Refried Black Beans (Vegan, Super Simple)
Swap The Slimy, Canned Refried Beans For Smooth, Creamy Refried Black Beans! Use It To Make Taco Pizza Or For Your Taco Night Needs.
Sick of eating the same meal for dinner every single day? I have a great solution for your chef-block! Make a Taco Pizza for a quick, yet unique recipe that you can whip up using leftovers! It is super fun to make with your family and can be a great way to spice up those leftovers. It’s one of my go-to meal ideas lately and exactly what you need for your weeknight family dinner.
Refried Black Beans
What are Refried Beans and why are they called that? Refried doesn’t mean that the beans have been fried twice, rather it means that they are well-fried. They are first cooked in water to soften them and then they are fried in fat and seasonings. There is something special about adding homemade ingredients to your meals and this Taco Pizza calls for homemade refried beans. Refried beans just taste better made from scratch. They beat the canned stuff any day. One of my favorite things about homemade beans is that you can season them according to your preferences.
My favorite type of refried beans is Refried Black Beans! I’ll be honest, I don’t have solid reasoning preferring refried black beans over regular refried beans, it’s just a personal preference. You can either whip up a quick batch of refried beans in 15 minutes (recipe below) or use leftovers from Taco Tuesday!
Making A Taco Pizza
You can use these refried black beans in so many ways, like to make this Taco Pizza! I cannot emphasize how easy and customizable this recipe is! It can also be a fun way to get the whole family involved with custom pizzas. Let’s break the recipe down so I can show you how simple it really is!
- The Pizza “Crust”: I love to use a flatbread like naan as the base for the pizza, but this can definitely be swapped for other preferences!
- Refried Beans: A layer of refried beans are a must-have for taco pizza! You can use my refried black beans recipe below or make your favorite.
- The Red Sauce: In true “leftover” fashion, use what you have one hand! You can use leftover enchilada sauce or taco sauce you have in the fridge!
- The Toppings: Have leftover chicken and grilled veggies from taco night? Or maybe leftover tofu you made for a salad? Throw it on this taco pizza! There are endless possibilities: chopped tomatoes, red onion, green onions, GET CREATIVE! This is the fun part, personalize your pizza!
- Cheese: You can go with the classic shredded Mexican Blend or you could try something unique like crumbled Cojita cheese!
- Drizzle: A drizzle with instantly level up your taco pizza to feel a little fancier! Once your taco pizza is baked and the cheese is melted, you can add drizzle on your favorite chipotle sauce or make my Spicy Avocado Crema (recipe here) . Either one will tie all the flavors together in a beautiful blend! Feel free to experiement with other sauces as well, you never know, you might find something that takes the recipe up a notch.
Spicy Avocado Crema Recipe
This crema is super easy to make and can be added to tons of recipes: tacos, enchiladas, this Taco Pizza, and MORE! The recipe is quite simple and all it requires is an avocado, a spoonful of greek yogurt, a spoonful of pickled jalapeños, and a pinch of salt. Toss it all into the blender to make a smooth crema!
More Ways To Use Refried Black Beans
- Serve up Taco Night with Adobo Chicken Tacos, Refried Black Beans and Grilled Veggies
- Layer the Loaded Signature Paneer Nachos with creamy Refried Black Beans
Refried Black Beans
- Total Time: 10
- Yield: 4
Description
Swap those canned refried beans for creamy, homemade refried black beans!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Black Bean Mixture
- 1 Can Black Beans (not drained)
- 1/2 tsp taco seasoning
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Bay Leaf
Instructions
Refried Black Beans
- To a saucepan, add in all the ingredient under the “Black Bean Mixture” section. Heat on the stove until it starts to bubble. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat to soften them up.
- Remove the bay leaf and mash to your preferred texture. I mash it until it’s very creamy. Remove the mashed beans from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Wash the pan and dry.
- Now, it’s time to re-fry the beans! Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan and let it get hot. Make sure the oil is thinly coating the whole pan. Add in your creamy bean mixture and don’t touch it for 1-2 minutes to allow the bottom to pan fry. Use a spatula to break it up and cook for a few more minutes.
- Cook Time: 10