Delicious Refried Black Beans Recipe: Quick & Easy Guide

Home Cooked Refried Black Beans Recipe

Beans are about the best staple in your store cupboard. Packed with protein, fibre, healthy carbohydrates and essential vitamins and minerals, they are a flavourful, nutritious and economic addition to any meal

In the previous post we shared our recipe for a classic Mexican pot of black beans. Made from dry beans or precooked from a tin, "frijoles de olla" as they're known in Mexico, are simply delicious. But if you can manage to save some for the following day something quite remarkable happens

Proteins break down, releasing flavourful amino acids responsible for umami or deliciousness, starches have unraveled to absorb flavours that have had time to amalgamate into a symphony of taste. Now, add garlic, your favourite herbs, some spice, smoky paprika, more chilli if you like, all sauteed in best olive oil

The transformation is so remarkable you simply have to try it for yourself. And it's so simple. Here's our recipe and guide to making real refried Mexican black beans

Essential Ingredients
For Refried Black Beans

Onions, Garlic & Good Olive Oil

Ok, maybe you can use a more neutral tasting and less expensive oil. And if you're not veggie, pork lard is the go to fat in the most traditional Mexican bean dishes. Onion, and garlic, however, are non-negociables

I like to thinly slice my onions and garlic for extra texture, but feel free to finely chop and fully soften both if you like a smoother texture

Herbs

The most common herb used in mexico is epazote, known in Europe as wormseed, stinkweed (honestly!) or by its Latin name Chenopodium Ambrosoides. This is a speciality herb, not always easy to find in Europe. If you really want to try it (I personally recommend it) the Cool Chilli Company sell small tins of the dried herb

Otherwise, fear not. Oregano is also very commonly used in Mexican beans and yields a more savoury result. Other herbs that work well include thyme, marjoram and rosemary. sometimes I like to take a sweeter turn and go for the likes of tarragon with its aniseed aroma

Spices

Cumin is the first to come to mind. If you do use a little cumin, be restrained. Cumin, though undeniably delicious can to easily overpower and dominate your bean dish

Other spices I've found work well include fennel and allspice

Under spices I'm also including dried peppers: the likes of smoky Spanish paprika, or if you like a bit more spice, the inimitable chipotle chilli. If you use the latter whole slice or chop it finely and add it to the onion-garlic-oil mix early on, seeded or seeds and all. Add powdered ground chipotle and paprika also to the onions, but only once they've started to soften to avoid burning

Or make up your own blend of condiments. Beans are very forgiving, and you'll get results using whatever herbs and spices you find in your store cupboard. Throw in a bit of soy sauce, hot chilli sauce, chopped fresh coriander... a chunk of feta cheese?

Black Beans

And finally, the star of the show, the beans thenselves. While there is nothing like homemade beans, I appreciate not everyone has that very useful utensil the pressure cooker, or the time to soak and cook dried beans. And you'll certainly get excellent results from a can or jar of beans

But you don't need me to tell you that refrying simple boiled beans, or worse, a tin of bean purée masquerading as refried beans just won't cut the mustard

So take your beans, dry or tinned, and follow our simple recipe to make yourself a delicious pot of Mexican black beans to enjoy for on toast, or even better, corn tortillas for breakfast, lunch or supper

Check the basic Mexican black beans recipe now, and come back tomorrow, when you're ready to refry. Or, if you're ready now, jump to the recipe for our definitive step-by-step guide for perfect refried beans

Storing And Reheating Beans

The best Mexican style black beans are a day (or two) old! To keep your beans from spoiling pop them in the fridge as soon as they reach room temperature 

The following day you have a choice: cook, covered, on a low to medium high heat for around 10 minutes adding sufficient water to prevent sticking or burning. You'll need to stir the beans regularly at first, and continuously as the liquid evaporates

If you've make enough you can enjoy your beans as they are for a second day. On the other hand, if they've naturally begun to mush up, refry them now. Check the next section for tips on achieving the perfect texture. Then, warm up some oil, chop an onion and some garlic, have some herbs and spices on the ready, and jump to our step-by-step recipe for black beans re-fried to perfection

Tips for Achieving The Perfect Texture

If your beans are still firm and retaining their shape, you may want to enjoy them simply reheated with a little water or stock. Beans will naturally taste better the next day, even without added aromatics

As the beans soften further with cooking and stirring they will naturally cream up. Give them a vigorous stir to break them up but keep them chunky if you like some texture. For a smoother result use a potato masher before adding them to your hot oil and aromatics

The longer you cook them the better. Time permitting, add a little more liquid, stir some more and serve when their texture are aroma are just the way you like it

Serving And Pairing Suggestions

Mexican black beans are fantastically versatile and can be enjoyed in lots of ways. Here are a few serving and pairing suggestions to elevate your veggie table:

1. Side dish: Mexican beans are a delicious side dish with any Mexican-inspired meal, or indeed any meal at all. They pair particularly well with corn-based dishes like enchiladas and tacos, and also with tamales

2. Beans can be used as a filling for tortillas in the form of quesadillas, to be topped with your favouite salsa

3. Beans are also the filling of choice for tlacoyos: a doble-layered, oval tortilla hiding a beany centre,

4. Or in tamales, such tamales agrios (sour) from Michoacán

5. Enfrijoladas (en-free-ho-la-das): Use refried black or pinto beans loosened with vegetable broth to coat soft corn tortillas, fill them with fresh cheese or something else yummy, then fold or roll them onto a serving dish. Add your favorite toppings such as soft crumbly feta, or a hard cheese for melting under the grill. Top with your favourite salsa and enjoy

6. Mexican black bean soup: Puree the cooked beans with some vegetable broth to create a hearty and nutritious bean soup. Spice it up with chipotles in adobo or La Vera Spanish paprika, from our region of Extremadura, and top it with a dollop of sour cream or non-dairy yoghurt, chopped coriander, and a squeeze of lime for an extra burst of flavour