Instant Pot Refried Beans

Instant Pot Refried Beans are the easiest and tastiest refried bean recipe ever! Pressure cooker refried beans are creamy, and full of flavor and made with hardly any effort!  

Be sure to check out more Instant Pot Recipes, like Instant Pot Rice and Beans, Instant Pot Baked Beans, Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce and Instant Pot Yogurt.

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Two years ago if you asked me what is the one canned good you would always find in my pantry would be, I would tell you beans.

I ALWAYS had canned whole beans and refried beans stocked up for easy dishes like Black Bean Tacos, Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili, and Mexican Quinoa Salad.

Now thanks to my Instant Pot I have said good-bye to canned beans and only stock dried beans in my pantry.

Dry beans are not only much more affordable, they are also so much better for you than canned beans. No lard added, no sodium, no preservatives!

I just never relied on them as a kitchen staple BEFORE my Instant Pot because of the time it took to cook them. Once I realized how easy it was to make Instant Pot Dried Beans WITHOUT soaking, well I was sold, hook, line and sinker.

Instant Pot Beans is now one of my go to Instant Pot recipes, but so is my Instant Pot Refried Beans.

Instant Pot Refried Beans are creamy, smooth and full of flavor–just like you get at your favorite Mexican Restaurant! They are so much better tasting than any canned product! Not to mention are much more economical and lower in sodium–making homemade refried beans the way to go!

Ingredients for Refried Beans

• Rinsed Beans–I use pinto beans for this recipe, but if you want refried black beans, feel free to use black beans and follow modifications.
• Water or Stock–I use a combination of stock and water. Feel free to use all water if you don’t have stock on hand. Both vegetable broth and chicken stock work in this recipe.
• Onion–A quartered yellow onion will add so much flavor to these refried beans.
• Spices–I use a blend of spices that are found in my taco seasoning. If you have a batch of the homemade taco seasoning on hand, add that in once the beans have been cooked. You don’t want to add salt to the beans before cooking. I like to add dried spices, except for salt, to the beans while cooking to help them absorb flavor. But this recipe is adaptable.
• Garlic–Garlic cloves add a lot of additional depth of flavor. No need to mince the garlic, it will break down as the beans cook.
• Jalapeno (optional)–A jalapeno adds a great amount of flavor. Remove the stems, ribs and seeds to keep these beans on the more mild side, or leave the seed in the jalapeno for REALLY spicy refried beans.
• Apple Cider Vinegar–The vinegar really helps the flavors pop and help the beans to break down.

How To Make Refried Beans in the Instant Pot

Step One: Rinse Dry Beans

• Place dry beans in colander and give them a good rinse–they often can have residual dirt on them. Also check for broken beans or rocks and discard. You would be surprised how many times I find a small pebble in my beans, so don’t skip this step!

Step Three: Cook Beans

• Place rinsed beans in inner pot. Add in water, stock, garlic, onion, jalapeno, and seasonings.
• Place lid on Instant Pot and set cook time for 50 minutes. This is DOUBLE the cook time than dried beans require, but this is so the beans get SUPER tender and are really easy to blend.

Step Four: Let Pressure Release

• Once cooking time has elapsed, let pressure NATURALLY release. This can take up to 30 minutes. It is really important to NOT do a quick release, as this will change the texture of the beans. If you are short on time, wait at least 15 minutes before doing a quick pressure release.

Step Five: Blend Refried Beans

• Drain the beans over a large bowl, reserving the cooking liquid.
• Discard Jalapeno for mild beans, or leave 1/2 the jalapeno for a bit of spice.
• Return the beans to the inner pot and season with salt. Begin to blend with an immersion blender, adding in 1/2 cup of cooking liquid at a time to reach desired consistency for refried beans. If you do not have an immersion blender, feel free to use a high power blender, just let the cap vent to prevent steam from building. 

How to Store Refried Beans

Store leftover cooked beans in the refrigerator for 5 days or in 1 to 2 cup portions in freezer safe bags/containers in the freezer for up to 6 months. I prefer to make a large batch of refried beans and then freeze for future use.

To freeze refried beans:

• Prepare beans as recipe directs and then allow to cool.
• Place in 1 cup portions in either freezer safe bags or small plastic containers.
• You can thaw refried beans in refrigerator overnight or remove from plastic container/bag and defrost in microwave.
• You can also put frozen beans into a oven safe bowl (remove from plastic bag/container first) and place in your instant pot’s inner pot on a rack. Pour in 1.5 cups of water under rack and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, this will defrost and heat 1 cup portions of refried beans.
• Refried beans will keep in freezer for 4-6 months.

Recipes that use Refried Beans

• Easy Bean Burritos
• Homemade Veggie Tostadas
• Healthy Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna
• Taco Pizza

Instant Pot Refried Beans

The easiest, tastiest recipe for homemade refried beans made right in the Instant Pot. 

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Refried Beans

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Pressure Release: 30 minutes

Total Time: 52 minutes

Servings: 16

Calories: 103kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried pinto beans 2 cup of pinto beans
• 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 small onion peeled and quartered
• 3 cloves of garlic peeled
• 1 jalapeno seeded and de-stemmed (optional)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar optional
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste

Instructions

• Rinse dried beans and remove any rocks or broken beans. 
• Place rinsed beans in inner pot. Add in stock, water, onion, jalapeno, garlic cloves, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder.
• Close Instant Pot and be sure valve is turned to "seal." Set to cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Hit manual or pressure cook and use +/- buttons to adjust cook time to 50 minutes.
• Once cook time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes.
• Remove lid drain beans over a large mixing bowl, to reserve cooking liquid. Discard jalapeno, then return beans, onions, and garlic to inner pot or blender. Add in 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Blend with an immersion blender or food processor, adding 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid at a time until beans are smooth and the desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasoning/salt if needed.

Notes

• If you are using taco seasoning, wait until AFTER beans have cooked. Use only 1/2 tablespoon of prepared homemade taco seasoning and adjust to add in more if needed.
• For Instant Pot Black Beans, use only 6 cups liquid and 40 minutes cook time. 

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Amount Per Serving

Calories 103

% Daily Value*

Sodium 350mg15%

Potassium 391mg11%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 265IU5%

Vitamin C 1.7mg2%

Calcium 25mg3%

Iron 1.9mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I would love to know how you enjoy this recipe!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram or Facebook - I would love to see!