Refried black beans with fresh jalapeño is the perfect side dish for all of your favorite Mexican recipes. Starting with canned black beans makes this recipe so quick and easy these flavorful, creamy beans will be on the table in under 30 minutes!
To me, nothing says comfort food quite like a spread of all my favorite Mexican dishes! These thick and creamy Refried Jalapeño Black Beans are full of flavor and hold their own along side tacos, nachos, salsas and more!
Starting with canned black beans makes this recipe a cinch! If you don’t have black beans on hand canned pinto beans will work too. If you prefer to start with dried beans, soak and cook them first until they are tender. You can use this recipe as a guide to get started.
Looking for more yummy Mexican-inspired recipes? Check out fan favorite Sheet-Pan Chicken Tacos al Pastor or Creamy Choriqueso. Don’t forget the Mezcal Margaritas to wash it all down!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe: canned black beans, onion, garlic, jalapeño, ground cumin, a neutral oil and a few dashes of hot sauce (optional.)
Recipe Step by Step:
Step 1. Sauté the Aromatics
Cook the onion, garlic, and jalapeño together until the onion softens and the garlic is fragrant and aromatic.
Step 2. “Refry” the Black Beans
Next, add in the beans and ground cumin. Sauté for about 5 minutes then pour in the water and a few drops of hot sauce, bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer on low for about 10 minutes.
Step 3. Purée the Beans
Use an immersion blender to blend the beans or transfer ¾ of the cooked beans to a blender/food processor and blend until smooth. Return the blended beans to the pot, and season to taste with salt.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Many people assume refried beans are twice fried or fried and then re-fried but that isn’t actually true. In Spanish refried beans are: frijoles refritos. The word refritos means “well fried”. “Refried beans” is a bit of a misnomer. They are actually just beans that are well cooked and mashed.
Yep! Pinto beans are more traditional for refried beans so you can absolutely use them in this recipe.
Refried black beans will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave. When re-heating you can add water to loosen them up as needed.
Check out More Great Recipes:
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Easy! Refried Jalapeño Black Beans
Ingredients
- 2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- ½ jalapeño, seeded finely chopped
- 3 tbsp neutral oil avocado, canola or grape-seed
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 c water
- salt
- Mexican hot sauce, like Tapatio or Cholula optional
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeño in oil over medium-high heat for about five minutes until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant.
- Next add in the cumin, black beans and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine then add in the water and a few dashes of hot sauce. Bring the beans to a simmer, then cover and turn the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the beans or transfer ¾ of the cooked beans to a blender/food processor and blend until smooth. Return the blended beans to the pot, and season to taste with salt.
Notes
- Canned Black Beans: pinto beans, or even white beans will also work.
- Jalapeño: to make jalapeño less spicy be sure to remove all of the seeds and inner white membrane from the pepper before adding it to the beans.
- Neutral Oil: avocado, sunflower, canola or grape-seed oil
- Hot Sauce: a few dashes of hot sauce adds a good amount of flavor to the dish but you can omit it if you don’t like things too spicy or if you’re cooking for young children.
- Refried black beans will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave. When re-heating you can add water to loosen them up as needed.
Katie
I used the back of a fork to mash the beans and it worked great! Awesome recipe!