^{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.

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Chipotle Pepper Refried Beans

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The best refried beans for any Mexican or Southwest dinner. A spicy and hearty side that’ll reclaim this generic topping as a star on the plate!

Prep Time:5

Cook Time:1 15

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.

Notes

Ingredients and Techniques

A lot of refried beans are made with added oil or lard. This recipe is simple and doesn’t require a ton of fat to make them delicious. In fact, the flavor comes from the chiles and the seasoning.

I cheated on this one, I used canned pinto beans. I know they would be even better with dried soaked beans but some times there is little to no time. And this works just fine. Just watch the salt that’s added but canned beans really are ok!

How long does it last and where?

These last for 6-7 days in the fridge.

Can you freeze it?

I don’t see why not. I know hummus and chili can be frozen so I don’t see why this would be much different. Plus they’re already broken down and sometimes freezing something breaks down the texture more – in this case – it’s okay. Just freeze either in an airtight container, or a freezer friendly bag. Reheat on the stovetop on medium heat.

Substitutions?

Any bean! Black, white, pinto, kidney (although that would be very unique) can work. I would stick with black or pinto if you want a more traditional look and texture to this side. But the flavors really would pair well with anything. Vegetables can be added such as sautéed carrots, celery and zucchini. You know I’m not opposed to adding more veggies to anything!

Tips and tricks

When it comes time to blend the beans, avoid blending them too long or they will lose that great chunky component. But – if you prefer that, this is your recipe.

You can also add more spice to them, if you dare – but I assure you it is spicy enough to start. If you want to remove the spice, just know that doing so takes away from the overall flavor. Roasted jalapeños that have been seeded and deveined may be an alternative to the chipotle and reduce the heat.

What to serve with it if you have leftovers?

You can double the batch and use in The Ultimate Vegetarian Taco Dip. Honestly – double the batch anyway and serve with tacos, fajitas or throw into a quesadilla for lunch. Considering I use refried beans in my game day turkey chili – I can imagine these would be great!