.k.a. baked beans, in our famous English breakfast. Well, if you love your beans in the morning, why don’t you try these refried beans? They aren't just for breakfast though and can be enjoyed throughout the day no matter what the occasion. I’ve tried them once or twice and I absolutely fell in love with the richness and the mushy texture of the beans. Super easy to make, not costly at all, and very filling at the same time! Furthermore, very useful to make dinner quickly. Enjoy!

    Pinto Beans Raw

    What are Refried Beans?

    So, what are refried beans? They are boiled pinto beans that you mush up. After you created a mash, you refry or oven-baked them. Hence, the name refried beans. Similarly, “frijoles refritos” is the Spanish term for refried beans. Originally, this dish is from Latin America and very popular in Mexico and in southern parts of the USA. In fact, refried beans are a very popular staple in San Diego, California. You will find that almost everyone has had refried beans in San Diego. However, they call them frijoles. There, it’s a very common home cooked meal in many households.

    Pinto Beans Cooked

    About San Diego

    Have you ever been to San Diego? San Diego is known for a lot of its delicious cuisine, seafood, culture, weather and beaches. Besides refried beans, San Diego has a reputation for having the best tacos. Tacos are these tiny wraps with all sorts of ingredients in them. Meat and some sort of salsa (red or green) usually make up the filling. If you’re planning your summer trip and haven’t made your final decision, then go to San Diego.

    While visiting San Diego, it’s worth looking into Lucha Libre, a famed gourmet taco restaurant. Rather than eating mediocre fast food, try the best tacos in town! Have you ever tried tacos? I have! If you don’t have time for sitting around in restaurants, no problem. Find a taco stall. They have a widespread selection of fresh hand-made tacos.

    Refritos Frijoles

    More surprises in San Diego

    As a matter of fact, San Diego is also known for its beautiful coastline and beaches. You can enjoy the sun, the warm sand and take a swim in the clear San Diego sea. Just be careful about taking alcoholic drinks with you on the beach. It’s not allowed in the USA. That shouldn’t stop you from having a fabulous time though. While relaxing on the beach, you might even come across a couple of dolphins jumping around in the background, doing flips and spins. No, I’m not joking. Dolphins are regular visitors at many San Diego beaches. Generally speaking, many of them come quite close to the shore.

    I am a major lover of delicious seafood. Hence, seafood restaurants interest me the most in San Diego. Go figure! The San Diego sea is an excellent source of food, home to many types of fish. In Britain, known for our fish and chips, generally only tend to use haddock or cod. Don’t get me wrong, I love our cod. However, San Diego has the whole spectrum of seafood. Octopus, shrimp, lobster, seabass, tuna, etc. I want to fly to San Diego immediately to try some of that delicious seafood. In addition, I can imagine myself sitting in a seafood restaurant on the beach, by sunset and sipping some lovely Californian wine.

    Avo Tortilla Refried Beans

    Travelling with kids?

    San Diego is not only famous for its authentic Tex-Mex inspired cuisine and their seafood. It’s also known as a city with one of the best zoo’s in the world. The San Diego Zoo is a great destination for adults travelling with children. The zoo is over 100 years old and is home to more than 4,000 different animals. Tempted? Why don’t you try learning more about San Diego if you haven’t booked your vacation yet. Also, leave a comment if you’ve been there, I am very keen on going!

    Egg Tortilla Refried Beans

    Cream

    Now, coming back to refried beans, it’s very common to add cream into the mash. In fact, in San Diego, they call it “frijoles con crema”, meaning beans with cream. The combination sounds very unorthodox. I’ve tried the refried beans with cream and they were delicious. You can also try using sour cream or a bit of crème fraiche. Just a tiny bit, not the whole content. Otherwise, you’ll only taste the flavour of the cream.

    You can also use this dairy free pesto for extra flavour if cream is not your thing.

