Instant Pot Refried Beans
These Instant Pot Refried Beans are so full of flavor and easy to make, with no soaking required!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 234kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried pinto beans rinsed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
- 1/3 cup sliced pickled jalapeños
- 5 cloves garlic minced (or approximately 2 Tbsp)
- 4 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth chicken broth may be substituted
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano Mexican oregano is amazing if you have it
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 dried bay leaf
Instructions
Prepare
- After you've rinsed the beans, give them a quick check and remove any stones or pebbles.
Sauté
- Select “Saute” on the Instant Pot, and add oil. Once hot, add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add garlic and jalapeños and cook another 1-2 minutes.
Add liquids/seasonings/beans
- Pour in the vegetable broth and water, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits that may be there.
- Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, parsley, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add rinsed beans and stir again, scraping the sides. Add bay leaf to the top of the liquid.
Pressure cook
- Select “Cancel”. Secure lid and select “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” and hit the +/- buttons until you select 60 minutes.
Natural pressure release
- Once pressure cooking time has elapsed, don’t do anything and let the pot naturally release the pressure for 30 minutes, then turn the knob to release any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid and remove the bay leaf.
Puree beans
- Use a measuring cup to remove about 1 - 1 1/2 cups of liquid and set aside.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the beans until smooth, using the reserved liquid to achieve the consistency and thickness you'd like.
- ** If you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer the beans to a traditional blender, food processor, or use a potato masher.
Serve
- Serve hot, or cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to about a week.
Notes
- Recipe makes approximately 6 cups.
- Pickled jalapeños are the ones found in jars and cans, rather than the fresh peppers in the produce section.
- Beans can be pureed/mashed until smooth, or left with some texture, it's up to you.
- The thickness of the beans can be adjusted by adding more or less of the cooking liquid.
- If you prefer a very thick refried bean consistency, remove more of the cooking liquid, and only add a little at a time until it's a thickness you like.
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Keep all ingredients the same, but add an extra cup of water or broth (so you have 7 cups total).
- Sauté onion, garlic and jalapeño in a skillet, then transfer to a slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 9 hours. I know this seems long, but they really do need that amount of time.
- Remove 1 - 2 cups of cooking liquid, then puree as directed, adding reserved cooking liquid back as needed.
Stovetop Directions:
- For the stovetop version you'll be using canned pinto beans that have been drained and rinsed well.
- You'll only need about 1 cup of broth.
- In a large pot, sauté onion, garlic, and jalapeño in oil over MED heat.
- Add beans, 1 cup of broth, and all seasonings, stirring well to combine.
- Cover and cook on MED heat for 5-10 minutes.
- Uncover and puree beans to desired consistency, adding additional broth or water as needed.
- Keep the lid off and continue cooking, on MED LOW, for about 3 minutes or so.
Nutrition
Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 719mg | Potassium: 860mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 667IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 4mg