These taste so much better than store-bought canned refried beans, it’s unbelievable! Vegan Refried Beans are made in the Instant Pot in under an hour and are super affordable. No need for lard or oil in these babies. Just pure plants.
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I have been making these Instant Pot Vegan Refried Beans a lot lately. My kids aren’t crazy for all kinds of beans (they are getting there), but they have always loved refried beans. I guess they are less scary because they are mushy and creamy? I don’t know.
After buying vegetarian canned refried beans for many years, I only recently decided to try making my own from scratch in the Instant Pot. And OMG, I am hooked! They really do have a different taste altogether. No aftertaste from a can. They taste like the refried beans you would get served in an authentic Mexican restaurant, except they are vegan, oil and lard-free, and good for you!
You do not need to soak your beans first for this recipe, but if you want to, that’s fine. I suggest reducing the cooking time to 25 minutes if you do.
The other trick to remember is that when the beans are finished cooking, drain and reserve a few cups of the water BEFORE you blend them. Then, use an immersion blender and add back in the reserved water if you need to, to make them less thick. I prefer them to be a little more on the soupy side, because they thicken up pretty quickly as they cool.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you could transfer them to a food processor, or just mash with a potato masher.
Serve these refried beans with these incredible Sheet Pan Cauliflower Fajitas or Cauliflower Mushroom Walnut Tacos for a Mexican feast!
Inspired by this recipe.
These Vegan Refried Beans taste 100 times better than the canned version and are so affordable to make. The Instant Pot makes them a breeze; no soaking needed and they are ready in under an hour! Freeze leftovers for another week.
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound dry pinto beans
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
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In the Instant Pot, turn on the Saute feature. Add the onion, garlic and a few tablespoons of water. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until translucent and fragrant. Turn off the Instant Pot for a moment.
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Add the dry pinto beans, water, spices and salt to the pot. Give it a little stir.
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Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to "sealing". Set to manual, high pressure for 35 minutes.
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Once the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes. Then, you may manually release the rest of the pressure.
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Drain about 2 cups of the liquid, but reserve it in a bowl.
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Use an immersion blender to blend the beans to the desired consistency. Add in more of the cooking liquid if you need it. The beans will appear runny at first, but will thicken considerably as they cool.
The beans freeze well. Freeze in containers (glass or plastic), leaving a little room on top for expansion.
If you want thicker refried beans, drain even more liquid before blending, but reserve it so you can add more if they are too thick.
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Can this recipe doubled? It’s my first attempt at Instant Pot!!
Oh how exciting! I think there would be room to double this, depending on the size of your Instant Pot. Make sure the beans and liquid don’t go above the line inside the pot where it says to stop. However, this recipe does make a lot of refried beans, so you may not need to! With a family of 5, we usually have leftovers for days, or I freeze half.
What about refried black beans?? Would it work the same?
Yes that should work fine.
This was PHENOMENOL!! My beans came out percect – I didn’t Realize just how good this was going to taste. Thank you for such a great recipe. BTW, I added my salt last, before blending. I’ve heard you shouldn’t add your salt while the beans are cooking.
Yay! They are so good, right!? You’re so welcome, thanks for the comment!
Hi Nora, I made your recipe last night and dipped baked potatos in it with avocado slices on top. It was perfect, I’m eating it every day this week. Easy way to reduce your grocery bill to almost nothing, eat just about as healthy as a human can, with almost no effort.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the beans! Sounds good with potatoes and avocado slices. Yes, eating plant based and healthy doesn’t have to be expensive at all!
Thank you for this super easy recipe! I added a small can of chopped jalapeno with the beans during the cooking process to add a little kick. Yummy!
You’re welcome Cheryl! Thanks for the feedback. The jalapenos sound like a fantastic addition!
Hi Nora! I just made a batch of these beans and they are absolutely DELICIOUS! I am slowly becoming your biggest fan; I’ve been on a marathon of cooking your recipes for the past few days and not one has been a disappointment! I love how each recipe is simple, uses ingredients I have on hand, and tastes delicious! Do you have a cookbook? If so, I would buy it! Thanks for providing such great recipes. PS I love how you sprinkle in Instant Pot recipes as well! I love my Instant Pot and use it all the time!