Instant Pot Refried Beans

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoonoil
• 1/2 mediumonion, diced
• 454 g (1 pound)dry pinto beans
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 950 ml (4 cups)chicken broth
• 950 ml (4 cups)water
• 1 teaspoonground cumin

Instructions

1. 1

   Soften the onion

   Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the oil. Stir in the diced onion and cook until translucent.

2. 2

   Add the beans

   Rinse the dry pinto beans and add them to the pot without soaking. Add the salt, chicken broth and water; leave out the cumin for now.

3. 3

   Pressure cook

   Cook on manual, high pressure for 40 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

4. 4

   Reserve the liquid

   Drain the beans, keeping 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Transfer the beans, reserved liquid and cumin to a blender.

5. 5

   Blend or mash

   Pulse the mixture until it reaches your preferred consistency. For chunkier beans, mash them by hand instead of blending.

6. 6

   Serve or freeze

   Serve warm, topped with cheese and cilantro, if desired. Alternatively, cool the beans and freeze them in ziplock bags for later.

7. 7

   Use a crockpot

   For the crockpot method, heat the oil in a medium sauté pan and cook the onion until translucent. Transfer it to the crockpot with the rinsed beans and the remaining ingredients except the cumin. Use about 5 cups of cooking liquid: the recipe recommends 3 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours, then follow the blending directions above.

What are refried beans?

Refried beans are a Mexican-inspired staple widely served in American cooking, often as a side or a filling for tacos and burritos. The name can be misleading: the beans are cooked, then mashed or blended, rather than necessarily fried twice.

This version cooks dried pinto beans under pressure without a soaking step. Onion and cumin add savoury flavour, while some reserved cooking liquid helps create a smooth, spoonable texture.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 69 calories, 4g protein, 11g carbs, 1g fat.

The pinto beans provide most of the carbohydrates and protein, while the oil contributes most of the fat. Serve a portion with vegetables and a lean protein, or use it as a filling alongside a fresh salad.

Why cook them without soaking?

Dry beans go straight into the pressure cooker after rinsing, so there is no need to plan an overnight soak. Rinsing helps remove dust or debris before cooking.

The recipe uses both chicken broth and water as the cooking liquid. Keep the cumin back until after cooking so it can be blended into the beans at the end.

Build flavour with onion

Onion first: sauté the diced onion in oil until translucent before adding the beans. This gives it time to soften and contribute flavour to the cooking liquid.

Cumin last: add the ground cumin when transferring the cooked beans to the blender. This follows the recipe’s sequence and distributes the spice through the mash.

Get the texture you like

Smooth beans: pulse them in a blender with the reserved cup of cooking liquid until they reach your preferred consistency. Add only as much of that liquid as needed for the texture you want.

Chunky beans: mash them instead of blending. This leaves more whole or partly crushed beans in the finished dish.

Pressure cooking and release

The pressure-cooking stage takes 40 minutes on high, followed by a natural release. Allow extra time for the cooker to come to pressure and release it; the listed total time is 255 minutes.

For the crockpot alternative, the recipe specifies HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. It recommends around 5 cups of liquid for that method, rather than the full quantities listed for the Instant Pot.

Serving and storing

Serve the beans warm with cheese and cilantro, or use them alongside rice, tacos or burritos. Their thick texture also makes them useful as a filling or spread.

The recipe notes that the beans freeze well. Cool them before packing into freezer-safe ziplock bags, and thaw and reheat a portion when needed.

Recipe notes & tips

• Rinse the dry beans thoroughly before adding them to the cooker.
• Sauté the onion until translucent before adding the beans.
• Reserve exactly 1 cup of cooking liquid for blending.
• Pulse in short bursts and check the texture as you go.
• Mash by hand if you prefer a chunkier result.
• Cool the beans before packing them for the freezer.

Variations

• Chunky texture: Mash the cooked beans by hand instead of blending.
• Crockpot method: Use 3 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water, then cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
• Cheese topping: Finish warm portions with cheese as suggested in the method.
• Cilantro topping: Scatter cilantro over the beans just before serving.
• Burrito filling: Use the beans as a filling for burritos or tacos.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Soaking first: The recipe is designed for dry beans, so rinse them and add them without soaking.
• Adding cumin too early: Keep it out during cooking and add it with the beans and reserved liquid before blending.
• Discarding all the liquid: Save 1 cup for blending so you can adjust the consistency.
• Blending too much: Pulse and check the texture; mash instead if you want chunkier beans.
• Using Instant Pot quantities in the crockpot: For that method, use about 5 cups of cooking liquid as specified.

How to store

Cool the beans and freeze them in ziplock bags; the recipe notes that they freeze well. Thaw and reheat until hot, adding a little water if needed to loosen the texture.

Frequently asked questions