Mexican Name Finder
Main dishSpanishnationwide

Frijoles refritos

"well-fried beans"

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free·HOH·les reh·FREE·tos

Built from

Spanish frijolesbeans+refritosthoroughly fried

What Frijoles refritos means

Frijoles refritos is a Mexican main dish name of Spanish origin meaning "well-fried beans". It is built from Spanish frijoles (beans) and refritos (thoroughly fried). It is pronounced free-HOH-les reh-FREE-tos, and it is most associated with the whole country.

False friend: the re- here is an intensifier meaning thoroughly, not again. Refried is a mistranslation that stuck in English.

This is a site about what Mexican words mean, so there is no recipe here. For the name itself: The plated dishes, most named for a cooking method or a place. Cochinita pibil is pork cooked in a píib, the Maya earth oven. Barbacoa gave English the word barbecue. Chiles en nogada is named for the walnut sauce that covers it.

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Frijoles refritos means well-fried beans

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