    Cheese Chilli Tortilla Refried Beans

    Cheese

    Grate some cheddar cheese and add it in the mash. It will make the refried beans more intense and filling. Furthermore, grate some on top and stick the refried beans in the oven. Let it stay in the oven until a golden cheese layer appears on top of the refried beans. You won’t regret leaving the refried beans in a little longer. Lastly, consider sprinkling some fresh parsley or coriander once you take them out of the oven. The types of cheeses fit for this recipe:

    • Cheddar – the best option
    • Mozzarella – also a great idea
    • Gouda
    • Gruyere

    Mexican Meal Vegetarian

    Egg on top

    Add a fried egg on top of your refried beans. In any case, who doesn’t love the perfect sunny side up egg? A great protein which will fill you up with energy. Now that I think of eggs and beans, I am thinking of our classic English breakfast menu. Why not substitute the traditional baked beans with the refried beans in your English breakfast? First add a sunny side up egg and then add a fried tomato, mushrooms, sausages, onion. Up for trying it? Don’t be shy and give it a go!

    By the way, I bet you are wondering, can you freeze baked beans? click here to find out. You might also want to know if you can freeze smoked salmon, click here for the answer.

    Feast Mexican

    If you like pulses, you would love the following recipes:

    Chickpea Soup

    Butter Bean Salad with Avocado, Pesto and Pumpkin Seeds

    Dal Makhani

     

    Print
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    Refritos Frijoles

    Refritos Frijoles


    ★★★★★

    5 from 6 reviews

    • Author: Michelle Minnaar
    • Total Time: 50 minutes
    • Yield: 6 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 500g (1lb) dried pinto beans
    • 2 onions, finely chopped
    • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 5ml (1 tsp) chilli powder
    • 5ml (1 tsp) cumin
    • 60ml (4 tbsp) vegetable oil
    • Salt and pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    1. Soak the bean overnight.
    2. Bring to a boil and let the beans simmer gently until soft, then drain.
    3. In a large saucepan, fry the onions and garlic in the oil until softened.
    4. Add the beans to the onions and smash the mixture with a potato masher to your desired texture. Use water if the mixture is too dry. Add a little at a time until you’re done.

    Notes

    • If you’re vegetarian you can use butter and as a meat eater you can use lard or bacon fat for added flavour.

    • In the photos I topped baby tortillas with the refried beans then used an array of different ingredients such as sliced avocado, cheese and chilli, and a fried egg. Have fun!

    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 serving
    • Calories: 392
    • Sugar: 3.3 g
    • Sodium: 12 mg
    • Fat: 10.5 g
    • Saturated Fat: 2 g
    • Carbohydrates: 56.7 g
    • Fiber: 14 g
    • Protein: 18.5 g

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     Refritos Frijoles

    This is a sponsored post.

    More Breakfast/Brunch

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angela

      May 03, 2017 at 11:12 am

      Such a great giveaway, I love re-fried beans.

      Reply
    2. Hannah Hossack-Lodge

      May 03, 2017 at 11:55 am

      I love refried beans and use them a lot though I've never actually made them from dried beans before; seeing as it's so easy I really should give it a try!

      Reply
    3. Tracey Peach

      May 03, 2017 at 1:08 pm

      I don't cook any Mexican dishes so I don't have a favourite

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Tracy Nixon

      May 03, 2017 at 1:11 pm

      I love chicken fajitas and beef burittos!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. laura banks

      May 03, 2017 at 7:54 pm

      i like enchiladas and also nachos

      Reply
    6. cheryl hadfield

      May 03, 2017 at 10:28 pm

      I love chicken fajitas

      Reply
    7. Solange

      May 04, 2017 at 2:22 am

      I love chicken fajitas.

      Reply
    8. clair downham

      May 04, 2017 at 9:38 am

      beef burittos thankyou

      Reply
    9. Fiona

      May 04, 2017 at 5:35 pm

      Love huevos rancheros but haven't ever made it myself!

      Reply
    10. stuart hargreaves

      May 04, 2017 at 5:40 pm

      I love chicken fajitas - with a nice bottle of red

      Reply
    11. Kerry Kilmister

      May 04, 2017 at 6:10 pm

      i love chicken fajitas

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    12. Emily Clark

      May 04, 2017 at 6:31 pm

      Tostadas, with refried beans, loads of cheese and a side of guac!

      Reply
    13. Jennifer Gardner

      May 04, 2017 at 7:06 pm

      Chicken fajitas are a definite favourite.

