These refried black beans make a fantastic addition to tacos, burritos, tostadas or as a dip for tortilla chips. They’re great for busy weeknights because they come together quickly and are really easy to make.
In this recipe canned black beans are seasoned and gently mashed while cooking in a little bit of olive oil. We keep the ingredients simple, so there’s no slicing, dicing or chopping.
I love these refried beans because they’re really easy to make and they’re delicious! The family loves them too. I made beef tacos the other night for dinner. My son asks “where are the refried beans?” I said: didn’t make them today, just plain tacos. He was disappointed! Now I think they’re expected, these beans are that good!
Why use black instead or kidney or pinto beans?
Refried beans are traditionally made with pinto beans but red kidney beans and black beans are common too. The flavors are quite different so it’s a good way to change up the flavor profile of your favorite Mexican or Tex Mex dishes.
What kind of canned black beans should I use?
We use plain, unseasoned black beans. We are going to add our own seasoning mix so they’ll be plenty of flavor.
The ingredients list of the black beans consists of: prepared black beans, water and salt. That’s it. If you use “reduced sodium” beans, make sure to adjust the salt in the final dish.
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Ingredients
2 (15 ounce) cans Black Beans
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
You will also need:
Non-stick skillet (at least 10 inches)
Rubber spatula or wooden spoon for mashing
Prep Work
The prep work for this recipe is basically non-existent. We’re just going to make a seasoning mix and open two cans.
Why make a seasoning mix? Whenever I’m adding multiple seasonings to a dish at the same time I create a mix for two reasons. 1) I find that the flavors are distributed more evenly; and 2) I’m not standing over a hot pan trying to measure out five or six ingredients.
Add the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin powder, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Stir to combine well.
Make the refried beans
Add the olive oil to a non-stick skillet. Heat the oil over medium heat. When it’s hot, but nowhere near smoking, add the two cans of black beans. Do not drain the beans; add them in with the liquid.
Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the beans and stir well to combine.
Allow the beans to come to a simmer. Don’t crank the heat, it will take about 4-5 minutes, stir occasionally.
When the beans come to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and start mashing them. Use a rubber spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to gently smash the beans. Move around the skillet, mashing and stirring as you go.
Continue cooking and mashing for approximately 3-5 minutes, or until the beans have reached the desired consistency.
Take the beans off the heat and serve immediately. Give them a good stir every few minutes to keep them from looking dry on top.
Here we serve the refried black beans on a tostada, topped with diced tomatoes, queso fresco and green onions. Delicious!
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Refried Black Beans
Ingredients
- 2 15 ounce cans Black Beans
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Instructions
- You will also need: Non-stick skillet (at least 10 inches) and Rubber spatula or wooden spoon for mashing
- Add the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin powder, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Stir to combine well.
Make the refried beans
- Add the olive oil to a non-stick skillet. Heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but nowhere near smoking, add the two can of black beans. Do not drain the beans; add them in with the liquid.
- Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the beans and stir well to combine.
- Allow the beans to come to a simmer. Don’t crank the heat, it will take about 4-5 minutes, stir occasionally.
- When the beans come to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and start mashing them. Use a rubber spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to gently smash the beans. Move around the skillet, mashing and stirring as you go.
- Continue cooking and mashing for approximately 3-5 minutes, or until the beans have reached the desired consistency.
- Take the beans off the heat and serve immediately. If they look a little dry on top after a few minutes, just give them a good stir.
