The Spicy Ingredients You Should Try To Give Refried Beans A Kick

Refried beans are a Mexican food staple that you can find canned or bagged at your local grocery store if you don't have time to try this instant pot recipe. We've given you plenty of ways to add flavor to refried beans, from a sprinkling of cheese to a dollop of sour cream. However, if you're looking for a spicier kick there's a long list of ingredients to choose from, requiring different methods to incorporate them.

The easiest ingredients to spice up your beans are dried spices, hot sauces, and salsas because they require no prep. Simply stir them in and they'll easily blend and disperse while the beans simmer over the stove. Ideal spicy seasonings to add include cayenne, chili powder or flakes, and hot paprika along with seasoning blends like cajun seasoning, taco seasoning, or chili-infused salts. Tabasco sauce, sriracha, chili oil, chipotle sauce, and tomato-based salsas are great condiments that'll provide heat and a bit more liquid to help thin out notoriously thick canned refried beans.

You can also add sauteed jalapenos and onions for a more subtle spicy base to homemade refried beans or to stir into canned refried beans for texture. You could also make a spicy broth by soaking dried chilies in water or chicken broth to ladle over beans as you mash them. Char whole jalapenos, serranos, or poblanos, deseed them, and blend the soft, tender skin with a bit of water for a spicy and smoky infusion to add at any time.

Whether you're stirring spices or salsa into your refried beans or adding fried chilies and aromatics to them, there are other complementary ingredients that'll enhance their spicy kick. Savory herbs like cilantro and oregano are simple and traditional ingredients that will balance the earthiness of the beans and the heat from the spices. Sour cream, a dash of Mexican crema, or even just a squeeze of lime juice will provide a tangy pairing to temper the heat while bringing out the spicy notes. If you're worried about oversaturating your beans with spice, you can mix chilies with lime and mayonnaise for a well-blended trifecta of sour, spicy, and creamy.

You can also garnish refried beans with cotija, shredded cheddar, or feta cheese to bring a salty and creamy complement to spicy additives. Top your refried beans with pickled jalapenos, pickled onions, or this fresh pico de gallo recipe for texture and a boost of sweet, sour, and spicy notes. Sweet ingredients like corn or caramelized onions offer the best flavor balance for spicy ingredients. If you've accidentally over-spiced your beans, you could stir in some brown sugar to beat the heat.