      Reply
    14. Fozia Akhtar

      May 04, 2017 at 7:58 pm

      Fajita's

      Reply
    15. Caroline H

      May 04, 2017 at 8:52 pm

      Tacos are my favourite. I either make them with veggie mince chilli or veggie "chicken" strips and roasted veg that I've marinaded in chipotle paste, fresh herbs and a splash of olive oil.I'll usually make a guacamole and we like them with a dollop of Greek yoghurt rather than sour cream. The only reason I don't have re-fried beans is because I hate them and veto them on grounds of being the cook! Everyone else loves them though and now I know how easy they are to make from scratch, I think I'll be kind and give it a go.

      Reply
    16. Daniel Milner

      May 05, 2017 at 9:26 am

      It's gotta be chicken fajitas

      Reply
    17. Suzanne Jackson

      May 05, 2017 at 10:48 am

      spicy chicken fajitas!

      Reply
    18. Jo Carroll

      May 05, 2017 at 11:11 am

      I love fajitas and burittos no matter how they come. x

      Reply
    19. Kerry Taylor

      May 06, 2017 at 6:26 pm

      Fajitas and enchiladas! I love the smoky spicy flavours in Mexican food 😀

      Reply
    20. Rebecca

      May 06, 2017 at 8:17 pm

      For me, it's quesadillas or taquitos!

      Reply
    21. Emma Ellams

      May 07, 2017 at 9:35 pm

      A good bowl of chilli

      Reply
    22. Jade Hewlett

      May 09, 2017 at 8:45 am

      I like fajitas

      Reply
    23. Laura Nice

      May 10, 2017 at 7:10 am

      I love enchiladas!!

      Reply
    24. Iris W

      May 11, 2017 at 8:24 am

      My favourite Mexican food is chicken or beef fajitas

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    25. leanne weir

      May 11, 2017 at 8:51 pm

      I love chicken fajitas.

      Reply
    26. Rich Tyler

      May 13, 2017 at 2:13 pm

      Quesadillas - Yummy! 🙂

      Reply
    27. susan hoggett

      May 17, 2017 at 12:24 pm

      Fajitas, love putting different ingredients into them

      Reply
    28. Maxine G

      May 21, 2017 at 6:13 pm

      I like making my own guacamole served with roasted veggie fajitas

      Reply
    29. Tracey Belcher

      May 23, 2017 at 6:00 am

      I Love open Burritos

      Reply
    30. Helen Thurston

      May 28, 2017 at 8:09 pm

      Veggie enchiladas or burritos.

      Reply
    31. Katy Malkin

      May 29, 2017 at 9:55 am

      Refried beans and tostados! Yum. Lots of grilled veggies.

      Reply
    32. Jessica Hutton

      May 29, 2017 at 5:29 pm

      I love fajitas xx

      Reply
    33. Emma Davison

      May 29, 2017 at 7:33 pm

      Chicken fajhitas

      Reply
    34. Margaret Clarkson

      May 30, 2017 at 7:10 am

      Beef chilli with re=fried beans and tortilla chips

      Reply
    35. Lesley

      May 30, 2017 at 7:59 am

      I love Veggie Fajitas 🙂

      Reply
    36. Diana

      May 30, 2017 at 9:20 am

      Chicken Fajitas 🙂

      Reply
    37. ellie spider

      May 30, 2017 at 1:49 pm

      i love quesadillas and burritos 🙂

      Reply
    38. Catherine Gregory

      May 30, 2017 at 8:42 pm

      I love chilli cheese nachos

      Reply
    39. Helen Garner

      May 30, 2017 at 9:37 pm

      My favourite is enchiladas

      Reply
    40. Natalie Crossan

      May 30, 2017 at 11:59 pm

      Fajitas xxx

      Reply
    41. Maria

      June 07, 2017 at 10:13 am

      This looks like a great addition to many meals. My favourite mexican dish would have to be chicken burrito 🙂

      Reply
    42. Jacqueline Meldrum

      July 10, 2017 at 5:53 pm

      I've never made my own refried beans before, but I bet they have so much more flavour. Thanks for sharing the recipes. Bookmarking this one.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    43. Ren Behan

      July 11, 2017 at 11:41 am

      Such a tasty lunch idea... I adore refried beans in a wrap with lots of pickled jalapenos and a dash of sour cream - soooo good!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    44. Kavey Favelle

      July 16, 2017 at 10:00 am

      I really like refried beans in Mexican food but I've never actually made my own, just usually grab a tin of ready made. Must bookmark this to try instead!

      Reply

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