Runny Refried Beans

Refried beans are a basic side for anything Tex Mex. And while it may be tempting to just grab a can from the grocery store, with just a little time (most of it hands-off) and a handful of dried pinto beans, you can make refried beans that will go head to head with those served in any Mexican restaurant. I’m talking about the runny refried beans with a sprinkling of cojita cheese (the white crumbles) that you just can’t help scooping up with a tortilla chip. So easy to make at home and infinitely better than anything you could doctor from a can. This recipe is also very low in fat and calories which is just an added bonus.

We are going to bust a few myths that have persisted for years and are present in many recipes. Pre-soaking beans, fresh water to cook beans, only adding salt at the end of the cook so the beans are tender, all of these steps have been debated, tested and argued about on the internet. So if your recipe that has been handed down for generations tells you that each of these steps are necessary, feel free to prepare your beans using those steps. 

If you want permission to skip the extra work of presoaking, changing the soaking water to fresh water for cooking, and adding salt from the get-go, you have it. The only prep step I’m going to encourage you to follow is to check the dried beans for non-bean stuff, broken or shriveled beans and discard them, after that it is easy to fill the pressure cooker or instant pot and let it do its thing.

Dried Bean Serving Amounts

A typical serving of beans is about 1/2 cup. Dried pinto beans more than double in size after cooking so plan on 1/4 cup per serving. To help with other conversions, here are some common conversions.

• 1 pound dry pinto beans are 2 cups dry pinto beans
• 1 pound dry pinto beans make about 6 cups drained cooked beans
• 1 cup dry pinto beans make about 3 cups cooked beans, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can of pinto beans is 1-3/4 cups beans, drained which is about 3-1/2 servings.

This recipe is for flavorful runny refried beans, so we are going to add seasonings to the dried beans and pressure cook on high for 45 minutes. After blending the beans and liquid to your preferred texture, a quick saute with onions, adjusting the seasoning and adding fresh cilantro and cojita cheese will finish the dish. So break out the chips and salsa, in about 60 minutes you will be ready to eat.

Serve these runny refried beans with delicious foolproof Mexican rice! Both sides are perfect for serving with Hatch Chile Verde.

Runny Refried Beans

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• Author: Chef Lisa
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings 1x
• Category: side dish
• Method: pressure cooker/ Instant Pot
• Cuisine: Tex Mex
• Diet: Low Fat

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Description

You can easily make runny refried beans like your favorite Mexican restaurant serves at home. These flavorful creamy beans are so good and easy to make.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups dried pinto beans (1 pound) 
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered 
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons dried bullion of choice (vegetable, chicken or tomato chicken)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 cups of water 
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon chile powder to taste
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced (1/2 cup)
• Cojita cheese for garnish

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Instructions

1. In a pressure cooker or instant pot, add beans, quartered onion, garlic, bay leaf, bouillon powder, cumin, oregano, and water. Attach lid and set the pressure to high.
2. Cook for 45 minutes and quick-release pressure. (The beans will be liquidy which is good.)
3. Remove the bay leaf and discard it.
4. Carefully add the hot beans and liquid to a blender and blend until the desired texture. I recommend you do this in halves. For the first half, blend an until almost smooth, blend the second half less so there are still chunks of beans.
5. In a large saute pan, heat the oil and saute the diced onions over medium-high heat until translucent.
6. Add the pureed beans to the saute pan and heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from heat.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings by adding kosher salt, black pepper, and chile powder as desired.
8. Sprinkle with cilantro and garnish with crumbled cojita cheese.

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Notes

You can make these runny refried beans vegetarian by using vegetable bouillon. I really like using Knorr’s Tomato Chicken bouillon in this dish.

Refried beans can easily be made ahead, and even frozen. 

If freezing, let the beans cool and then transfer to a zip-close bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, let the beans thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat as desired.

You may want to add a drizzle of water (or even milk) to the beans to thin them out after refrigerating.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 5 ounces

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