A blast of authentic Asian flavors will make you question if you really ever need…
Chipotle Pepper Refried Beans
The best refried beans for any Mexican or Southwestern style dinner. A spicy and hearty side that’ll reclaim this generic topping as a star on the plate!
I absolutely love beans! It’s one of the odd things I look forward to when I go to a Mexican restaurant because they’re so hearty and they come with or go with everything. I really don’t think any Southwestern or Mexican dish should be served without it.
I’m going to confess here too: Sometimes…after a night of a few extra drinks…just a few…I CRAVE meals that have spicy beans. I want chili, tacos and once I just ordered beans to put on a salad. I can’t give a reason…it’s just a thing.

The best taco, fajita or burrito meals that were served with beans always came with WHOLE chunky refried beans as an accompaniment. I don’t know where things went wrong but sometimes beans get too pureed and gloopy on a plate. Don’t get me wrong, I still eat them but it is not the same.

This side almost became as just as popular as the fajitas I made four different ways. I invited my friends over to try me fajitas, salsas and a few Mexican dishes. This was credited as one of the best sides to the meal because of their texture and really great smoky-sweet flavor. They’re chunky, meaty and spicy – what’s not to love? Plus, it has very little fat, and is full of protein and fiber.
Ingredients
- 2 (15 oz.) cans pinto beans drained
- 2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- ⅓ cup onions diced
- ¼ cup green bell pepper diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 small lime zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- vegetable stock (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, spray with non stick cooking spray and bring to medium heat. When the pan gets warm add onions and pepper. Allow to cook for 2 minutes.
- Add garlic, garlic powder, cumin and chili powder. Cook for another minute. Add slightly drained beans, chipotle peppers and sauce to the pot.
- Let beans cook for 10 minutes with the lid on the pot. Remove lid and cook on low-medium heat. Add lime juice and zest, salt and pepper based on taste.
- *For a more looser consistency, add vegetable stock by the tablespoon until desired thickness*
- Using an immersion blender, blend for 10-15 seconds. This does not need to be fully blended but just slightly. The back of a spoon or a fork can also be used for manual mashing.
- Allow to simmer on low for 30 minutes – 1 hour if needed.