Instant Pot refried beans, easy, creamy, and super flavorful. They have a wonderfully thick texture and are made with only a few ingredients.
Instant Pot refried beans, a delicious Mexican recipe that makes a perfect appetizer or side dish. Easily made with only 9 simple ingredients, you WILL cook it every week!
Besides, you won't believe how rich and flavorful this dish is. Comforting, satisfying, and packed with vegetable protein, it truly is a gem!
Looking for tasty bean-based recipes? How about trying my Vegan Chili, Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili, Vegan Baked Beans, and Vegan Refried Beans? They're all delicious and packed with wholesome flavors.
How to make Instant Pot refried beans
- Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir.
- Place the lid on your Instant Pot, set the valve to the "sealing" position, press the "pressure cook" or "manual" button and set the pressure to high. Then cook for 40 minutes.
- Natural release for 10-15 minutes and then carefully move the valve to the "venting" position and let the pressure release completely.
- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and drain the beans but don’t discard the liquid.
- Mash the beans using a potato masher or an immersion blender.
- Add ½ cup (120 ml) of the reserved cooking liquid and stir to combine. Continue adding the cooking liquid a little at a time until you get your desired consistency.
- Use your Instant Pot refried beans immediately.
Instant Pot refried beans ingredients and tips
- Dried pinto beans: feel free to use black beans if you don't have pinto beans in hand.
- Garlic.
- Onion.
- Salt: I used ionized salt, but any salt will do.
- Ground black pepper: fresh ground black pepper tastes amazing. However, I find the store-bought one to be more convenient and also easier to measure with a teaspoon.
- Ground cumin.
- Store-bought or Homemade Chili Powder: this recipe calls for traditional American chili powder, not cayenne. Cayenne and international chili powders are usually incredibly spicy. So if you live outside of the United States, please keep that in mind. If you can only find cayenne, add it to taste.
- Vegetable stock or water: I prefer to use vegetable stock because it enhances the flavor of this Instant Pot refried beans. However, water is okay too. Although making your own vegetable broth at home is the best idea, you can also use it store-bought.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I’m Spanish, so I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes. However, any type of oil will work. I always use extra virgin oils when possible because they’re healthier.
- Feel free to serve your refried beans as a side dish for vegan chicken or vegan steak or spread them over some vegan bread. You can also dip tortilla chips in them!
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed and odd beans removed
- 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 8 cups vegetable stock or water
- 1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, optional
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot (you don’t need to previously soak the beans) and stir.
- Place the lid on your Instant Pot, set the valve to the "sealing" position, press the "pressure cook" or "manual" button, and set the pressure to high. Then cook for 40 minutes.
- Natural release for 10-15 minutes and then carefully move the valve to the "venting" position and let the pressure release completely.
- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and drain the beans but don’t discard the liquid.
- Mash the beans using a potato masher or an immersion blender. For a chunky texture, use a potato masher, but for a smooth texture, use an immersion blender (I prefer to use an immersion blender, but it’s up to you!).
- Add ½ cup (120 ml) of the reserved cooking liquid and stir to combine. Continue adding the cooking liquid a little at a time until you get your desired consistency. Keep in mind they’ll thicken as they sit.
- Use your Instant Pot refried beans immediately as a side dish for vegan chicken or vegan steak or spread them over some vegan bread. You can also dip tortilla chips in them!
- Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
- This Instant Pot refried beans recipe calls for traditional American chili powder, not cayenne. Cayenne and international chili powders are usually incredibly spicy. So if you live outside of the United States, please keep that in mind. If you can only find cayenne, add it to taste.
- Omit the chili powder if you’re not into spicy food.
- Feel free to add any veggies, spices, or herbs you want.
- You can use any type of oil or salt.
Gerri says
Love this recipe, and it’s a constant in our house! One of our favourite ways to use these beans, is bean quesadillas, for breakfast. Dry pan fried quesadillas, served with salsa! Yummy!
Iosune Robles says
So glad you liked it Gerri 🙂
Robin says
I'd like to suggest indicating the size of the Instant Pot used in a recipe.
Iosune Robles says
Hi Robin! I share your suggestion with the rest of the team 🙂
Donna says
Oh, this looks so good and with those seasonings, I bet it's also flavorful. Definitely going to make this soon.
Iosune Robles says
Hi Donna! Hope you enjoy it 🙂