Refried Beans

Refried Beans are gloriously creamy with a flavorful neutrality that combines well with almost any Mexican dish. Canned ones have a bad reputation but with a little bit of jazzing up, they will become restaurant-style beans in just a few minutes.

I loved refried beans so much as a kid that sometimes I would dump them straight out of the can (the whole can) into a bowl and microwave it for a snack. It might sound like too much food, but I was an active kid!

Refried Beans Ingredients
1 Tbl butter
⅓ c chopped onion
2 tsp garlic
¼ tsp cumin
1 - 16 oz can refried beans (black or pinto)
water

Refried Beans Directions
In a small sauce pan, heat the pan to medium-low heat. Melt 1 Tbl of butter in the pan and add ⅓ c chopped onion, 2 tsp garlic, and ¼ tsp cumin to the butter.

You should hear a gentle sizzle. Adjust the heat accordingly. Give the ingredients a quick and occasional stir. When the onions are soft and clear, add 16 oz of refried beans.

Add 2 tsp of water to the pot and stir. It doesn’t need to be completely combined. Cover the pot and let the beans get hot (about 7 minutes). As the beans warm, they’ll loosen. Stir them until the ingredients are evenly mixed. 

Add 2 tsp water to thin out the beans. I like the consistency to be when you scoop them on a plate, they will lose their shape, but will catch themselves before they run all over the plate. Add more water if needed. If you get a little heavy handed on the water, increase the heat a little to let it cook out.

Taste. Add salt if you need to, but I never do. You can add more cumin if you like. I like cumin to be in the background where you can’t really identify it as cumin but if it’s missing, you would know something is off.

Notes
I prefer refried black beans over pinto beans but they can be harder to find. My regular small grocery carries them and I like their store brand, Schnucks.