Authentic Mexican Refried Beans (oil-free)
These creamy beans make an authentic side dish with rice, a delicious topping on nachos, are perfect on tostadas or in tacos, burritos, or on Mexican Pizza.
Servings 15 -ish people
Ingredients
- 5 cups dry pinto beans
- 7 cups water
- 1 TBSP cumin (optional)
- 1 TBSP salt (add another 1-3 teaspoons depending on salt preference)
- 1 whole onion, peeled and cut in half
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place beans in a large bowl and cover with several inches of water. Let soak overnight or at least 8 hours.
- Rinse beans and put into an Instant Pot. Add 7 cups of water (the water should just barely cover the beans), salt, cumin and a whole, peeled onion cut in half.
- Set to high pressure for 25 minutes. Let it release naturally.
- Once beans are cooked, remove onion and discard. Either remove the beans with a slotted spoon and serve whole, or blend to make smooth.
Slow-Cooker
- Place beans in a large bowl and cover with several inches of water. Let soak overnight or at least 8 hours.
- Rinse beans and put into the Crock Pot. Add 7 cups of water (the water should just barely cover the beans), salt, cumin and a whole, peeled onion cut in half.
- To cook them in a crock pot, let cook for 3-4 hours on high.
- Once beans are cooked, remove onion and discard. Either remove the beans with a slotted spoon and serve whole, or blend to make smooth.
Stove-Top
- Place beans in a large bowl and cover with several inches of water. Let soak overnight or at least 8 hours.
- Rinse beans and put into a large pot or Dutch Oven. Add 7 cups of water (the water should just barely cover the beans), salt, cumin and a whole, peeled onion cut in half.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the beans are soft. The exact time will depend on the freshness of your beans. Check at about 45 minutes, then every 15 minutes after that up utnil 2 hours. Add more water to the pot, as needed, to keep the beans submerged. Cook the pinto beans until they are soft when mashed with a fork against the side of the pot, and the liquid has thickened.
- Once beans are cooked, remove onion and discard. Either remove the beans with a slotted spoon and serve whole, or blend to make smooth.
To make smooth "refried" beans
- Use a ladle to fill your blender with beans, and include enough of the liquid so that it reaches about halfway up the blender. Blend until very smooth. If needed, add a little more cooking liquid to make it blend. Pour into a container immediately while they are runny. They will be runny and thin at first, but thicken as they cool. They especially thicken overnight in the fridge. An immersion blender straight into the pot will also work, if you have one!To add more flavor, add about 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable broth base and about 1/2 cup salsa (I always eyeball this part) and blend.
To freeze:
- These beans freeze very well in individual glass or plastic containers, and can be thawed on the counter, under hot water, or in the microwave for future recipes. I always like to make a big batch and freeze some for a quick meal in the future. Souper Cubes or other 1-2 cup containers are great, so you can thaw out 1-2 cups at at time.
