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4.84 stars (30 ratings)

Instant Pot Refried Beans

These creamy and indulgent Instant Pot Refried Beans are the best! Easy to make entirely in a pressure cooker, they’re a vegan and protein-packed side dish or filling to pair with all of your favorite Mexican-inspired recipes.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Pressure release time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 222kcal
Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry pinto beans (about 2 1/4 cups)
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt, to taste

Instructions

  • Rinse the pinto beans in a large colander, picking out any misshapen beans. Set aside.
  • In the Instant Pot, turn on the Saute feature and warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the Instant Pot for a moment. Pour a small amount of water into the Instant Pot, and scrape along the bottom to remove any bits of food (this will help prevent the BURN message).
  • Add the dry pinto beans, the rest of the water, spices and 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot. Give it a little stir.
  • Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to "sealing". Set to manual, high pressure for 40 minutes.
  • Once the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, then vent any remaining pressure manually.
  • Keep 2 cups of the liquid from the cooked beans in a bowl, then drain the rest of the liquid. Return the beans back to the pot.
  • Use an immersion blender to blend the beans to the desired consistency, adding some of the reserved liquid as needed. The beans will continue to thicken as they cool. Add more salt to taste. Serve with any desired toppings and enjoy!

Notes

  1. How to store refried beans: Keep in covered containers in the refrigerator for 5 days. They also freeze well. To save space, freeze flat in large freezer ziplock bags. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before warming on the stovetop and serving.
  2. If your Instant Pot gets the burn message easily: Instead of sauteing the onion and garlic in oil, simply skip the sauteing and add everything together in the pot.
  3. If you wish to pre-soak the beans, you can decrease the pressure cooking time t0 15-20 minutes. 
  4. Don't have an immersion blender? You can leave the beans whole, use a potato masher, or transfer in small batches to a food processor/blender and process until smooth.
  5. For a change, use black beans instead!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 825mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 74IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg