Thickening up refried beans?

[opalcat]

I hope it's OK to post a question in this forum

Comments

[d2a0v0i5d]

I've had this problem in the past. If the bean mixture isn't TOO runny, instant mashed potato flakes do a nice job of absorption. You may need to add some more garlic powder, salt, and/or chili powder to offset the blandness of the spud flakes.

You could also see if you can just drain off some of the liquid with a turkey baster, or through a colander.

[opalcat]

They're already blended, so there is no liquid to drain off, unfortunately. I do have some instant mashed potato flakes... I may try that...

[goose_entity]

you could dump the cans into a fine sieve and let them drain for a little while? That should express a lot of water.

[opalcat]

There are no cans at this point, just a crock pot full of fully blended refried beans. I know how to drain canned beans as I do so for my chili recipe all the time. I need to know how to thicken this already-blended mix. There is no "draining" anything at this point as there is no separated liquid.

[msretro]

Long shot, but, do you have masa harina on hand? This is a very fine cornmeal that is used to thicken chili and other stews. In a pinch, fine cornmeal or even crushed up tortilla chips can work.

In future batches, maybe try draining at least one of the cans before cooking so that less fluid goes into the dish.

[anita_margarita]

I'd suggest actually frying them in some oil - that will not only thicken them, but give them a nice crust.

[lucky_starsx]

What about adding a little bit of cornstarch or flour to it? Any time I make something that is too runny, I add one of the two (little bits at a time) and it really helps thicken up whatever I am making.

[royalewcheeze]

6 tsp of salt, plus what's in the cans? ouch. I second the idea of draining some of the liquid, and also heat to evaporate some of the water.

[opalcat]

That was a typo. the last 2tsp of salt were from something else. I edited the post to remove it.