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!
Variations on Refried Beans?
At their most basic, refried beans are simply beans fried in some fat, most often with some onion. There are endless variations and it's fun to experiment! This is a version using canned beans that I have developed; it adds some chili pepper, garlic, and cumin: Refried beans the Kitchen Myths way.
These Bean-Related Myths Might Interest You!
Lima beans? Butter beans? Here's the scoop.
Kidney beans in a slow cooker? Bad idea!
Myths about dried beans.
