Before meeting my husband, I never thought much of re-fried beans. Without fail, they were tasteless, unimaginative, and unappetizing to boot. When I sat down to eat Kurt's refried beans for the first time in what would become a long career of eating Mexican food, I already knew I was in for a treat. The aroma itself was enough to entice me. As I tasted it, I was met with a whole host of flavors the likes of which I’d never enjoyed before in any Mexican eatery. Unsurprisingly, I instantly converted into a bean-lover and haven't looked back since. It's not just that they are the perfect blend of spicy and flavorful; they instantly take your Mexican dish to another level, whether as an accompaniment or as part of the dish itself.
It gets better: Kurt’s re-fried beans are made in the crock pot, making the cooking process vastly easier. That said, make sure to give yourself enough time here. Since we’re using dry beans, you’ll want to soak them overnight. Likewise, these beans take about all day to make.
Re-fried Beans
Ways to make it your own
You can tailor these any way you like. Arguably, no two refried bean dishes are the same; there's just so many ways you can play around with your ingredients. The below recipe is a starting outline, one for you to use, but also to tweak as you see fit. We change up our beans just about every time we make them, but they're no less delicious every time! Here are just a few ways to change things up:
A few years back, we discovered our beans tasted better after soaking in a blend of homemade chicken stock and water. If you don't have stock (or don't want to use it), water is fine. So is using only chicken stock.
You might want to adjust your spice level depending on how spicy you like your beans. We Kindermanns believe spice should take you to another dimension, but we understand not everyone holds those same views. I'd suggest adding your chipotle peppers tsp by tsp, and taste testing until you are satisfied.
You can adjust the amount of butter and sour cream you use, depending on how creamy and rich you like your beans.
Feel free to add whatever spices you like or adjust the amounts shown. As always, the spices I’ve listed are a suggestion only. I encourage you to add or replace whatever you want.
Since I got my first immersion blender seven years ago, we've used that to give our beans a creamy texture. If you don't have one, mash them the old-fashioned way. I would not recommend using a blender, as it will be too powerful, and you don't want your beans to be like soup. Of course, you can forego mashing your beans altogether if that’s how you like them.
Ingredients
1 lb. dry pinto beans (2 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 1/2 cups water
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp of chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
6 tbsp unsalted butter (plant-based butter to make it vegan)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3/4 cup sour cream (or plant-based sour cream)
Directions:
Rinse your beans thoroughly and place in your crock pot. Do not turn on the crock pot. Pour in the chicken stock and water. Let soak overnight or for at least 12 hours. The beans should look considerably plumper and ever so slightly more pliable.
Turn the crock pot on to its lowest setting. From here you can either let the beans cook for a few hours, or put in your onion, garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and spices straight away. Let cook for several hours.
After several hours of cooking, you’ll notice the beans becoming softer and more malleable. At this point, you can add your cilantro and your butter. You can let the beans cook for another hour or two, or if the beans are ready, proceed with the next steps.
Add the sour cream and stir the beans until it’s fully incorporated into the beans. Take your immersion blender and carefully blend the beans until they’re smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Enjoy with any Mexican dish of your choosing, or use in bean burritos, nachos, or as taco topping. Once they’ve cooled, you can store beans in an air-tight container. They will last for a week in the fridge.
