Want something a little different from your typical refried beans to serve alongside your favorite Mexican flavors? Try these rich and creamy refried black beans on for size! They’re fresh, delicious, and you can have them on the table in about 30 minutes.
Love refried beans in a restaurant but get that can out and everyone in the family shows a reaction from “meh” to “ugh?” Yeah, that’s definitely me and my family. It’s hard to get excited about a can of unappetizing red glop.
Turns out it’s ridiculously easy to make your own, though! And you can make traditional refried beans with pinto beans or red beans, but we really like making ours with black beans. They add a richer and creamier flavor, and for some reason, they just look more appetizing to us!
So just what are refried beans?
Well, they’re not fried and fried again. My understanding is that they’re just really well fried, and sometimes even baked. In our case, they just get a nice hot cook on the stovetop until they’re mashed and tasty.
The jury’s out at my house about whether they’re better from scratch vs. canned. And when the house doesn’t care about the difference, that means I’m usually going for the fastest version. My version of the recipe starts in the can, just drained and rinsed.
Did I mention it also takes under 30 minutes? Oh, and it’s delicious!
Here’s what you need for about six servings of refried black beans:
- 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ medium yellow onion, minced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
Start by dropping the butter in a large skillet. Then add the onions and garlic and saute until everything is nice and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add the black beans and seasonings to the skillet and let them cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the beans are heated and soft/fork tender.
Using a potato masher or a fork (seriously, the potato masher is gold), mash the beans in the skillet to your desired consistency. Stir them up and continue cooking.
Stir in the broth. Let the mixture reduce to the desired consistency (10-15 minutes). Then stir in the cheese.
Serve hot with fresh tortillas, or as filler in burritos, tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, part of your huevos rancheros, and so much more!
Here’s the recipe card:
Creamy Refried Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 ea yellow onion medium, mminced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 cup Mexican cheese blend shredded
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add the black beans and seasonings and cook another 5-10 minutes, or until the beans are heated and soft.
- Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the beans to the desired consistency. Stir and continue to cook.
- Stir in the broth. Let the mixture reduce to desired consistency (10-15) minutes. Stir in the cheese.
- Serve and enjoy!
