Frijoles Refritos — Print Recipe

Silky smooth refried red silk beans cooked with onion and garlic, mashed and fried until creamy. The essential accompaniment to every Salvadoran meal.

Ingredients

500g red silk beans or red kidney beans
1 onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Water for cooking

Instructions

1 Soak beans overnight in plenty of water. Drain and rinse. Place in a pot with fresh water, onion, and garlic.
2 Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook until beans are completely tender, about one and a half hours. Add salt near the end.
3 Heat oil in a large skillet. Add cooked beans with some of their cooking liquid and begin mashing with a potato masher.
4 Continue mashing and stirring over medium heat until the beans reach a smooth, creamy consistency. Add more cooking liquid as needed.
5 The beans are ready when they form a thick, spreadable paste that pulls away from the pan. Adjust salt to taste.

Did You Know?

Salvadoran cooks judge each other by the quality of their refried beans, and being told your beans are good is one of the highest culinary compliments.