Authentic Mexican Refried Beans
These beans are the ones you hope to get on your plate when eating real Mexican food. They go great as a side dish or in a burrito, and more!
Ingredients
- ½ lb. dry pinto beans
- ½ yellow onion cut into 1" chunks
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves whole
- 4 tablespoon lard
- water
- cotija cheese optional topping
Instructions
- Add pinto beans, garlic cloves, onion, salt and oregano to a medium saucepan. Cover with about 2 inches of water. Bring water to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook beans for 1 ½ hours, or until very tender.
- Strain cooked beans from the bean juice and reserve the juice for later.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 4 tablespoon lard and the beans. Fry up the beans for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to low and add bean juice to the skillet (should be about ½-3/4 cup juice). Begin to smash beans using a potato masher until you reach your desired consistency. If you like your beans very smooth with no chunks of beans, place in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a little bit of water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, if your beans are too thick.
- Serve refried beans with crumbled cotija cheese (optional)! Enjoy!
Notes
Store leftover refried beans completely cooled in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. To reheat leftover beans, pop in the microwave for about a minute or reheat on the stove in a small saucepan until nice and warm. If beans are dry or too thick, add a few tablespoons of water.
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