No, they are not fried twice—just once! And that's enough.
What Are Refried Beans?
Refried beans, or frijoles refritos in Spanish, are beans (usually but not always pinto beans) that are cooked until soft then fried in some fat with aromatics and spices. They are mashed during the frying to create a more-or-less smooth paste. They are ubiquitous in Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants as a side dish, a taco filling, and so on. In Spanish, refried beans are frijoles refritos with frijoles meaning beans. In English the "re" prefix means again, or repeat, as in "I repainted my house." But in Spanish it means "well" as in "a lot." For example, a well-done steak. So we see that frijoles refritos means well-fried beans!
These Bean-Related Myths Might Interest You!
Lime beans? Butter beans? Here's the scoop.
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