Name: Instant Pot Refried Beans
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 16 ounces dry pinto beans, rinsed and sorted; 1 ham hock; 2 cups chicken broth; 5 cups water; 3 cloves garlic; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; Instant Pot Duo; Non-Stick Inner Cooking Pot; Silicone Lid; Wooden Spoon; Spoon Rest; Food Processor

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I LOVE Mexican food! I am a huge fan of it all: tortillas, salsa, chips, cheese dip, and guacamole. But the one ingredient I'm most fond of is homemade refried beans.

And, making them in one of my favorite kitchen gadgets, the Instant Pot, couldn't be more easy!

Instant Pot Refried Beans served in two blue bowls and garnished with grated cheese, sliced peppers and cliantro

This recipe for Instant Pot Refried Beans gives you a perfect batch of smooth, creamy beans, seasoned with just a hint of cumin and cayenne pepper, every time. Not only will you love the taste, you will love how truly simple it is to make!

What are Refried Beans?
Helpful Instant Pot Supplies
2 Reasons Why You'll Love These Instant Pot Refried Beans
Main Dishes to Serve with Instant Pot Refried Beans
How to Make Instant Pot Refried Beans, Step By Step
Try Some of These Instant Pot Recipes
Recipe

What are Refried Beans?

Made from cooked, mashed beans, refried beans are a staple of both Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisines. They can be made with a variety of beans (kidney, black and pinto are all popular).

In the United States, refried beans are most commonly made from pinto beans.

Although the name "refried" suggests that the beans are "double cooked, or "fried again," this is not the case. The name comes from the American translation of the Spanish term frijoles refritos, which actually means well-fried beans.

Helpful Instant Pot Supplies

Instant Pot Inner Pot - I like to have an extra inner pot available because of how much cooking I do in my Instant Pot. It comes in really handy when I want to put a lid on the inner pot and refrigerate the leftovers, or mix up ingredients the night before to save time at the end of the day.
Silicone Lid for Instant Pot- I'm not sure how I lived without this one. Having a silicone lid for my Instant Pot has made life so much easier. It is perfect for adding ingredients a day or two ahead of time.
101 Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners- If you are new to pressure cooking, this is a great ebook to get you started with basic recipes you will use over and over again.

2 Reasons Why You'll Love These Instant Pot Refried Beans

#1: They are extremely healthy! Each serving of these beans is less than 75 calories, and is packed with 7.1 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and less than 1 gram of fat!

#2: Everyone can eat them! Instant Pot Refried Beans are gluten-free, and can be made to be both vegetarian and vegan-friendly by omitting the ham hock from the recipe.

Main Dishes to Serve with Instant Pot Refried Beans

Refried Beans are just about the most versatile side dish you will find. Their flavor complements many different entrées, so you won't have any trouble finding the perfect main dish to go with these Instant Pot Refried Beans.

If it's Taco Tuesday at your house, you'll love our flavorful and delicious Copycat Cafe Rio Shredded Beef Tacos.

Looking to change things up bit from tacos? Try these tasty Beef Empanadas. The crust and the filling are each made from just 3 ingredients, making this a super easy recipe! Win-win!

Last, but definitely not least, are these scrumptious Red Enchiladas-Chihuahua Style! You cannot go wrong with this cheesy and delicious layered enchilada recipe.

Good luck picking just one of these mouth-watering dishes!

How to Make Instant Pot Refried Beans, Step By Step

Step #1: Add all ingredients to inner pot.

Step #2: Turn pressure valve to sealed.

Step #3: Set on manual pressure for 45 minutes.

close up of pinto beans in the instant pot

Step #4: After a 20-minute natural release, do a quick release to let out remaining pressure.

Step #5: Reserve 1 cup liquid, drain the beans and then discard the ham hock.

pinto beans, chicken broth and a ham hock in a silver pot with a wooden spoon

Step #6: Blend beans in a blender or food processor and add in reserved liquid as needed to reach desired consistency.

Enjoy! Find the recipe at the bottom of this post.

Try Some of These Instant Pot Recipes

two small blue ramekins and one large white ramekin all filled with instant pot refried beans and topped with shredded cheese and green pepper slices

Recipe

Yield: 12-16 Side Dish Servings

Instant Pot Refried Beans

A perfect accompaniment to any main dish. Not only will you love the flavor, but you'll love how easy these are to make!

A century ago, making beans was much more labor-intensive than it is now, although the procedure is common. To save time and effort we thank the inventor of the Instant Pot for all that he did for us.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Supplies

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Instructions

Add all ingredients to inner pot.
Turn pressure valve to sealed.
Set on manual pressure for 45 minutes.
After a 20-minute natural release, do a quick release to let out remaining pressure.
Reserve 1 cup liquid, drain the beans and then discard the ham hock.
Blend beans in a blender or food processor and add in reserved liquid as needed to reach desired consistency.

Notes

Even if you think it is useless to work, do not forget to check the beans before soaking them. There is always some pebble that can ruin your stew because those do not soften with cooking. Those that are broken, remove them. We also recommend giving them a first bath so that they do not have dirt or filth.
There are many recipes for cooking with beans. To take advantage of the liquid that remains in the cooking you can make pot beans by adding chorizo, bacon, and chili.
A variation for the refried beans is to put them in a pan with oil, sautéed onion, half a tablespoon of sugar, and add the processed beans.
If you fancy a bean soup for the cold, follow the same process to make them refried; then add more chicken broth, fried tortilla julienne and you will have something very rich and comforting. I like to add a lemon twist to my bean soup. Others like it with hot sauce or jalapeños.
If you drain them and let them cool before processing, they can be a great addition to salads. Go ahead and experiment with lettuce, beets, and homemade vinaigrette!