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Instant Pot Refried Beans

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These homemade Instant Pot Refried Beans are creamier, more flavorful and much less expensive than anything you can buy in the store! Once you make these you will never got back.

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Homemade Refried Beans

There are so many staples that come premade at the grocery store these days. Many of these things are not only more expensive, but also full of preservatives or extra fat or sugar that are totally unnecessary. We’ve become accustomed to the pre-made stuff, but you can make it better, healthier, and cheaper!

Homemade refried beans are creamy, super flavorful and once you make them you will never go back to the canned version. When you make them in the instant pot, it is mostly a hands off recipe!

Serve refried beans with whole wheat quesadillas - yum!

The Health Benefits of Beans

Why are beans so great?

  • Great source of iron, and protein
  • Lots of fiber to keep kids regular
  • High in folate for brain development and mental health (also crucial for pregnant mamas!)
  • Important for heart health and lower risk of heart disease
  • Stabilize blood sugar (slow-burning energy that lasts!)
  • They’re versatile, so you can find at least one form your kids will like!
Super easy homemade refried bean recipe!

How to Make Refried Beans in an Instant Pot (no soaking)

If you have an Instant Pot, I highly recommend using it to make refried beans! It’s quick and the beans turn out so well. And you don’t even have to soak them!

  • Set Instant Pot to saute mode and add oil to the pot. Add diced onion and saute until translucent.
  • Rinse pinto beans and add them to the pot (no soaking). Add remaining ingredients except for cumin.
  • Cook on manual setting, high pressure for 40 minutes. Allow for natural release.
  • Drain the beans and save 1 cup of liquid. Transfer cooked beans and 1 cup of liquid and cumin to a blender.
  • Pulse until they reach the desired consistency. NOTE: If you want chunkier refried beans, simply mash them instead of using a blender.

Serve warm, topped with cheese and cilantro. Or allow to cool and freeze in ziplock bags for the future. These refried beans freeze well!

No soak Instant Pot refried beans!
Perfectly cooked pinto beans in an Instant Pot.
Homemade refried beans have no fat and no preservatives!

Tips for Making Refried Beans in the Instant Pot

  • Always remember to have the steam valve closed when pressure cooking.
  • These beans will take about an hour total to cook. It takes around 10 minutes for pressure to build, then 40 to cook, then maybe 20 for a natural release, so plan on at least an hour to cook these beans.
  • I like to add 1-2 teaspoons of chicken flavored better than bouillon paste for added flavor
  • You can freeze these to use for another time, or freeze them if there are leftovers. When you are ready to eat them, just thaw in the fridge overnight, or heat on the stove.
  • Cut your onions ahead of time and freeze them. Then you’re always ready to crank out a batch of beans with next to no prep!
DIY re-fried beans recipe

How to cook refried beans in a Crockpot (no soaking)

Here’s your recipe for slow cooker re-fried beans. Again, no need to soak your beans!

How to make refried beans in a Crockpot without soaking!
  1. Add oil to a saute pan and heat to medium/high. Add diced onion and saute until translucent. Add to crockpot.
  2. Rinse pinto beans and add them in to your crockpot (no soaking). Now add 5 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt.
  3. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4.
  4. Transfer cooked beans and as much of the liquid as you need to a blender (you will probably only need about a cup of the liquid). Add 1 teaspoon of cumin.
  5. Pulse until they reach the desired consistency. If you want chunkier refried beans, simply mash them instead of using a blender.
EASY homemade refried beans at a fraction of the cost of canned!
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3.7 from 79 votes

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Make your own refried beans! You won’t believe how easy it is to make refried beans in an Instant Pot. No soaking required!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 people (1/2 cup serving)
Calories: 69kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Set Instant Pot to saute mode and add oil to the pot. Add diced onion and saute until translucent.
  • Rinse pinto beans and add them to the pot (no soaking). Add remaining ingredients except for cumin.
  • Cook on manual setting, high pressure for 40 minutes. Allow for natural release.
  • Drain the beans and save 1 cup of liquid. Transfer cooked beans and 1 cup of liquid and cumin to a blender.
  • Pulse until they reach the desired consistency. NOTE: If you want chunkier re-fried beans, simply mash them instead of using a blender. Enjoy!
  • Serve warm, topped with cheese and cilantro. Or allow to cool and freeze in ziplock bags for the future. These refried beans freeze well!
  • Crockpot
    Heat oil in a medium saute pan. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add to a crockpot with remaining ingredients except cumin. You will only need about 5 cups of cooking liquid if you are making these in the crockpot. I recommend 3 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Follow above directions for blending the beans. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword : Crockpot Refried Beans

www.superhealthykids.com

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

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19 Comments

I wish I liked beans. I can tolerate them, but I don’t really like them. Still, we do occasionally have a bean dip made with refried beans. I usually make them using canned, vegetarian refried beans, but I’ll try making the beans myself next time. So, thanks!

Can’t wait to see what DIY comes next!

Dr. Fuhrman? Maybe you mis-read him – maybe he said potatoes, or bread. Grain is the staff of life. And a pound? A day? What happened to moderation in everything? And I thought half your meals are suppsed to be fruits and vegetables? That’s a big meal with all those beans!

I may have to re-think everything else I’ve read from you. JUST KIDDING!

YOU READ MY MIND! We are totally on the same wavelength. I’ve been trying to grow and make more things myself and not rely on grocery stores. My next goal is to make that amazing 8 grain bread I sampled at Costco yesterday…

This will be the best week EVER. Who needs THE MAN?

And I even was looking up how to make my own tortillas. You’re my hero, Amy.

I am one of those people that cooks beans all of the time in my crockpot. I use my big crock pot and cook 2 lbs at a time. then the first night we eat them straight out of the pot. i put up about a half pound to mash/refry later in the week and then the other pound i freeze for use on a night when i forgot to put them in the crock pot. i do this with pinto beans, black beans, black eyed peas… yum. i think i will go start some now!

I’ve never made beans in the crockpot, but I think I will try it. I love all of these DIY. No more grocery store for me. 🙂 By the way, I made your Christmas almonds yesterday! YUM! Craig was so excited when he saw what I was making. Although he was disappointed that he had to wait a whole hour before they were ready! 🙂 But they were worth the wait!

Love the homemade bean ideas. You are so smart! I’ve relied on canned beans because I never remember to soak them overnight, now, I don’t have to remember that part. Also, I Don’t know if this is true, but I read somewhere (was it on your blog that I read it?), that if you rinse canned beans before you eat them, you’ll have less gas.

I make this often and love them! However, the crock pot has become my go to because every time I try the instant pot they come out hard/chewy. I would love to save a few hours of cooking time and use the instant pot. What could I be doing wrong? I follow the directions exactly. Thanks!

Hi Kristin! Cooking beans in the Instant Pot can require a little trouble-shooting, because a few different variables (like your altitude and the age of your beans) can affect the cook time. (Personally, I cook pinto beans for 42 minutes under high pressure in my IP, which is more than this recipe calls for.) Try a little longer cook time, and an extra cup of water, and see if that gets the texture right for you. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!