This is an easy and delicious recipe for “refried” black beans. These are great in tacos, enchiladas, or as side.
I like to use freshly cooked dry black beans in this. I used to think that it was a lot of extra work to start with dried beans . . . until I started doing it. Obviously it’s not an option if you come home from work on a weeknight and want to whip these up, but if you know you want to make them in the next couple of nights, you just throw some in a pan of water to soak, then boil them while you are doing something else around the house. Once I started using the dried beans, I really noticed the improvement in flavor and texture. Now I use dried beans almost exclusively. Of course, you can absolutely use well-rinsed canned beans and have a great result with this recipe as well.
Probably more important than the beans is the broth. Be sure to use a good broth that you really like the taste of, because the broth adds a lot of flavor to the final dish.
These freeze well, so when I make them, I make a big batch, have black bean tacos that night, and use the leftovers in another meal later in the week, or freeze them.
"Refried" Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP canola oil
- 1/2 yellow onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalepeno or fresno chile minced (remove seeds and ribs for a more mild chile flavor)
- 1 1/2 TBSP cumin
- 1 TBSP ancho chile powder
- 1 tsp chipotle chile powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 cups cooked black beans if using canned beans, be sure to rinse them well
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth*
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 2 TBSP chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add canola oil.
- Add onions, garlic and chile and cook for 5-7 minutes until softened and beginning to brown.
- Add cumin and ground chiles and paprika and cook for another minute until spices are fragrant.
- Add 1 cup of beans and 1/2 cup of broth to pan and mash beans using a potato masher until they have a paste-like consistency, then add another 1 cup of beans and 1/2 cup of broth and repeat process. When all beans are mashed, remove from heat and mix in liquid smoke, lime juice and cilantro.
