Instant Pot Refried Beans Recipe (Restaurant Style) (2024)

FAQs

Why do restaurant refried beans taste different? ›

If you're wondering what is the secret ingredient for restaurant-quality refried beans, the answer is fat. Restaurant-made refried beans honor traditional Mexican culinary practices by adding a hearty helping of lard or bacon fat drippings to their recipe.

How do I make canned refried beans taste like restaurant style? Try adding some seasoning such as a little cumin and/or chili powder. Also try adding some monteray jack cheese and letting it melt into the beans.

The bottom line

Refried beans are pinto beans that are pan-fried in lard and salt. Common variations use kidney beans or black beans, plus plant oil instead of lard.

Swap The Seasonings – Use your favorite seasonings to flavor these creamy refried beans. Try bacon grease, chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chicken broth, chili pepper, lime juice, cream cheese, taco seasoning, and more to make the best refried beans to serve with your next Mexican meal.

Lard – Here's where the secret ingredient comes in. Use lard to add a rich, savory thickness to the beans, or, use bacon fat like I do. Leftover bacon fat is extremely rich in salty, savory goodness, and it adds an entirely new depth of flavor to these Mexican refried beans — I can't recommend it enough!

Fat and seasoning: Refried beans typically start with cooking beans in fat, such as lard, bacon fat, or vegetable oil. This fat adds richness and flavor to the beans.

Unlike the canned variety, restaurant-made refried beans honor traditional Mexican culinary practices by adding a hearty helping of lard or bacon fat drippings to their recipe.

WATER, PINTO BEANS, SALT, SOYBEAN OIL, PINK BEANS, NATURAL FLAVOR, SOY LECITHIN.

What are the risks of eating refried beans? While refried beans can be a decent weight-loss option, they pose a few risks. Many people fry refried beans in butter, bacon fat, or lard. These foods can contain high amounts of trans fat, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.

What do Mexicans call refried beans? ›

The name “refried beans” is a bit of a misnomer, as the beans are only fried once. The Spanish name of the dish, frijoles refritos, translates to “well-fried beans,” which is where the English name comes from.

Refried beans are the perfect make-ahead side. In fact, we think they get better overtime. Homemade refried beans are delicious and since you are making them yourself, you get to control the salt and fat content.

Milk makes refried beans creamy

This liquid can help make your beans smoother and taste richer. Once the beans are tender, it's time to fry them. Garlic is cooked in the oil and then the beans are added. The beans are mashed, and this is where the milk comes in.

Stir pinto beans, cumin, chili powder, and salt into mashed garlic and cook until beans are thoroughly heated, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Smash bean mixture with a potato masher to desired texture. Squeeze lime juice over smashed beans and stir until combined.

I like to sprinkle in some taco seasoning, but you could add whatever spices you like — garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder are all good calls. Then, you mash the beans up directly in the pan and add just a little bit of vinegar at the end to really make the beans sing.

The pinto bean is perhaps one of the most common type of beans used in most Mexican dishes. Like the black bean, the pinto bean is also loaded with nutritious elements including high fiber and protein. Pinto beans are served both whole and mashed, which will become the refried bean.

It's just the liquid the beans were cooked in. To complete, a glug of extra virgin olive oil is poured over the beans. Since beans are pretty much fat-free, the olive oil lends necessary fat and a luxe mouthfeel that's rarely found in dishes made with canned beans.

The English "refried beans" is a mistranslation, since the essence of "frijoles refritos" is the reheating and mashing of the beans. In this dish, after being boiled and then mashed into a paste, the beans are fried or baked, though as they are fried only once, the term "refried" is misleading.