Instant Pot Refried Beans

It’s the onion, garlic, and chiles I use to season them that make these Instant Pot Refried Beans so good! And if you like making beans in the Instant Pot or cook Mexican food regularly, you’ll make these refried beans over and over.

PIN Instant Pot Refried Beans to try them later!

I first made Instant Pot Refried Beans when I was having extensive house renovations on my old house, and there was more comfort food on the menu than usual. At that time that I made refried beans in the stovetop pressure cooker, and loved them! Fast forward a few years and a new house later, and of course now I would make these refried beans in the Instant Pot!

Refried beans are not super low in carbs, but dried beans are high in fiber so the refried beans may be lower in net carbs than you think, and this is something I love for an occasional treat. I made them recently and decided to take some new photos to update this favorite recipe.

After we took these photos, Kara and I had to sample the beans of course, and we kept commenting about how amazing the refried beans were! And and I ate  the leftovers in bean burritos with low-carb tortillas and enjoyed every bite. If you’ve never made homemade refried beans, I hope this will be the recipe that’s going to get you to try them!

What ingredients do you need?

• dried pinto beans
• olive oil
• onion
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• diced green chiles (affiliate link)
• salt
• grated cheese
• green onions, for serving (optional)

What kinds of beans can you use for refried beans?

The pinto beans we used are traditional for Mexican refried beans, but this recipe would also be delicious with black beans if you prefer that option.

Why make your own refried beans?

If you’ve only had refried beans from a can, I can’t emphasize enough how there is something completely special about homemade from-scratch refried beans, especially my recipe where the beans are cooked in the pressure cooker, then pressure-cooked a second time with onion, garlic, and chiles, and then fried.

What size Instant Pot did I use?

I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) for all my Instant Pot Recipes. You can use Instant Pot Recipes to see all my other recipes using the Instant Pot!

Don’t want to use the Instant Pot for Refried Beans?

If the Instant Pot is never going to be your thing, you might like this collection of Slow Cooker Refried Beans, which are also really delicious.

Mexican Dishes to serve with refried beans:

Check out Low-Carb and Keto Mexican Food Dinners for some tasty Mexican main dishes to serve with refried beans!

How to Make Instant Pot Refried Beans:

(Scroll down for complete printable recipe with nutritional information.)

1. Use two cups of dried pinto beans; no need to soak them but beans that have been on the shelf or in your pantry for a while will take a little longer to cook.
2. Put beans in the Instant Pot and cover with water 2 inches above the beans. Add 1 T olive oil to slow cooker, then lock lid.
3. Set Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE and 30 minutes.
4. When 30 minutes is up, use QUICK RELEASE to release the pressure. (Be sure to add 5-10 minutes cooking time if your beans are old.)
5. While the beans are cooking, chop the onion, mince garlic (or use Minced Garlic (affiliate link) from a jar), and get the can of diced green chiles (affiliate link) and salt ready.
6. Add those ingredients to the cooked beans. Lock lid again, set Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, and 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
7. When the pressure has released, use an immersion blender (affiliate link) or a food processor (affiliate link) to puree the beans, making them as creamy or chunky as you prefer. (Beans may seem watery, but any extra water will cook out when they’re fried.)
8. Heat olive oil (or fat of your preference) in a large non-stick frying pan.
9. Add the pureed beans and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until beans have thickened to the desired consistency.
10. Serve Instant Pot Refried Beans hot, with grated cheese and sliced green onions if desired.

More Instant Pot Beans:

Instant Pot Pinto Beans with Ground Beef

Instant Pot Mexican Beans

Spicy Black Beans with Cilantro

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep  where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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Yield: 8 servings (1/2 cup serving size)

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

You'll love these delicious refried beans, made in the Instant Pot, and I think the special way I season the beans really does make them The BEST Instant Pot refried beans!

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried pinto beans (see notes)
• 3 T olive oil, divided (see notes)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 T minced garlic
• 1 4 oz. can diced green chiles (see notes)
• 1 tsp. salt
• grated cheese, for serving (optional)
• thinly sliced green onions, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Put beans in pressure cooker with enough water to cover by about 2 inches.
2. Add 1 T olive oil to cooker, then lock lid, choose MANUAL SETTING and HIGH PRESSURE, and set time for 30 minutes. (Remember to add a few minutes if your beans are old.)
3. After 30 minutes, use QUICK RELEASE to release the pressure.
4. While beans cook, chop the onion, and prepare minced garlic and green chiles, and measure the salt.
5. Add those ingredients to the pressure cooker with the cooked beans.
6. Lock lid again and set to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, and 10 minutes.
7. Let pressure release naturally when the time is up.
8. When pressure has released, remove lid and without draining, use an immersion blender (affiliate link) or a food processor (affiliate link) to puree the beans, being careful not to over-blend.
9. At this point, beans will definitely be more runny than you want, but I like the idea of keeping the flavor that’s in the cooking water and excess liquid will cook off when the beans are fried.
10. Heat 2 T oil of your choice in a heavy, nonstick pan.
11. Add beans and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until beans have thickened to desired consistency.
12. For me this took about 10 minutes.
13. Serve hot, topped with grated cheese and thinly sliced green onions if desired.

Notes

There is no need to soak the beans, but beans that are fresher will cook more quickly. If your beans have been sitting on the shelf for a while, add 5-10 minutes cooking time.

You can also use lard, bacon grease, or any other fat you prefer for frying the beans. I used Anaheim chiles, called diced green chiles (affiliate link) in U.S. stores, but you can use hotter chiles if you prefer. I used Four Cheese Mexican Blend for the cheese.

I originally created this recipe with a stovetop pressure cooker, but recently I made it again in the Instant Pot and you can certainly use a Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker or another electric pressure cooker if that’s what you have. (affiliate links)

This recipe was created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 142Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 317mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 5gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Many people don’t realize that dried beans are approved for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, which makes these Instant Pot Refried Beans  perfect for South Beach Diet meals. Beans are a bit high in carbs for traditional low-carb diet plans, although they do have lots of fiber so check the net carbs and see what you think.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Instant Pot Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest or on Facebook to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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