Instant Pot Refried Beans

A simple yet magical pot of pinto beans to accompany tacos, tostadas burritos, vegetable fajitas, super nachos, or tamales.

These refried beans are made super easy in an Instant Pot. They have so much more flavor and personality than the refried beans in a can from the store. They also have a lot less sodium and contain no oil.

I find that you don’t have to add any salt if you use fresh ingredients and a good blend of seasonings and spices. And since this is done in an Instant Pot, there is absolutely no need to add any oil.

This recipe just takes a little extra time and planning to soak them the night (or at least 8 hours) before you want them. Yes, you can make them without soaking; but they are so much easier to digest if you take the time to soak them first. Trust me.

And these Instant Pot Refried Beans are so versatile and lend a supporting role to so many recipes! You can use them in tacos, Rainbow Vegetable Fajitas, Crunchy Bean Tostadas, and Super Nachos.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry pinto beans
• Water to cover beans (twice)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp coriander
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• up to ½ cup water

Instructions

1. Rinse dry beans well.  
2. Place into a bowl and cover with water.
3. Soak overnight.

1. Rinse the soaked beans well.
2. Place into the Instant Pot.
3. Cover the beans with water and secure the lid. Make sure the vent knob is on sealing.
4. Set the high pressure cook setting to 10 minutes.
5. After it’s complete, allow the pressure to release naturally, about 15 minutes.

1. Unlatch the lid and rinse the cooked beans well.
2. Return the beans to the Instant Pot.
3. Add the remaining ingredients (except the water) and stir.
4. Using an immersion blender (or potato masher), puree until desired consistency. I like to leave a little texture.
5. Add a little water at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.
6. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Press ‘cancel’ to turn off the sauté function on the Instant Pot.
8. You can add chopped cilantro and nutritional yeast – we think it amps up the flavors.
9. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes

When reheating refried beans, you may want to add a little water since these tend to thicken as they cool.

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