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1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
9 Comments
4.67 from 3 votes
Dry pinto beans turn into PERFECT restaurant-style Refried Beans in the Instant Pot with this easy recipe! Simple ingredients in this dump-and-go dish.
You know how when you go to a Mexican restaurant, they always have the most amazing refried beans?
This recipe gives you those delicious restaurant-style refried beans and the great part is that they are SO easy to make because they cook in your Instant Pot!
No need to soak your dry beans before making this recipe – your Instant Pot does all the hard work!
Don’t have an Instant Pot? Be sure to check out our crock pot version: Slow Cooker Refried Beans.
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Let us give you your time back. With the Six Sisters’ Meal Plans, we do the dinner planning, grocery ordering, and then all you have to do is decide whether to pick them up or have them delivered.
Ingredients Needed For Instant Pot Refried Beans:
- Onion
- Dry pinto beans, rinsed
- Jalapeno pepper
- Minced garlic
- Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Ground cumin
- Water
- Chicken broth
How to make Refried Beans in the Instant Pot:
Place the liner into the Instant Pot.
Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into the liner of the Instant Pot.
Pour in the water and the chicken broth.
Place the lid on top of the Instant Pot. Move the valve to SEALING.
Press the MANUAL (or PRESSURE COOK) button and set the timer for 45 minutes.
Let the pressure do a natural release when it’s done (will take 15-25 minutes).
Drain the excess liquid from the beans and set liquid aside.
Using a potato masher or handheld electric mixer, mash the cooked beans until they reach the desired consistency. Add drained liquid back in as needed (I usually add 1/2 cup – 1 cup of liquid back in).
Serve and enjoy! Makes about 12 servings.
Love Mexican food? Be sure to check out all of our favorite Mexican food recipes!
How to freeze these beans:
You could easily freeze these beans (once they have cooled down, I stick them in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and place them in the freezer. When you want to eat them, remove from the freezer and let them thaw for a few hours in the fridge, then heat up in the microwave until warmed through.
You could also turn these beans into a freezer meal by making Freezer Refried Bean Burritos!
Looking for more freezer meals just like this? Click here for our top100 Instant Pot Freezer Meals!
Dishes you could serve refried beans with:
- Chile Colorado Beef Burritos
- Cilantro Lime Pork Tacos and Coleslaw
- Oven-Baked Chicken Tacos
- Sheet Pan Ground Beef Quesadillas
- Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas.
- Crispy Bean and Cheese Burritos
Serves: 12
Instant Pot Refried Beans Recipe (Restaurant-Style)
4.67 from 3 votes
The best refried beans made with dry pinto beans right in your Instant Pot!
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Natural Release 20 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
PrintPin
Ingredients
- 3 cups dry pinto beans rinsed
- 1 onion peeled and quartered
- ⅓ jalapeno pepper seeded and diced; more or less depending on how hot you prefer your beans
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin optional
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups water
Instructions
Place the liner into the Instant Pot.
Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into the liner of the Instant Pot.
Pour in the water and the chicken broth.
Place the lid on top of the Instant Pot. Move the valve to SEALING.
Press the MANUAL (or PRESSURE COOK) button and set the timer for 45 minutes.
Let the pressure do a natural release when it's done (will take 15-25 minutes).
Drain the excess liquid from the beans and set liquid aside.
Using a potato masher or handheld electric mixer, mash the cooked beans until they reach the desired consistency. Add drained liquid back in as needed (I usually add 1/2 cup – 1 cup of liquid back in).
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
I love to top these bean with shredded cheese or cotija cheese, some fresh cilantro, and diced jalapenos.
If your family doesn’t like the heat from jalapenos, you can substitute a can of green chilies.
How to freeze these beans:
You could easily freeze these beans (once they have cooled down, I stick them in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and place them in the freezer. When you want to eat them, remove from the freezer and let them thaw for a few hours in the fridge, then heat up in the microwave until warmed through.
You could also turn these beans into a freezer meal by making Freezer Refried Bean Burritos!
Nutrition
Calories: 178 kcal · Carbohydrates: 32 g · Protein: 11 g · Fat: 1 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Sodium: 878 mg · Potassium: 759 mg · Fiber: 8 g · Sugar: 1 g · Vitamin A: 8 IU · Vitamin C: 10 mg · Calcium: 67 mg · Iron: 3 mg
Equipment
Instant Pot (or Pressure Cooker)
Recipe Details
Easy Freezer Meals by Six Sisters’ Stuff
Freezer meals can actually be tasty, and the good news is that we can show you how it’s done. Let us help you get dinner on the table for your family with way less work.
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Join The Discussion
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Vanesa says:
I would love to do this recipe! I can’t buy pinto beans in Argentina. Can I use kidney beans or any other kind? Thank you! Greetings from Bs As!
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Momma Cyd says:
Refried beans are usually always made with Pinto beans. If you use a different bean, you'll have a totally different taste.
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Janell says:
Now I really like refried beans. This recipe has become a regular in my house. I am wondering what one serving is 1/2 cup?
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Julie Clark says:
This is my favorite Instant Pot refried bean recipe I have come across. It is the only one I use and I have used it many time. I like to use bone broth made from the instant pot if possible. It makes the beans taste so amazing and fresh. I end up keeping a lot more of the bean juice to where it seems kind of runny but it firms up and does MUCH BETTER if refrigerated or frozen. Thanks for such a great recipe!
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Momma Cyd says:
Thanks Julie for letting us know that you like this IP Refried Beans Recipe. Great to hear that you use the bone broth from the IP when possible. Sounds amazing.
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Kimette says:
Oh my gosh, these beans are WONDERFUL! I love making lazy burritos with them. That’s where we just get a whole wheat flour tortilla, add the beans along with some salsa and shedded cheese, fold it up and eat. We’re too impatient to even toast the burritos before diving in! Thank you!!
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Momma Cyd says:
Lazy Burritos sound delicious!
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Addie Ashton says:
I love how these beans taste, but my beans are never done when they come out of the instant pot. I’ve made this recipe three times and keep increasing the cook time. Today I pressured them for an hour and 5 minutes and the natural release took about 35 minutes, and the beans were still a little hard. I just dump everything into a pot and finish the cooking on the stove. Any suggestions? They still taste fantastic, they’re just not as convenient.
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Momma Cyd says:
I did a little research, it said to be sure that your beans aren't old and maybe increase the cook time (which you did). Here is a link with some tips on cooking beans in the Instant Pot - https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/pressure-cooker-refried-pinto-beans/#how-to-make-instant-pot-refried-beans
About The Author:
Camille Beckstrand
Camille Beckstrand is married to Jared and they have 4 kids. She is a certified life coach that loves helping women become "unstuck" in their lives and is the host of the podcast "Moms On The Rise". She also loves a good true crime podcast, a big plate of cheesy loaded nachos, and going on adventures with her family.
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