This super easy frijoles con elote recipe is so simple and delicious! Creamy refried beans combined with corn and chilies make the perfect treat for game days or Cinco de Mayo. Made with only 4 ingredients, this recipe is a keeper!
About
Frijoles con elote is a popular Mexican side dish made of beans and white corn fried in pork lard or oil. This dish is popular in states like Colima and Jalisco but can be found also in many other states.
In Guadalajara city is common to find this side served along with carne en su jugo at many restaurants, and it’s believed that was the restaurant Garibaldi that started serving this dish, making it popular to the point where is often called frijoles Garibaldi.
This recipe is a spin on the popular and traditional frijoles refritos recipe. The chunky corn texture combines so perfectly with the creaminess of the refried beans and makes a fantastic appetizer to serve with tortilla chips, crusty bread, or crackers.
Everybody loves this delicious Mexican recipe, and I bet you will too! Let’s see the ingredients needed to make it.
Ingredients
- Cooked beans: For the best flavor I highly recommend making our homemade beans recipe. Or you can use canned beans for convenience. Pinto beans, navy, or black beans are all perfect options for this recipe.
- Corn kernels: Frijolitos con elote are usually made with fresh white corn, but since this ingredient is not easy to find outside Mexico, we recommend using canned white corn or any store-bought corn available to you.
- Chili peppers: You can use jalapeno peppers or Serrano chili peppers. If you want to tone down the spiciness we recommend removing the seeds and veins from the chilies.
- Lard: For flavor, use pork lard or bacon grease, for a vegan version you can use olive oil or your favorite vegetable oil.
How To Make Frijoles Con Elote
Heat the pork lard in a frying pan over medium heat.
Add jalapeño chile peppers and corn kernels, and fry for 1 minute or until chilies soften a bit. Remove one or two tablespoons of the mixture for garnish if you want.
Stir in the beans and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for one minute while stirring constantly.
Set the heat to low and mash the beans using a potato masher until they are nicely creamy.
Turn off the heat, transfer the elote beans to a platter and garnish with crumbled queso fresco and the chilies and corn mixture you reserved before.
Notes
- Add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors.
- Pork lard or bacon grease adds tons of flavor to this recipe, but if you don’t want to use those ingredients, you can replace them with vegetable oil and add some chopped onion or a pinch of cumin for a flavor kick.
Serve With
Homemade refried beans with corn are one of the best sides or appetizers! They can be paired with so many different meals and used to make other recipes like vegetarian tostadas de frijoles. Here are our recommendations for serving and using this recipe:
- As a side for Green Enchiladas Suizas or Chori Pollo.
- As a spread for burritos al pastor, tostaguac, or huaraches.
- For eating as an appetizer with totopos chips, crackers, or crusty bread.
How To Store & Reheat
Frijoles con elote will last up to 3 days stored in the fridge in an airtight container or up to 3 months in the freezer.
This recipe is an excellent prep meal for busy days. Just double or triple the ingredients listed below to make a large batch and store them in resealable bags in the freezer.
When ready to serve, thaw overnight and reheat with a splash of water or milk in a pan over medium heat. You can also thaw and reheat in the microwave.
Similar Recipes
Frijoles Con Elote
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked beans (pinto, navy, or black beans)
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 jalapeno pepper (cut into strips)
- 3 Tbsp pork lard or bacon grease (or your favorite cooking oil)
- pinch of salt
- queso fresco (for serving)
Instructions
- Heat the lard or oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the chili peppers and corn. Fry for 1 minute or until the chilies soften a bit.
- Optional: Remove one or two tablespoons of the mixture for garnish.
- Stir in the beans and season with a pinch of salt. Stir for one minute.
- Set the heat to low and mash the beans using a potato masher until they are creamy.
- Turn off the heat, transfer the elote beans to a platter and garnish with crumbled queso fresco and the chilies and corn mixture you reserved before.
Notes
- You can use homemade cooked beans or canned beans.
- This recipe lasts up to 3 days stored in the fridge in an airtight container or up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Make a double or triple batch and store it for later use!
Nutrition Information
Hope you enjoyed this super easy frijoles con elote recipe. Please take a minute to rate the recipe below in the comments and leave your thoughts. And remember to follow this blog on:
I remember this Frijoles Con Elote from when we visited Guadalajara City! I didn’t know it was this easy to make. I paired it with my Chicken Enchiladas Suizas and it was perfect! Thank you so much for the recipe.