Instant Pot Refried Beans

Do you love refried beans? You can make Instant Pot refried beans in minutes and they will be the best refried beans you’ve ever had.

a bowl of refried beans made in the Instant Pot


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Homemade Refried Beans

There is something about a hearty side dish of pinto beans. Refried beans are the perfect side dish for tacos, quesadilla hamburgers, burritos, and taco salad. Now you can make the best homemade refried beans in an Instant Pot in a fraction of the time it takes to cook them on the stovetop.

Now, if you love hearty beans a la charra, be sure to try my copycat Pappasito’s Cantina Frijoles a la Charra (Charro Beans), but let’s get onto my favorite way to enjoy beans, refried beans!

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Vegetable oil or lard or bacon grease
  • Onion
  • Chopped cilantro stems (save the leaves for garnish, or for another recipe)
  • Cumin
  • Chipotle powder
  • Dried pinto beans
  • Water

Recipe Ingredient Notes

My recipe contains bacon grease. Use vegetable oil if you want to make it vegetarian. I like to use a little bit of bacon grease because of the smokey flavor that it adds.

When you chop the cilantro, save the leaves for another recipe. In this recipe, the pinto beans are getting pressure cooked. You want something that will carry the flavor and not disintegrate during the cooking process. The stems are perfect for this.

Do not salt the beans until after they have cooked. Some people think that the beans may become tough if you add salt prior to the cooking process. I personally like to wait because the bacon grease can be a bit salty, and I want to see how much salt to add.

Since these beans are being pressure cooked, you will not soak them overnight or even for a few hours. If you add about five more minutes to the cooking time the beans will come out tender.

Dad Cooks Dinner advises you can soak pinto beans in a brine overnight. You may want to give this a try.

overhead view of a bowl of Instant Pot refried beans

How to Make Refried Beans in an Instant Pot

  1. Wash and sort your beans on a cookie sheet. Sometimes little rocks or small clods of dirt can be found in the bags of beans.
  2. Turn the Instant Pot on saute, and saute the onions, cilantro stems, and bacon grease in the pressure cooker.
  3. Add the spices the beans, and water.
  4. Pressure cook and allow the Instant Pot to release naturally, so this adds 20 minutes to my cooking time. You will still have flavorful beans in no time.

Best Pressure Cooker to Make Refried Beans

You can use a different type of pressure cooker, but my favorite pressure cooker is the Instant Pot. I think hands down this is the best pressure cooker around.

An Instant Pot also acts like a slow cooker and yogurt maker. It can saute, make rice, and some of the best oatmeal around. To say I am passionate about this kitchen appliance is an understatement.

You can learn more about my favorite pressure cooker here: Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6-quart.

a bowl of homemade refried beans topped with shredded cheese in a bowl

More Instant Pot Recipes

Check out more of my easy Instant Pot Recipes and the best Mexican food recipes here on CopyKat!

a bowl of refried beans made in the Instant Pot

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Make the best refried beans ever in your Instant Pot.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Instant Pot Recipes, Refried Beans
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil lard or bacon drippings also work
  • 1 cup yellow onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup cilantro stems, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1 pound pinto beans dry
  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Saute onions and cilantro stems in 2 tablespoons of oil until the onions are translucent. Add cumin and chipotle powder. Stir in spices. Add sorted beans and water. Pressure cook for 40 minutes. Allow pressure cooker to release naturally, about 20 minutes. 
  • Taste beans and season with salt (I like about 1 1/2 teaspoons). If you desire refried style simply mash beans with either a potato masher or a stick blender until the beans are smooth.

Video

Equipment

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 286mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 2.2mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1.4mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathryn Morrow

    5 stars
    I would love the recipe for gumbo from Castaways restaurant in Port Aransas, Texas. Unfortunately, the hurricane MAY have ruined the building. I have eaten gumbo all my life and this is one of my favorites.

  2. donna

    I followed the instructions to the letter and mine turned out a bit soupy. i’d recommend cutting down the liquid a bit.
    Taste, however, was outstanding.

    • Stephanie

      Beans in the bag often have dirt clods in them. I like to pour all of my beans out on a cookie sheet and pick out the bits of dirt. If you watch the video, this is a step in the video.

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