Make healthy, creamy, homemade refried beans with this easy Instant Pot refried beans recipe. This no-soak recipe dry beans for a healthy, oil-free, vegan version of a Mexican restaurant favorite. Honestly, they are the best refried pinto beans I've ever eaten!
I took my favorite ingredients from my refried black beans recipe, like cumin and lime juice, and made a little Instant Pot magic using traditional pinto beans for frijoles refritos. This is the perfect side dish for Mexican food, like deluxe bean burritos with yummy potato tortillas, crispy tostadas with fresh masa harina tortillas, and more.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This is the Instant Pot recipe our electric pressure cooker was made for - dump, set, and forget.
- I recommend soaking dried beans if you make something like 3-bean vegan chili. However, you can successfully use a no-soaking recipe for blended beans.
- It's a clean-eating recipe with no added oil, so it's naturally low-fat and healthy.
- Dried pinto beans are naturally high in protein and less expensive, with less waste than canned beans.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pinto beans. Use a pound, about 2 cups of dry pinto beans. I recommend rinsing the beans to remove dust. Discard any discolored beans.
Vegetable broth. After testing, I landed on 7 cups of vegetable broth, which I made using 6 vegetable stock cubes. You can also use a combination of 4 cups of broth and 3 cups of water or substitute vegan chicken stock cubes.
Chili powder. Use a standard Mexican-style chili powder, or try my homemade chili powder blend or my newest favorite - chipotle chili seasoning mix.
Garlic cloves. Substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for fresh garlic.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Recipe Variations
To make Instant Pot refried black beans, use 2 cups of dried black beans.
I recently tried this recipe using 3 tablespoons of my vegan chicken bouillon powder. An even more delicious recipe!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Note: Exact measurements are in the full recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Add all the ingredients, except the lime juice, to the Instant Pot.
Step 2: Set the lid and close the sealing handle. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes plus 25 minutes of natural pressure release.
Step 3: Drain the beans, reserving 2 cups of cooking liquid. Return the beans to the Instant Pot, a large bowl, or a cooking pot.
Step 4: Blend the beans with lime juice and reserved liquid using an immersion blender.
Pro Tips
No immersion or stick blender? No problem. Mash the beans with a potato masher or transfer all or batches of beans to a blender or food processor.
Let the beans naturally release until the silver steam peg on the top of the lid is fully depressed or for at least 25 minutes. A quick release stops the cooking process. The more tender the beans, the creamier the refritos.
Storage, Freezing, Reheating
Refrigerate. Add cooled beans to an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze. Cool the beans to room temperature. Freeze beans in containers or freezer bags for 3 months. Thaw frozen beans in the refrigerator or microwave before reheating.
Reheat. Add a little water, broth, or lime juice to the leftover beans. Reheat on low heat and stir frequently so the beans don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, place the beans in a microwave-safe bowl, cover them with a paper towel, and warm them that way.
Serving Suggestions
Jazz up a side dish of refried beans with a few diced pickled jalapenos, quick-pickled red onions, or diced red onion and tomatoes. Avocado salsa, like the one I use for Mexican zucchini boats, is another great option.
My favorite way to use up refried beans is to make crispy tostadas or Mexican pocket pizzas using toasted whole-wheat pita bread, vegan cashew sour cream, or queso dip. I top them with tomato pico de gallo, raspberry pico de gallo, or mango salsa fresca. Beyond delicious!
Frequently Asked Questions
I don't recommend using the Instant Pot for canned refried beans. If using canned beans, cook them on the stove over medium heat for 20 minutes. Use the liquid from the can plus the seasonings and vegetable stock cubes or added flavor.
If you soak the beans overnight, cut the cooking time to 30 minutes with 15 minutes of natural pressure release. Soaked beans will retain more of their shape, which is not necessary for blended beans but great for chili and other whole-bean recipes.
The Spanish word 'refritos' means rehashed or warmed over. That's the process of cooking and then mashing beans. It was mistranslated to refried beans from frijoles refritos.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Refried Beans (No Soak Recipe)
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Equipment
- 1 6 quart Instant Pot or larger
- 1 immersion (stick) blender or a potato masher, blender, or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans - 2 cups
- 1 medium red onion - chopped, about 1 cup
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 7 cups vegetable broth - or a mix of broth and water
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the beans. Pick out any discolored beans and discard them.
- Add all the ingredients except the lime juice to the Instant Pot and give them a quick stir.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set the steam handle in the sealing position.
- Cook the beans on High Pressure for 45 minutes. When the steaming cycle ends, let the beans naturally release for 25 minutes or until the silver pressure valve depresses.
- Drain the beans and reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid.
- Place the beans back in the Instant Pot liner or a large bowl or pot. Add 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Use an immersion blender to blend the beans, adding ½ a cup of liquid and 2 tablespoons of lime juice to start. Add more liquid as you blend until you reach the desired consistency. You can also use a potato masher.
- Alternatively, transfer the beans, in batches if necessary, to a blender or food processor and blend them that way.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
Notes
- Servings based on 1 cup.
- I added 15 minutes to the cooking time for the Instant Pot to heat and begin pressure cooking, plus 25 minutes for natural release.
- The beans will get thicker as they cool.
- Store cooled, leftover refried beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze for 3 months.
- Reheat refried beans in the microwave or on the stove. Add a little water and heat on low, stirring often so they don't scorch on the bottom.
- I don't recommend this recipe for canned beans. Follow my instructions for refried black beans, using pinto beans instead of canned black beans.
- For presoaked beans, pressure cook for 30 minutes with 15 minutes of natural pressure release.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Denise Perrault
Amazing refried beans! So much better than canned and an easy recipe too. 🙂