Do you enjoy eating refried beans at your favorite Mexican restaurant? They can, however, be just as tasty at home! There are numerous ways to use canned refried beans in appetizers, meals, salads, and sides. Sure, just warm them up and serve them with the main course like steak or chicken. You can also go all out and combine them with Mexican rice or on homemade tortillas with pico de gallo and guacamole. You can also use canned refried beans to make something completely different, such as Ree Drummond's chicken tostadas or enchilada casserole.
While we're at it, did you realize that refried beans aren't truly fried twice? The term "refried beans" is derived from the Spanish term for the dish, "frijoles refritos," which means "well-fried beans." You can make your own refried beans from dry beans, or you can use canned beans for a quick shortcut. Most canned refried beans are made using pinto beans, but they can also be made with kidney or black beans, depending on your preferences. Stock up the next time you go food shopping from storesgo.com
How Do You Make Refried Beans?
The beans are boiled and mashed until thick, then flavored with garlic, chipotle, or jalapeno. Sometimes the beans are cooked in a frying pan using pork lard, but this is not always the case; it is likely that vegetable oil is now more commonly used in Mexico.
However, it is possible to skip this step, in which case the refried beans will be considerably healthier and vegan. If you care about this, always read the back of the pouch or can before eating.
How To Serve Refried Beans Best
The ideal side dish for Mexican meals is refried beans. Serve the beans warm and top with cheese if you'd like. Burrito filler, tostada spread, nachos topped, or just as a dip on their own are some more uses. They are totally adaptable and can be added to the main dish or served as a side dish to any Mexican meal.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Making this soup only requires a few minutes. Start by taking a rotisserie chicken's skin off. Take the meat off the bones. Chop the chicken, then discard the bones. Combine the chicken, refried beans, taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes, corn, black beans, and chicken broth in a sizable stockpot or Dutch oven. Before serving, bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer for a short while.
Refried Bean Soup
Cook onions and carrots in olive oil in a soup pot until they are tender.
For a few more minutes, add the garlic and roasted red bell peppers.
Stir in the spices and chipotle puree after adding them.
Refried beans, stock, and undrained tomatoes should be added. Refried beans are stirred into the soup as it is brought to a boil.
Reduce heat, add black or pinto beans, and simmer for an additional few minutes to let flavors merge.
If you're in a rush, you can eat it right away, or you can let it simmer for 10-15 minutes (a great time to create a salad or quesadilla!).
Enchilada Casserole
Try Ree's green chile enchilada casserole and you'll understand what we mean when we say that refried beans are also ideal for layering with tortillas and gooey cheese!
Set the oven to 375 degrees. In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet set over low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and simmer for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
Enchilada sauce, green chiles, and adobo sauce are added after the skillet has been taken off the heat. Reserve the sauce after transferring all but 2 teaspoons to a bowl.
Four tortillas should be placed over the sauce in the skillet so that they slightly overlap in the middle and extend up the sides.
Place half of the corn and 114 cups of cheese on top of the tortillas. Add half of the refried beans and 12 cup of the saved green sauce on the top. Repeat the process with 4 additional tortillas, 1 1/4 cups cheese, the remaining corn, the remaining beans, and 1/2 cup green sauce.
Add the remaining 5 tortillas, the remaining green sauce, and the remaining cheese on top. Bake the skillet until hot and bubbling, about 35 minutes. Cover with foil. Bake for another 10 minutes without the foil, or until the topping is set. 10 minutes should pass before serving. Add cilantro and pico de gallo to the top.
Pizza Sauce
The "sauce" for a Tex-Mex pizza that is made from refried beans and salsa is excellent! Add extras like pico de gallo, lettuce, cilantro, and sour cream to make it more exciting.
Burritos
Refried beans and shredded cheese are warmed up and used as a burrito filling. Ree also includes ground beef, but you can also include vegetables, avocado, or anything else you like!
Prepare traditional black beans
Warm refried beans and shredded cheese are used as a filler for burritos. Ree also uses ground beef, but you may substitute any other ingredient you like, such as vegetables or avocado. Add the whole, cooked black beans and heat through, stirring occasionally. Black beans are transformed into refried beans when they are mashed with a potato masher and cooked in a skillet.
Until they get the appropriate consistency, gradually add and mix small amounts of the reserved bean juice, also known as aquafaba. Take them off the heat whenever you're satisfied with the texture, and they're ready! You can use any cooking liquid in this recipe; bean juice is not necessary.
With fresh cilantro or any other garnish, serve these delectable beans as a side dish. You already know there are a variety of uses for these perfectly mashed black beans.
Conclusion
The ideal side dish for Mexican meals is refried beans. Serve the beans warm and top with cheese if you'd like. Burrito filler, tostada spread, nachos topped, or just as a dip on their own are some more uses.
Black beans are a good source of fiber that is filling and good for the heart. They also contain significant levels of iron, magnesium, and folate. Black beans are naturally fat-free and high in protein (8 grams per 1/2 cup).
The same technique can also be used to make refried pinto beans in addition to black beans, which we highly suggest. Consider hardy white beans like haricot or navy for a change. Compared to smaller, softer beans, kidney beans may be less creamy and more rigid.