Beefy Refried Beans for Quick Burritos or a Tex-Mex Sidedish

Beefy Refried Beans for Quick Burritos and more are cooked and mashed pinto beans coupled with ground beef and several seasonings, resulting in extreme flavor.

Indiana farm girls (that’s me) did not eat much Mexican food back in the sixties. 

If you’re a midwesterner in my age range, amIright?

One of the ministers at our church was a Texas transplant. One Sunday night, his wife served our family tacos. I remember they had to explain how to assemble and eat them.  Delicious!!

That may have been the night I decided I must marry a Texan (which I did).

Back then, cooking Mexican food in the midwest was not easy.

If you wanted corn tortillas, they were only available at the largest grocery store in town.  And, they were in a can. Imagine that!

Which reminds me…

A glass jar of tamales was sitting in my mom’s pantry for several years.  I can picture it clearly. That jar was always getting moved around in the cabinet as we looked for something more appetizing. When we finally opened the jar, the tamales were mushy and flavorless.

It’s a wonder I ever touched Mexican food again. As a matter of fact, I’m still not a huge fan of tamales. Maybe that’s why.

On the other hand, our whole family loves refried beans!

Throughout my married life, I have tried many refried bean recipes. This one is slightly more complicated but a ton tastier.  Ground beef increases the flavor considerably.  You don’t have to use the more traditional lard or bacon grease unless you just want to.

There’s more…

These beans freeze beautifully. One tortilla plus a small serving of these refried beans equals an effortless, healthy lunch when eaten with my daily salad.

How to make Beefy Refried Beans for Quick Burritos and More:

If you make this and enjoy the recipe, it would help me and others if you would return to this post and leave a rating (on the recipe card itself underneath the picture). Although always appreciated, no comment is required. Thanks so much! Paula

Beefy Refried Beans for Quick Burritos and More

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 9 hours

Total Time: 9 hours 30 minutes

Refried beans coupled with ground beef and several seasonings results in extreme flavor appropriate as a Tex-Mex side dish or burrito filling.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound dried pinto beans (could also use 4 (15 oz.) cans of pinto beans, well rinsed and drained)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (omit if using canned beans)
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce (contains no oysters; available in the Oriental section)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (buying it by the tube makes this easy)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (may substitute 1/2 to 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeno peppers )
• 1/2 teaspoon Adobo seasoning (a Puerto Rican spice mixture; if unavailable, substitute 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano)

Instructions

1. Soak beans and cook according to package, adding salt AFTER beans are tender.
2. Meanwhile, combine beef, garlic, egg, oyster sauce, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix it together however you can. Hands work best--it's like making meatloaf. Put in bowl and cover with plastic wrap to marinate while beans cook.
3. When beans are tender, drain off juice and reserve.
4. In separate skillet, brown ground beef mixture, onions and jalapeno pepper. Drain excess grease.
5. Combine beans and meat in one pot and start mashing. A fork will work but a masher or granny fork works faster. Mash until there are no obvious whole beans but still some texture. If you don't like lumps, put small batches in a food processor. Add reserved liquid till beans are the thickness you like. If they are still too thick, add a little more water.
6. Season with Adobo seasoning and simmer on the stove over low heat for another 30-45 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 216 Total Fat: 7g Saturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 61mg Sodium: 665mg Carbohydrates: 19g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 1g Protein: 20g

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• Tamale Pie
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• Refried Beans in the Instant Pot