Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb (about 1 C) dried pinto or black beans
  • water
  • 1/2 medium onion, peeled and left whole
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 sprigs cilantro
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt, to taste
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 C onion, chcopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 C cooked pinto or black beans
  • 2-3 lime wedges
  • jalapeno, shredded cheese, diced white onion, diced tomato, fresh cilantro, for serving

Instructions

  1. Cook Dried Beans – Stovetop Method There is no need to soak the beans for this recipe. Rinse the dried beans then add to a large pot. Add the onion half, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs. Cover with at least 3 inches of water. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the beans are extremely tender (almost silky inside), 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If during cooking the beans look dry, add a splash more water.

Remove the onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs, and then discard them. Season the beans and liquid with salt. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there based on your tastes.

Drain the beans, but do not discard the cooking liquid. We will use some of the liquid for making the refried beans. You will need about 3 cups of the beans to make refried beans. If you have more than 3 cups, reserve the rest for another recipe.

  1. Cook Dried Beans – Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Method There is no need to soak the beans for this recipe. Rinse the dried beans then add to a 6-quart pressure cooker (we have an Instant Pot). Add the onion half, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs. Add about 6 cups of water, but do not fill past the “max fill line.” Add 1 teaspoon of neutral oil like vegetable or olive oil (this prevents the beans from foaming).

Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes, and then allow the cooker to naturally release (you can tell when it is safe to open the cooker when the steam release valve drops). We recommend you read the user manual of your specific pressure cooker before using this method.

Remove the onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cilantro sprigs, and then discard them. Season the beans and liquid with salt. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there based on your tastes.

Drain the beans, but do not discard the cooking liquid. We will use some of the liquid for making the refried beans. You will need about 3 cups of the beans to make refried beans. If you have more than 3 cups, reserve the rest for another recipe.

  1. Make Refried Beans In a large, skillet — a cast iron pan is perfect here — heat the oil (or butter/lard/bacon drippings) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it smells sweet and is starting to brown around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the minced garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the 3 cups of cooked beans, moving them around the pan for a minute or two so that they are heated through. Add 1 cup of the bean cooking liquid and then use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to mash the beans into your desired consistency.

If, as you are mashing, the beans seem a little dry, add a splash more liquid. The beans do dry out over time, so it’s a good idea to keep the cooking liquid near by to maintain the best consistency, especially if you are making them in advance.

Taste the beans and adjust with additional salt, pepper or spices. Serve with a squeeze of lime and your favorite toppings scattered on top.

  1. Substituting Canned Beans Use 2 (15-ounce) cans of pinto or black beans. Two cans will be approximately 2 3/4 cups of beans, which is close enough to 3 cups for this recipe.

Open the cans, drain, and then rinse the beans. Follow the recipe instructions in the section labeled “Make Refried Beans” above, but replace the 3 cups of home-cooked beans for canned beans. Instead of using the bean cooking liquid for thinning the refried beans, you will need to substitute for another liquid. We recommend using a flavorful stock (vegetable stock or chicken stock), you will need 1 to 1 1/2 cups.