Instant Pot Refried Beans

Instant Pot Refried Beans! Quick and easy, homemade refried beans made from scratch in Instant Pot in no time. These refried beans are the perfect accompaniment to your favorite Mexican dish. This recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

 

Instant Pot refried beans are so easy to make and are way better than canned beans. They are the best-refried beans you would have ever tried. Try this recipe once, and you will never go back to the canned beans again!  

We love refried beans with our Cilantro Lime rice, they are so good. I also use them in burritos, tacos, and bean quesadillas. And did I mention our favorite bean dip, loaded with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, cheese, tomatoes, green onions, olives, and jalapenos? And a dash of hot sauce, yum!!

I always make a huge batch of refried beans and freeze them. These beans come in so handy, I use them for our Taco Tuesdays, and anytime we crave Mexican food. These are so much better than the canned ones.

Traditionally, pinto beans are used to make refried beans. I sometimes use kidney beans, black beans, black-eyed beans, or even a combination of beans. These beans are amazing!

Jump to:

• Instant Pot Refried Beans - Recipe Video
• About Refried Beans
• Ingredients For Refried Beans
• How To Make Refried Beans In Instant Pot
• Prep For Refried Beans 
• Instructions For Refried Beans In Instant Pot
• Tips For Best Instant Pot Refried Beans
• Frequently Asked Questions
• How To Store Refried Beans
• Serving Suggestions
• Instant Pot Mexican Recipes
• Instant Pot Refried Beans

Instant Pot Refried Beans - Recipe Video

About Refried Beans

Refried beans, known as frijoles refritos in Spanish, is a dish made with cooked and mashed beans. This dish is a staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a different way of making this dish. Refried beans are also popular in other Latin American countries. 

Refried beans are usually made with pinto beans, but other varieties of beans such as black beans, or red kidney beans are also used. The beans are cooked dry or soaked overnight, cooked, and mashed into a paste. The bean paste is then fried or baked, with onion, garlic, lard or butter, and some spices.

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Refried Beans 

 

 

Ingredients For Refried Beans

1 lb dried pinto beans, washed and rinsed

5 cups water or broth

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Serrano or jalapeno pepper, deseeded and chopped, adjust to taste

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoon olive oil

2 bay leaf

Freshly squeezed lime juice, adjust to taste

salt to taste

Dry Spices:

1 teaspoon dried oregano 

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon  smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon chipotle pepper, adjust to taste

For The Garnish:

A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped 

queso fresco cheese 

1 lime, cut into wedges

Pic Shown: Homemade Refried Beans

 

How To Make Refried Beans In Instant Pot

Sharing easy recipe to make these refried beans at home from scratch using an Instant pot or stovetop pressure cooker.

This recipe uses dried pinto beans and requires no soaking, a huge time saver. However, if you prefer to soak beans, please do so.

With a few basic ingredients, you can make the best refried beans at home, which are so much better than in a restaurant!!

You can also use a stovetop pressure cooker to make this recipe. I have shared both versions in the recipe card below.

Pic Shown: Homemade Refried Beans

 

 

Prep For Refried Beans 

Sort through beans to pick out any shriveled or broken beans, stones, or debris.

Wash and rinse dried pinto beans, keep them aside.

Chop onions, jalapeno, and minced garlic.

Instructions For Refried Beans In Instant Pot

You will need Instant Pot

Turn ON SAUTE (more). When it displays "HOT", add oil, and onions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until onions are translucent.

Add bay leaf, garlic, and jalapeno. Add dry spices - oregano, paprika, ground cumin, chipotle pepper. Sauté for 30-60 seconds.

Add water (or broth), and deglaze the pot. Cancel SAUTE mode.

Add pinto beans, salt to taste, and remaining water (or broth). Close the lid, vent sealed.

Turn ON MANUAL / PRESSURE COOK (high) for 50 minutes. Let pressure release naturally, around 20 minutes.

Open the lid, and discard bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend the beans to the desired consistency.

Note: You can use a potato masher as well to mash the beans.

Beans will be quite runny. Turn ON SAUTE (less), simmer for a few minutes or until desired thickness.

Note: The consistency of beans thickens as it cools.

Turn OFF SAUTE. Garnish with some queso fresco, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice (optional).

Enjoy Refried beans warm with your favorite Mexican dish!

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Refried Beans

 

 

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Refried Beans

Follow the recipe as discussed. Close the pressure cooker, after the first whistle, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 50 minutes. Let pressure release naturally. The rest of the recipe is the same as Instant pot.

