Jalapeño Refried Beans
This is an adaptation of a recipe found in the cookbook The Homesick Texan by Lisa Fain. I modified it from the Jalapeño Pinto Beans recipe and a normal refried recipe. With adjustments for spice depending on the diners.
This is an adaptation of a recipe found in the cookbook The Homesick Texan by Lisa Fain. I modified it from the Jalapeño Pinto Beans recipe and a normal refried recipe. With adjustments for spice depending on the diners.
- Carbohydrate 6.82900386922737 g
- Cholesterol 48.5010416796223 mg
- Fat 11.9730694382081 g
- Fiber 1.92547904973908 g
- Protein 11.6071828487409 g
- Saturated Fat 4.70688924682561 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (106g)
- Sodium 175.494241797736 mg
- Sugar 4.90352481948829 g
- Trans Fat 1.01844975180076 g
- Calories 183 calories
Step-by-step
- First this can be done with dried beans, either pinto or black, or canned beans. My advice for canned beans is to get low sodium or salt free.
- If using dried beans:
- 1) rinse and sort the beans, removing any stone or shriveled beans
- 2) place the beans in a large pot and cover with one inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 mins
- 3) drain and rinse the beans, then return to the pot. Cover with 2 inches of water.
- 4) add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to the pot. Bring pot to a boil and reduce head to low. Simmer covered from 4-6 hours or until beans tender. Once tender stir in the vinegar(or jalapeño juice) and salt then cook 10 more minutes.
- If using canned beans:
- 1) drain the beans and rinse them
- 2) put the beans in the pot, add half one can worth of water
- 3) add the onions, garlic, jalapeños and bring to a boil for 15 minutes.
- 4) add the vinegar(or jalapeño juice) and salt then reduce heat to a dimmer for 10 mins.
- For both types of beans then do the following:
- 5) drain the liquid into a container for use later
- 6) mash the beans with a ricer or potato masher
- 7) in a skillet melt the butter over medium heat
- 8) add in the beans and stir until all the butter is absorbed
- 9) add in the reserved juice, plus the broth. Stir Until absorbed. Add in the cumin and salt to taste. Then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- 10) stir occasionally until the water is boiled mostly off and the beans are the right texture
- 11) feel free to serve with cheese on top.
Swapping dried beans for canned beans alters the cooking time from a six-hour simmer down to twenty-five minutes, but the resulting starches behave differently in the pan. Purists rely on dried pinto beans because the prolonged simmering breaks down the seed coats naturally, releasing starches that create a creamy consistency without excessive added fat. Canned alternatives require thorough rinsing to eliminate the metallic brine flavor, and opting for low-sodium varieties prevents the final dish from becoming overly salty once the liquid reduces. Using a standard potato masher leaves rustic chunks, whereas a potato ricer forces the softened legumes through a fine plate to yield a completely uniform, silky puree.
- Reserve the cooking liquid before mashing; starches suspended in this water act as an emulsifier when reintegrated with the butter or vegetable oil.
- Maintain medium heat when melting the fat to prevent scorching the minced garlic and onions during the initial incorporation phase.
- Add the ground cumin toward the end of the reduction process so the volatile aromatic compounds do not degrade under prolonged heat.
- Adjust the heat down to medium-low once the broth and reserved bean liquor are stirred in, allowing moisture to evaporate gradually without burning the bottom of the skillet.
Proper reduction yields a dense, spreadable paste that holds its shape on the plate rather than pooling into a watery puddle. Controlling the moisture level through careful observation of the simmering liquid ensures the final texture remains rich without breaking.
