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–+ servings
Bowl of refried black beans with queso fresco

Refried Black Beans

mylifeinbalancegroup.com/refried-black-beans/
Made with cooked black beans in about 15 minutes, this is the perfect side dish for any Mexican or TexMex recipe!
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Total 20 minutes
Recipe Makes (Approximate): 8 servings

Equipment

  • Medium skillet
  • Wooden spoon
  • Potato masher optional

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado, refined coconut, or other neutral oil)
  • ½ cup finely chopped white onion
  • 2-3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons kosher salt (see Notes)
  • 3 cups cooked black beans (canned or homemade; liquid drained, reserved; beans divided)
  • ¾ cup liquid from can of black beans (or ¾ cup water or vegetable broth)

Instructions

  • Heat medium skillet over medium heat. When pan is hot, add neutral oil and swirl to coat bottom of skillet entirely.
  • When oil is hot and shimmering, add chopped onion, minced garlic, and kosher salt. Stir well and cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are soft and begin to brown, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add 1 ½ cups black beans to skillet. Use back of wooden spoon or potato masher to mash beans completely, until no whole or partial beans remain.
    Mashed black beans in a large black cast-iron skillet.
  • Add remaining 1 ½ cups black beans and mash to preferred consistency.
    Mashed black beans in a large black cast-iron skillet.
  • Cook mashed beans, stirring constantly, until starches begin to coat bottom of skillet and turn golden brown, approximately 3 minutes.
  • Slowly pour in bean liquid in small increments, stirring well to incorporate liquid after each addition. Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet, until liquid is fully incorporated and beans are heated-through, approximately 2 minutes. Note: beans may look soupy but will thicken as they cool. Be sure to use entire ¾ cup of liquid to prevent beans from drying out.
    Refried black beans in a cast-iron skillet.
  • Serve as desired with chips, tacos, or other entrée.

Recipe Notes

  • Spices: Feel free to boost the flavors even more by adding your favorite spices. Garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin all do very well in refried black beans, but you could also just use a little taco seasoning. Add any spices you choose to the skillet with the onion, garlic, and kosher salt.
  • Beans: You'll need roughly two 15-ounce cans of black beans to yield 3 cups of cooked beans. I recommend using a low sodium version or quickly rinsing the black beans after draining.
  • Salt: It's important that you use kosher salt in this recipe. If using table salt instead, use only ¾-1 teaspoon total. If you're using canned black beans, they typically include salt, so you may not want to add as much.
  • Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 7 days.

Nutrition Information (Approximate)

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 137calProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 438mgPotassium: 247mgTotal Carbs: 16gFiber: 6gSugar: 0.4gNet Carbs: 10gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
https://mylifeinbalancegroup.com/refried-black-beans/