Refried beans, or frijoles refritos, are served as a side dish in Mexico. They also can be used as an ingredient in Mexican foods such as burritos or nachos. They are not just a restaurant specialty— refried beans are very simple and inexpensive to make at home. No specialty equipment or ingredients are required. Read on to learn how to make refried beans that your friends and family will enjoy.

Refried Beans are a traditional Mexican dish, usually made with pinto beans. They are not actually fried twice; dried beans are first prepared in a traditional manner, by boiling for several hours, and then are mashed and cooked again with shortening and seasonings.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bag of dried pinto beans
• Water
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• Salt

Equipment:

• 4 quart saucepot
• Colander
• Frying pan
• Large spoon

1. Rinse the beans in cold water, and remove any foreign matter, like stones or twigs
2. Place the rinse beans in a pot, and cover with water. Make sure there is at least 3 inches of water over the top of the beans.
3. Bring the water to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Cover the pot, and turn off the heat.
5. Let the beans sit, covered for at least an hour.
6. Pour off the soaking water.
7. Add fresh water, again making sure that the beans are covered by at least 3 inches of water.
8. Bring the beans to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until tender. This will take 2-3 hours, depending on the age of the beans.
9. Strain the beans, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
10. Heat the oil in a frying pan.
11. Add the beans and the reserved cooking water
12. Stir the beans, mashing them with the spoon as you cook. Its not necessary to get a uniform texture, but you should have more mashed beans than whole beans when done.
13. Add salt to taste

While pinto beans remain the traditional choice for refried beans, you can also experiment with different varieties, which can offer slightly different flavors and textures. Black beans are a popular choice, and have a rich, earthy taste.

If you want added flavor in the dish (no matter what type of beans you use), try frying some chopped garlic and onions in the pan before adding the boiled and strained beans (add these ingredients in step 10 above). This will infuse the refried beans with flavor. If you enjoy spicy food, you may wish to add some fresh, chopped jalapeno or serrano peppers as well, or some crushed red pepper flakes.