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If you enjoy the taste of refried beans, ditch the canned version and learn how to make these Instant Pot Refried Beans with ease. The recipe is simple to follow and will leave you with delicious beans!

Reasons To Make Instant Pot Refried Beans

The recipe is easy enough to follow. Whether you’re an experienced cook or a beginner, you can make these Instant Pot Refried Beans.
These beans are flavorful and fresh. They’ll taste better than any canned beans you’ve tasted.
You don’t need too many ingredients to prepare the beans from scratch using your Instant Pot.

Refried beans are a classic Mexican inspired side dish. You might serve them with crockpot fajitas, tacos, tortilla chips, nachos or other delicious dishes. These beans are perfect in 7 Layer Taco Dip.

If you’d normally add them to some of your favorite meals from a can, you no longer need to do that. Instead, try these flavorful Instant Pot Refried Beans. They taste good, they’re better for you, and it doesn’t take too long to make them.

A bowl of homemade refried beans in front of an Instant pot.

Instant Pot Refried Beans

These homemade Refried Beans are bursting with flavor. If you have an Instant Pot and all the ingredients needed, you can make these beans in a little over an hour. Ditch the can and make these homemade refried beans instead!

Let’s discuss how to make these refried beans, as well as the ingredients that are needed for them. First, please take note that below, you will find discussion, expert tips, and answers to frequently asked questions about the recipe. The full printable recipe itself, with exact measurements and instructions, is found at the bottom of this page.

How To Make Refried Beans

Ingredients

You’ll need a few essential ingredients to make these Mexican Refried Beans, including:

Dry Pinto Beans. Make sure you have at least two cups of dry pinto beans before you get started.
Bacon Fat. Save the fat after cooking bacon. You’ll need three tablespoons of it for this recipe.
Onion. Chop your onion into small pieces before you use it.
Garlic. Mince three cloves of garlic and add the garlic to your Instant Pot with the onion.
Chicken Stock. Use chicken stock for flavor. It’s best to use the low-sodium kind.
Spices. You will need a variety of Mexican inspired spices. I used salt, cumin and pepper for these refried beans.
Garnishes. You can use your favorite garnishes for your refried beans. Some of my favorite toppings are sliced jalapenos, diced tomatoes and crumbly Mexican cheese.

Pinto beans in a strainer with a hand grabbing some.

Directions

If you’d like to make the Homemade Refried Beans, start by rinsing your beans and draining them before setting them off to the side.

Grab your Instant Pot, add the onion and bacon fat, and saute these ingredients for three minutes before adding your garlic for an additional minute.

Step by step photos showing how to make refried beans.

Pour some of the chicken stock into the Instant Pot, deglaze the pot, and then add your pinto beans, more chicken stock, cumin, pepper, and salt. Make sure you scrap the bottom of your Instant Pot to get rid of any stuck on bits of food.

Refried beans being made in an instant pot.

Set your Instant Pot on the pressure setting and allow it to cook for 45 minutes. Let the pressure release on its own. This is called natural release and you don’t have to do anything once the beans are done cooking. The pin will drop once natural pressure has been reached and you can remove the lid then.

Once it’s done releasing, grab your ladle, remove a cup of the liquid from your Instant Pot, and begin mashing your beans with a potato masher. You can also use an immersion blender to get extra creamy refried beans.

A batch of homemade refried beans being made in an instant pot.

Expert Tips

If you don’t have a potato masher, you can use a large wooden spoon to mash your Refried Pinto Beans down.
You can use homemade chicken stock if you have some at home. If not, any brand will do. You may want to use reduced sodium chicken stock if you are sensitive to sodium or don’t want the beans to be overly salty.
Make sure you’re not using canned pinto beans for this recipe. It’s important to use dry pinto beans!

Refried beans in an instant pot being mashed.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

Can I save these refried beans? Yes, you can save the beans. You’ll need to put them in a food storage container with a lid before putting them in the fridge. When you want to reheat them, I suggest adding a tablespoon of chicken stock or water so they don’t dry out.
How many servings does this recipe make? When you follow this recipe, you’ll have enough to serve four to six people. Want more refried beans? Feel free to double this recipe!
How long does it take to make this recipe? It will take you about an hour and a half to prepare the beans. It takes roughly 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients and an additional 60 minutes to cook everything.