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These Instant Pot Refried Beans are creamy, rich, and packed with flavor. Made with dried beans and the perfect blend of seasonings, this easy recipe is completely hands off. No pre-soaking. No sautéing. Just dump, cook, and blend!
Whether you need a simple side dish to serve alongside taco meat or shredded chicken tacos or want to make refried bean burritos, these Instant Pot refried beans put canned refried beans to shame and come together with ease!
Key Takeaways: Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Serves: 16; easy to scale
- Almost Zero Prep: Dump, pressure cook, blend! No soaking required!
- Time Needed: 50 minute cook time + 15 minutes to come to pressure + 15 minutes natural pressure release; 80 minutes total
- Meal-Prep Friendly: Makes a huge batch and freezes well
- Why I Love Them: Once I started making homemade refried beans, there was just no going back to canned. The flavor and texture is infinitely better, they cost pennies per serving, and freeze beautifully so that I always have them on hand for taco night.
Recipe Highlights
Kristen's Keys
I have been making these refried beans monthly for nearly 10 years. So trust me when I say I have learned what matters when it comes to achieving restaurant-quality creamy beans using the Instant Pot. Here's what you will want to keep in mind:
- Skip the salt to start. Adding salt before pressure cooking can keep beans from softening properly. Wait until after cooking to season to taste.
- Cook longer than you think. 50 minutes may feel like a lot and is nearly double what I call for when simply cooking dried beans in the Instant Pot. But it is the longer cook time that gives you ultra-soft beans that mash into that creamy, restaurant-style texture.
- Natural release matters. Letting the pressure release naturally keeps the beans tender and creamy.
- Save that cooking liquid. It's liquid gold. You'll use it to control the consistency of the refried beans, making them as thick or thin as you personally like.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
5-star Reader Review
This is a very good recipe. I have made it several times and everyone loves it. Much better than canned beans and easy to make. Just plain bean burritos are delicious with these homemade beans. I have frozen the leftovers and they keep well in the freezer. -Debbie
Notes on Ingredients
This recipe starts with humble dried pinto beans, but it's what you add that makes them unforgettable. Feel free to play with the spices to make the recipe uniquely your own.
- Beans: Authentic refried beans are made with dried pinto beans. If you opt to use dried black beans, follow the modifications provided in the recipe card. I recommend checking the expiration date as well. Old beans may never soften.
- Water + Broth: Low-sodium broth (chicken broth or vegetable broth) will help to flavor the beans, while diluting it will water will prevent the mixture from being overly salty. Too much salt early on can toughen beans.
- Onion, Garlic, Jalapeño: These melt right into the beans as they cook, giving depth without extra steps later. Remove jalapeño seeds for mild, keep them for heat.
- Spices: Cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Warm, familiar, and kid-friendly. Remember to wait to add salt until after pressure cooking.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Just a splash at the end brightens everything and balances the richness.
How to Make Refried Beans in the Instant Pot
Whether you are just learning how to use the Instant Pot or a seasoned pro, it doesn't get much easier than this recipe for Instant Pot Refried Beans. Start with dried beans, pressure cook until tender, then blend or mash.
Step One: Rinse Beans
Place your dried beans in a colander and rinse well. Check for any debris or small stones (it happens more than you'd think).
Step Two: Layer Ingredients (Skip the Salt)
Add water, broth, spices, onion, garlic, and jalapeño to the inner pot. Add the rinsed beans, and give a quick mix to combine.
Step Three: Pressure Cook + Natural Pressure Release
Place lid on Instant Pot and use the pressure cook or manual cook button, set to cook on high pressure for 50 minutes.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, let pressure naturally release for AT LEAST 15 minutes, but I prefer a full natural pressure release, which can take up to 30 minutes.
Step Four: Drain & Reserve Cooking Liquid
Drain off the cooking liquid, reserving about 2 cups of the cooking liquid. I typically ladle out the liquid into a glass measuring cup then drain the rest. Return the beans to the inner pot or base of a blender.
Step Five: Blend or Mash
Add vinegar and salt, then using a potato masher, immersion blender, or blender, mash or blend, adding a bit of the reserved cooking liquid, until the desired consistency is reached. You may not need all 2 cups of reserved liquid. Start with just ½ cup liquid and go from there. You can always add more, but you can't take it out.
Give the beans a taste and adjust salt if needed and then serve as desired.
Serving Suggestions
The ways in which to serve homemade refried beans are endless. They make an obvious side to any Mexican-Inspired meal, but can be used for so much more. Below are a few can't miss ideas:
- As a side for classic beef tacos, salsa verde enchiladas,
- Used to build bean burritos, taco pizza, or Instant Pot taco lasagna
- To add protein, fiber, and flavor to veggie fajitas, wraps, or cauliflower tacos.
- Layer into taco dip or tostadas
- As a spread on a chicken torta
- Or honestly…eat with chips straight from the bowl. No judgment.
Recipe Modifications
- Start with Soaked Beans: Decrease the cook time by 10 minutes.
- Swap Pinto Beans for Black Beans: Decrease the cook time by 5 minutes, as black beans soften faster than pinto beans.
- No Apple Cider Vinegar? White distilled vinegar is a suitable substitute.
- Using a 3-Quart Instant Pot? If you have a 3-quart model, you will want to cut the ingredients in half but keep the cooking time the same.
- Double the Recipe: If using an 8-quart Instant Pot, you can double this recipe. Double the ingredients but keep the cook time the same. Keep in mind it will take longer to come to pressure and for pressure to release.
- Dress them Up: Finish with shredded cheddar, crumbled queso fresco, or minced cilantro.
- Season with Taco Seasoning: Omit the dried spices and salt from the recipe. Cook the beans with the broth, water, onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Season with 2-4 teaspoons of taco seasoning to taste AFTER pressure cooking.
How to Store Refried Beans
This recipe freezes and reheats well, which is a good thing because this recipe makes a big batch of homemade refried beans.
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
- Freeze: Allow the refried beans to cool fully and then transfer them to freezer-safe bags/containers in 1 to 2-cup portions. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months, defrosting overnight before heating.
- Reheat in Microwave: Place beans in heat-safe bowl, cover with damp paper towel and reheat in 60-second intervals until warmed through.
- Reheat in Skillet: For added texture, you can fry the beans, technically making them re-fried beans. Heat a bit of oil in a cast iron skillet, add the beans, and cook, stirring often, until warmed through.
More Tex-Mex Inspired Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Refried Beans
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans, ~2 cups
- 4 cups low-sodium broth, vegetable or chicken
- 2 cups water
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 small jalapeno, seeded and de-stemmed (optional)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, or white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt, + more to taste
Instructions
- Using a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the beans under running water and remove any rocks or broken beans, then transfer to the inner pot of your pressure cook.
- Add 4 cups low-sodium broth, 2 cups water, onion, garlic, jalapeno, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder and stir to combine.
- Close the Instant Pot and be sure the valve is turned to "seal." Using the manual or pressure cook button, set to cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes.
- Strain the cooking liquid off the beans, reserving 2 cups of the liquid. and discard the rest. Return the strained beans (and onion, garlic, and jalapeno) to the inner pot or base of a blender.
- Add 1 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar to the beans. Using an immersion blender, blender, or potato masher, mash or blend the beans , adding ½ 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It was great served along side chicken fajitas. Since I live in a high altitude state, 55 minutes with a 25 minute stand time worked well. Looking forward to making your bean pumpkin burritos tomorrow which I've made previously.
Thanks for sharing your notes on altitude, Sharon! And we love the bean burritos too, enjoy!