Spicy Vegan Refried Beans Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated August 30, 2018
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A basic refried bean recipe flavored with onion, garlic, jalapeño, and chipotle. 100% vegan.

Note: To make using canned beans, replace the dried pinto beans with 2 (15-ounce) cans of cooked pinto beans, drained and rinsed. Start with step 2. Dry beans can also be cooked in a pressure cooker. To cook in a pressure cooker, skip the soaking step. Place in pressure cooker with split onion, bay leaf, 3 quarts water, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Cook at high pressure for 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 20 minutes. Release pressure and allow to cool before attempting to open lid. Discard onion and bay leaf. Drain beans, reserving liquid, and continue from step 2.

Recipe Details

Spicy Vegan Refried Beans Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 0 mins
Serves 8 to 10 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried pinto beans (see note)

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 2 medium onions, one split in half, one chopped (about 1 cup)

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced on a microplane grater (about 1 tablespoon)

  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced (about 1 tablespoon, optional)

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (optional)

Directions

  1. Place beans in a large bowl and add 1 gallon water. Stir in two tablespoons kosher salt. Set aside at room temperature and let rest overnight. The next day, drain and rinse beans. Transfer to a large Dutch oven. Add bay leaf, split onion, and 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook until beans are completely tender and skins are loose, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Discard onion and bay leaves. Drain beans, reserving liquid. (See note for pressure cooker or canned bean variations).

  2. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeño (if using) and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add beans and chipotle (if using) and cook, folding with a wooden spoon until homogenous. Add 2 cups of reserved bean liquid. Mash beans with a potato masher until desired consistency is reached, adding extra cooking liquid as necessary to loosen to desired texture. If smoother texture is required, use a hand blender or a food processor to process beans to desired texture. Season with salt to taste. Serve. Uneaten beans can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
223Calories
6gFat
32gCarbs
10gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories223
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g8%
Saturated Fat 1g3%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 258mg11%
Total Carbohydrate 32g12%
Dietary Fiber 8g27%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 7mg33%
Calcium 62mg5%
Iron 2mg14%
Potassium 699mg15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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