These refried black beans are going to become a staple in your fridge. A delicious dip, a fantastic spread and the perfect meat replacement in so many dishes.
These simple refried black beans are a go-to meat substitute in our household. They are so full of flavour and easy to make that I often make these beans simply because I’m too lazy to make anything else.
The black beans are cooked as part of the canning process and then fried on the pan so they are technically cooked twice. Though not refried per se we consider this to satisfy the implication in the title.
The frying component is what makes this recipe great. It is the process during which the beans absorb all the flavour of the spices, transforming them from just plain old black beans to delicious simple refried black beans.
I highly recommend that you don’t replace or skimp on any of the spices suggested here as it’s the combination, as suggested, that really makes the black beans come to life.
Preparing Refried Back Beans
Ingredients
Black beans: A pulse, these beans are full of protein and fibre and are a great way to facilitate a plant-based diet. They are small bean that is dark in colour and are about ½ inch long. Black beans are most commonly used in Latin American cuisines.
Onion: Onions are an important addition to this recipe. I like to use red onion which has a nice mild flavour both in its raw form and cooked.
Garlic: Garlic is a bulb that is edible and is grown in soil. Though the green shoots it sprouts, called garlic scapes, are also edible, we are referring to the actual bulb that the scapes grow from. Garlic bulbs are made up of multiple cloves and depending on the variety you may have anywhere from 4 to 10 cloves, if not more. This is important to know because recipes will often call for a specific number of cloves but you want to make sure you know what the actual measurement is to add the right amount.
Lime: Lime fruit is a green citrus fruit that is very sour. It has a very refreshing flavour but is often used in small quantities as that sour, sometimes almost bitter, flavour is very strong.
Cilantro: Cilantro is also known as coriander. They are in fact the same however the naming conventions vary between the Americas and other parts of the world. In America, cilantro is often referencing the fresh stem and leaf of the plant while coriander refers to the plant’s dried seeds. You will note that this is how I use these two terms. Other parts of the world refer to this plant as coriander and to its dried version as coriander seeds.
Paprika: I use sweet paprika for this recipe. It is not sweet in the sugary sense, but compared to its spicy and smoked siblings it is definitely the sweetest of them all.
Cumin: Cumin is a seed from a plant that is part of the parsley family. Though the plant is native to Asia and the Mediterranean, the spice is used in cuisines all over the world. I would describe the flavour as pungent and earthy. It is definitely a unique taste and as such should be used carefully as it can easily overpower a dish.
Ground coriander: See the description of cilantro above. Ground coriander in this recipe is referring to the dried seed of the plant that has been ground to a powder.
Allspice: Allspice is a ground unripe berry that comes from a tropical plant called Pimenta diaoica. It is used in many cuisines including Mexican, Jamaican and middle eastern. It is a very strong, smoky and almost sweet flavour and should be used carefully as it can easily overpower a meal.
Stock: Any stock will be great in this recipe. If you want to keep this recipe vegetarian use vegetable stock.
How to Make Refried Black Beans
Prepare All The Ingredients
Start by prepping all of your ingredients.
Wash and chop the cilantro. Cut the lime in half and juice. Dice the onion and peel the garlic. Set these ingredients aside.
Next, you need to prep the black beans. Open the can of beans and pour the contents into a sieve over the sink. Rinse the beans thoroughly using cold water until the water flowing in the sink runs clear. You want to get all that brine from the can off the beans.
If you prefer, you can also prep all the spices. Dump them all into a small bowl so that they are ready to use when needed.
Fry The Black Beans
Now it’s time to start cooking. Heat the oil in a medium pan. Once warmed, add the diced onion and cook until they are just translucent. Stir occasionally to prevent browning.
Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds or so, then add the black beans. 
Toss everything together and add all the spices to coat the beans evenly. You want to cook these for about a minute to toast the spices a little.
Next, add the stock. The stock will be all the liquid that we add so you don’t want it to cook down too much. Stir everything together and cook for a few minutes stirring occasionally.
Once the beans have begun to soften further, take your spatula and begin pressing down on the beans mashing them. Keep doing this to all the beans until you have reached your desired consistency. I like to make these slightly chunky but it’s really about personal preference.
Refried Black Beans As A Dip
If you are going to use these as a dip, add the beans to a blender and add a tablespoon of stock and another tablespoon of oil then blend until smooth. This should give you a creamy consistency.
Serving Refried Black Beans
These simple refried black beans are a great addition to tacos, burritos, or burrito bowls, or quesadillas. Add them to a salad for extra protein and fibre or put them on top of rice for a main dish.
If you opt to make them into a dip, they are great for dipping tortilla chips or toasted pita chips.
Let us know in the comments if you have any questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Refried Black Beans Recipe
Equipment
- Knife
- Pan
- Spatula
- Juicer
Ingredients
For Dip
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp stock
Instructions
- Chop the red onion and peel the garlic. Wash and chop the cilantro and juice half a lime.½ red onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp cilantro
- Next, drain and rinse the canned black beans in a strainer.541 ml black beans
- Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onions and sauté just until translucent. Press in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.1 tbsp oil, ½ red onion, 1 clove garlic
- Add the black beans to the pan and all the spices. Cook for a couple of minutes stirring occasionally.541 ml black beans, ½ tbsp cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ¼ tsp allspice, 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Add the stock to the pan and simmer for a few minutes.½ cup stock
- Using your spatula, gently press down to mash the beans. The consistency is up to you so mash as many or as few as you like. Remove from heat.
- Add lime and cilantro to the refried beans and stir.1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp cilantro
- If you plan to use these refried beans as a dip, add the additional oil and/or stock to a blender. Then add the refried black beans and blend until smooth. Add more stock and/or oil until you reach your desired consistency.1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp stock
