Best 6 Chef Johns Refried Beans Recipes

REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Reserve about a third of the beans. Mash the rest of the beans in a medium bowl with a large fork. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the spices and cook until fragrant about 1 minute.
• Add the mashed beans and half the broth; cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved beans and the enough of the remaining broth to loosen up the beans. Simmer until the beans are thick but not pasty, about 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the fresh coriander, if desired, and serve.

QUICK AND EASY REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Heat canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
• Cook garlic cloves in hot oil, turning once, until brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Smash garlic cloves in skillet with a fork.
• Stir pinto beans, cumin, chili powder, and salt into mashed garlic and cook until beans are thoroughly heated, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Smash bean mixture with a potato masher to desired texture. Squeeze lime juice over smashed beans and stir until combined.

CHEF JOHN'S BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Soak navy beans overnight in a large bowl with enough water by several inches. Drain and place beans into a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with 6 cups water, baking soda, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, saving bean-cooking liquid.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Transfer beans into clean Dutch oven and stir bacon, onion, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper into beans. Pour enough of the hot reserved bean liquid in to cover beans; stir.
• Cover Dutch oven and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Check liquid level and add more of the reserved bean liquid to bring liquid up to cover beans. Return to oven and continue baking until beans are tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 1 hour.
• Raise oven heat to 350; bake beans uncovered in oven until top develops a flavorful crust, 20 to 30 more minutes.

CHEF JOHN'S SANTA MARIA-STYLE BEANS

Steps:

• Place pink beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Drain.
• Place drained beans in a stockpot with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook until almost completely tender, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
• While beans are simmering, cook and stir bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until cooked through but not crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add ham; cook and stir until ham is heated through, about 1 minute. Stir garlic into ham mixture and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, ketchup, sugar, dry mustard, paprika, chili powder, salt, chipotle chile powder, and oregano. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.
• Drain beans, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Combine beans, reserved liquid, and tomato mixture in the beans stockpot; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and mixture has thickened, about 30 minutes.

BEST REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Put the pinto beans in a bowl and cover with 2 inches of water. Soak for 8 hours to overnight.
• Transfer the beans to a medium saucepan and cover with water by about 1 inch. Add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, celery seed, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let cook for 1 1/2 hours.
• Use a colander to separate the liquid from the solids. Transfer the solids to a food processor with diced tomatoes, hot sauce, oregano, and cayenne. Blend to desired consistency.

REFRIED BEANS WITHOUT THE REFRY

Steps:

• Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.
• Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.