Refried beans used to be an all-day affair. But now, this recipe for Refried Beans with an Instant Pot saves the day for something else.

Table of Contents
SECRETS FOR MAKING REFRIED BEANS IN AN INSTANT POT
Awhile back, a charity asked me to cook up and freeze some 25 pounds or so of dried pinto beans for future use. It was just the excuse I needed to perfect this recipe for refried beans using the Instant Pot. Here are a few things I learned in the process.
#1
Not all beans are equal.
Old beans take longer to cook than fresher ones. Consequently, if your beans are not tender at the end of the cooking time prescribed in this recipe, seal up the pot and cook for another 10 minutes.
#2
A warning about the cooking time.
Recipes I try from the internet don’t always account for the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure before the specified time gets started. This time can be considerable, so remember that when comparing recipes.
#3
Tip to decrease the time of cooking:
Pour hot tap water into the Instant Pot after you briefly sauté the onion mixture and while you’re preparing the beans. As a result, it will take less time for the pot to come to pressure once you add the beans and seal the pot.
#4
Fresh jalapeño peppers can be frozen.
Store in the
#5
Tomato paste in a tube is the bomb!
Of course, you can open a can of tomato paste and freeze the rest in small portions. But if it’s
HOW TO COOK UNSOAKED PINTO BEANS IN 90 MINUTES





MORE TEX-MEX TIPS
#1
My favorite tortilla warmer

Since a lot of refried beans end up in burritos, I wanted to mention this tortilla warmer. Don’t underestimate its usefulness when you’re feeding a crowd and trying to keep tortillas warm.
In my book, it’s much better than traditional tortilla warmers that sweat inside and end up dripping water on your tortillas.
#2
Freezing Refried Beans

As for burritos, I like to freeze single portions of these plastic zippered bags and freeze them. They make a cheap and filling snack or lunch.
#4
Don’t put overfill your tortilla when making burritos.

Burritos with beans squishing out everywhere are hard to eat. I learned it from my grandchildren.
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Did you enjoy this recipe? You can help others (and me) by leaving a rating on the recipe card itself underneath the picture. No comment required. Thank you.
Hope to see you again soon!
Paula
p.s. Questions? Email me: paula at saladinajar.com.
Instant Pot Refried Beans in 90 Minutes

Simple refried beans are cooked in the Instant Pot with no pre-soaking required.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup bacon grease or vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 4-1/2 cups hot tap water
- 1 pound dried pinto beans, sorted and washed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1-1/2 teaspoon salt (or Adobo seasoning)
- Ground black pepper and/or hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Add bacon grease to Instant Pot and set to "Sauté." When grease is melted, add onions, garlic, and jalapeño pepper. Sauté approximately 3-5 minutes until onions are soft.
- Pour hot tap water into the pot so it can come to a boil while you sort and wash beans.
- Add beans to pot and seal. Turn off the Sauté button and set to cook on HIGH pressure for 50 minutes.
- Release pressure 10 minutes after pressure cooking finishes.
- Open pot. Drain off liquid and reserve. Stir in tomato paste, salt, black pepper, and hot sauce to taste. If you have Adobo seasoning on hand, use it instead of salt for a more authentic Tex-Mex flavor.
- Use an immersion blender or a potato masher to pulverize beans to your preferred level of chunkiness. Add in reserved liquid as needed to make beans the right consistency. If you like your beans really smooth, use a food processor and blend in batches.
Notes
- If beans seem too dry after mashing, add a little bit of water to bring to desired consistency.
- Skip step #6 if you just want a mean bowl of beans.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 185Total Fat: 5gSodium: 341.8mgCarbohydrates: 26.8gFiber: 6.6gSugar: 2.6gProtein: 8.6g
Kristi Kearl
Thursday 31st of January 2019
Oh my. I made these last week, and wow. A. I didn't know beans could taste so good. B. This might be my new favorite food.
Delicious!!! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Paula
Thursday 31st of January 2019
Oh Kristi,
I'm so glad to hear this! Yay! Thanks for coming back to express your thoughts.
Kristi Kearl
Monday 21st of January 2019
I was just thinking I need to start making my own beans in my instant pot! Question: I have heard that soaking beans beforehand keeps them from causing flatulence when consumed. Why do I not need to worry about that when cooking in an instant pot?
Paula
Monday 21st of January 2019
Hi Kristi,
You can read just about everything about beans and flatulence, how to avoid it or how to cure it. For myself, I can't tell any difference in regards to how the beans are prepared. I think it depends more on what you are used to, how often you eat beans and how many you eat. I would just give it a try and see what you think.