Make Creamy Rich Mexican Instant Pot Refried Beans Recipe (Pressure Cooker Refried Beans) with this Easy No-Soak + No Canned Beans Method! Deliciously satisfying mashed beans made with simple healthy whole ingredients.
Refried Beans, frijoles refritos, is a classic Mexican & Tex-Mex favorite.
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This creamy chunky mashed beans paste is often served on the side or spread onto a tortilla for yummy burritos, enchiladas or tacos. Others have enjoyed it in delicious dips or on nachos. Yum!
Some people like to cut short the cooking time by using canned beans, but hey! With our magic pot – Instant Pot! – making creamy refried beans with dried beans has never been easier!! 😀
No Canned Beans . No Soaking . No Standing by the Stove
I’m in love with this creamy smooth, hearty thick spread, spicy-savory satisfying chunky mouthfeel.
Let’s get cooking on some Instant Pot Refried Beans! 🙂
Instant Pot Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454g) pinto beans , rinsed and drained
- 1 (323g) large onion , roughly diced
- 4 cloves (13.7g) garlic , minced
- 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock (vegan option: use vegetable stock)
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil, lard or bacon fat
- ½ - 1 teaspoon (1.3g - 2.7g) chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon (2.7g) ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon (1.1g) dried oregano
- Salt to taste
Garnish:
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno (optional)
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Instructions
- Saute Onion, Spices, and Garlic: Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function. Wait until it says HOT. Add in 2 tbsp olive oil, bacon fat, or lard. Add roughly diced onion and cook until softened. Then add ½ - 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, and minced garlic to Instant Pot. Cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Deglaze: Pour roughly ½ cup unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot and deglaze by scrubbing all the brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
- Pressure Cook Beans: Add well-drained pinto beans in Instant Pot and pour in remaining 3 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 40 mins (tender with a bite) or 50 mins (silky smooth & tender), then 25 mins Natural Release.
- Drain Beans Liquid: Strain the beans liquid with a strainer. Place beans back in Instant Pot. Keep the beans liquid in a mixing bowl.
- Mash Beans: Create Instant Pot Refried Beans by mashing the beans with a potato masher or immersion blender until desired consistency. Taste and season with salt (FYI: we used 4 pinches of salt). Add drained beans liquid back to the mashed beans until desired consistency.
- Garnish Refried Beans: Give it a final taste and garnish. You can spice it up with some jalapeno. Serve & enjoy~ 🙂
Nutrition
Instant Pot Refried Beans Step-by-Step Cooking Guide
Prepare Ingredients for Instant Pot Refried Beans.
Pick, rinse and drain the pinto beans.
*Pro Tip: The pinto beans don’t have to be soaked for this recipe.
*Pro Tip: We like to freshly ground our cumin seeds with a mortar + pestle, as the flavor is more intense and fresh. However, you can use store-bought ground cumin seeds.
Saute Onion, Spices, and Garlic
Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function.
*Tip: For older versions, press “Saute” button, then “Adjust” button. For newer version, press “Saute” button twice.
Wait until it says HOT (takes roughly 8 minutes).
Add in 2 tbsp olive oil, bacon fat, or lard.
*Pro Tip: We tested making different batches of refried beans in Instant Pot with Olive Oil vs. Bacon Fat. The Bacon Fat Instant Pot Refried Beans had an additional delicious hint of smoky aroma & flavor. But you can use olive oil to make this vegan-friendly!
Add roughly diced onion and cook until softened (~3 minutes).
Then add ½ – 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, and minced garlic to the Instant Pot. Cook for another minute until fragrant.
*Spicy Tip: ½ tsp chili powder will give it a hint of spiciness, and 1 tsp chili powder will make the dish mild spicy.
Deglaze Instant Pot
Pour roughly ½ cup unsalted chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you are making this vegan) in Instant Pot and deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Give it a quick mix.
Pressure Cook Refried Beans in Instant Pot
Add the well-drained pinto beans in Instant Pot and pour in the remaining 3 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock.
Close the lid and turn the Venting Knob to Sealing Position.
Pressure Cooking Methods:
- For Tender with a Bite Result: High Pressure 40 mins + 25 mins Natural Release
- For Silky Smooth + Tender Result: High Pressure 50 mins + 25 mins Natural Release
After 25 minutes of Natural Releasing, carefully turn the Venting Knob to Venting Position to release the remaining pressure.
Drain Beans Liquid
Once the Floating Valve drops, take off the lid.
Strain the beans liquid with a strainer. Place the beans back into the Instant Pot.
Then, reserve the beans liquid in a mixing bowl.
Mash Beans
Create Instant Pot Refried Beans by mashing the beans with a potato masher or immersion blender until desired consistency.
*Pro Tip: From our experiments, potato masher yields a coarser, chunky paste while the immersion blender creates a thick & creamy smooth paste (see below photo for comparison).
Taste and season with salt (for reference: we used 4 pinches of salt).
Add drained beans liquid back to the mashed beans until desired consistency.
*Pro Tip: Adjust the thickness of the bean paste according to your preference and what you’re serving it with (i.e. rice vs. inside a burrito).
Garnish Instant Pot Refried Beans
Give it a final taste and garnish.
If you like spicy, garnish the refried beans with jalapeno. We went with cilantro for this one. 😛
Serve the deliciously creamy Instant Pot Refried Beans as a side dish, dip, nachos, or spread over a tortilla to make yummy burrito! 😀
Enjoy your Instant Pot Refried Beans!~ 🙂
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