Tips For Best Instant Pot Refried Beans

Sauce: Beans absorb flavors from the sauce, so depending upon how flavorful the sauce is, the refried beans will turn out. Season the sauce well.

Seasoning: I like to use ground cumin, oregano, paprika, chipotle pepper, and some Serrano/jalapeno pepper for some heat. You can also use some cayenne pepper as well.

Cook Time: - The quality of the beans, and the water used for cooking also affects the cooking time. Please use timing as a guideline, and adjust the cooking time as needed.

Broth: Use vegetable or chicken broth for added flavor, and nutrients value.

Spice Level: Love spicy food, add some cayenne pepper, salsa, or some hot sauce to beans, it just adds a nice kick to it.

Consistency: Beans thicken as it cools down. Use some broth to adjust the consistency. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do beans need to be soaked before cooking?

Soaking pinto beans is not required before cooking. However, if you prefer to soak the beans, please feel free to do so. Soaking does help reduce the cooking time.

For this recipe, I thoroughly rinsed the beans and use them in the recipe, for flavorful, melt-in-mouth refried beans.

Cooking beans can be very tricky at times. Depending upon the quality of the beans, if it is aged (old), they might take longer to cook. 

Consistency of the refried beans

The consistency of refried beans is up to your liking. Some like it smooth, while others like it is chunky. Mash the beans to the desired consistency. We like to mix texture, smooth and a bit chunky. 

Beans thicken as it cools down. Use some broth instead of water to adjust the consistency.

Oil vs Lard

Traditionally, lard is used to make refried beans. I have used olive oil to keep it light and vegan. You can also use some ghee instead of lard for added flavor.

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Refried Beans

 

How long it takes to cook beans?

For dried pinto beans, it takes around 50 minutes in a pressure cooker, for melt-in-mouth texture. If the beans are old, it might take a little longer. 

Where to buy pinto beans?

Pinto beans can be found in most Asian / American grocery stores in the beans section. You can find dried pinto beans in the Latin American / Mexican isle.

How many cups of dried beans in a pound?

1 pound of dried beans is slightly over 2 cups of dried beans. When beans are cooked they almost double in size. 1 cup of dried beans, yields around 2 ½ cups of cooked beans.

How to make refried black beans?

To make refried black beans, cook the black beans as per the recipe. Discard the bay leaf, and mash the cooked beans using a handheld blender, or a potato masher to the desired consistency. If it's too dry, add a couple of tablespoons of water and adjust the consistency.

You can also use kidney beans or a mix of beans to make refried beans.

How to make refried beans filling?

To make the black beans filling, cook the black beans as per the recipe. Discard the bay leaf, turn ON SAUTE (more), and cook the beans until all the moisture has evaporated, and the mixture is dry. Stir the mixture frequently, to avoid any sticking to the pot.

How to make pinto bean soup?

Follow the recipe as suggested, add extra 2 cups of water or broth, to make it soupy. Once done with pressure cooking, mash the beans to the desired consistency. Serve it with a dollop of sour cream and some tortilla chips.

How to store dried beans?

Store them in a clean, air-tight container, in a dry, cool place. Avoid any kind of moisture, use clean, dry hands when handling dried beans. If stored under proper conditions, dried beans can last for up to 2 to 3 years.

Can I use canned beans?

Yes, you can use canned pinto beans for this recipe. Follow the recipe as suggested, and reduce the amount of water to one-fourth. So for a can of pinto beans, use ¼ cup of water. Pressure cook for 5 minutes, this will allow all the flavors to blend in well.

How To Store Refried Beans

Refried beans stay good for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Once at room temperature, store it in an airtight container.

Refried beans can be frozen for a couple of months. Divide it into smaller portions, and store it in freezer-safe containers. Defrost overnight in the fridge, or a microwave. Reheat and serve.

Serving Suggestions

Refried beans can be served hot, at room temperature, or cold. You can serve refried beans as a main dish, side dish, or as a dip or a filling. Some of the ways I like to serve refried beans are:

Refried beans inside tacos, enchiladas, or burritos.

Inside quesadilla, or on top of a tostada. I replace the chicken and add refried beans in Chicken Quesadilla

I like to serve them with some tortilla chips as a bean dip.

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Refried Beans

 

 

Instant Pot Mexican Recipes

Mexican Black Beans [ made from dried beans ]

Cilantro Lime Rice

Chicken Quesadilla

Chicken Tortilla Soup