These creamy and indulgent Instant Pot Refried Beans are the best! Easy to make entirely in a pressure cooker, they’re a vegan and protein-packed side dish or filling to pair with all of your favorite Mexican-inspired recipes.
Learning how to make vegan Instant Pot Refried Beans is a quick and easy alternative to the stovetop method. They come together in one pot in just 1 hour!
Once they’re ready, the silky smooth refried pinto beans add protein and substance to vegan burritos and tacos, or can be served on the side of enchiladas and quesadillas. It’s one of the best and easiest Mexican-inspired vegan side dishes to keep in your fridge or freezer at all times.
Are these the best pressure cooker refried beans?
Yes, and I’ll give you 3 reasons why:
- Classic flavors that are fun to play with: While these refried beans are far from authentic, they have smoky flavors and a creamy texture that will still remind you of your favorite Mexican restaurant. You can add chili peppers, liquid smoke, dried herbs and spices, vegan cheese, and other additions to play with the flavors!
- A true one-pot recipe: The entire cooking process takes place in the Instant Pot, from sauteeing the vegetables to cooking the beans to blending the finished batch. It’s a tried and true one-pot recipe.
- 20+ five-star reviews: The reviews speak for themselves… Shannon says, “I have tried other Instant Pot refried beans recipes. I then tried yours!!! Definitely no comparison!! The best refried beans ever!!” And Kelly says, “WOW…these beans were delicious! My family and I will be enjoying this recipe for many years to come.”
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Dry pinto beans – Pinto beans are the traditional choice in refried beans recipes, but both dried black beans and white navy beans can be used as a substitute. Always use dried beans and not canned.
- Olive oil – Oil is important because it adds fat and flavor to the beans.
- Onion – Sauteed onions give the refried beans a savory baseline of flavor. You could saute a diced jalapeno along with the onion and garlic for extra spice.
- Garlic
- Water – Or use vegetable broth for extra flavor!
- Chili powder – Feel free to use an extra teaspoon if you love the heat. If you aren’t a fan of spicy food, use paprika or smoked paprika instead.
- Cumin
- Salt
How to make Instant Pot refried beans
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
- Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on Saute mode to heat it up. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Turn off Saute mode to deglaze the pot with water (or broth).
- Stir the dry pinto beans, the rest of the water, spices, and salt into the pot.
- Place the lid on top and cook on High Pressure for 40 minutes. Once the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes and vent the rest manually. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid after removing the lid and drain the rest.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the beans until they’re smooth and creamy, adding splashes of the reserved liquid as needed. Adjust the seasonings to your taste, then serve!
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can mash the beans by hand using a potato masher or process them in small batches in a food processor or blender.
Serving suggestions
Vegan refried beans are often served on the side of Mexican dishes with toppings to liven up the flavor, such as cilantro, vegan cheese, jalapenos, or lime juice. They would pair really well next to my vegan enchiladas and carne asada.
The beans also make for a protein-packed filling in chik’n burritos, quesadillas, taquitos, and tacos. You could even add a scoop on top of a vegan burrito bowl to make it extra filling!
Frequently asked questions
- What size Instant Pot should I use? Making refried beans in a 6-Quart Instant Pot will make enough for a family of 5. For 1 or 2 people, a 3-Quart will do just fine. And if you’re focusing on meal prep, make a large batch in an 8-Quart. The cooking times will be the same using each one, but you may need to cut the recipe in half when using the smaller Instant Pot (3-quart).
- I got a BURN message on my Instant Pot! What should I do? If your Instant Pot easily gives you the burn message, don’t saute the onion and garlic. Simply add everything to the pot and cook.
- Do you have to soak the beans? It isn’t a necessary step but they can be soaked ahead of time. Just decrease the cooking time to 15 or 20 minutes.
- How do you store refried beans? Store the beans in airtight containers in the fridge for 5 days.
- Can you freeze them? Yes. To freeze flat, place the beans in a large, freezer-safe bag, seal, then flatten and freeze. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove.
Want more Mexican-inspired vegan recipes?
- Spanish Rice and Beans
- Fully Loaded Vegan Nachos
- Vegan Black Bean Soup
- Vegan Queso Blanco
- Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Instant Pot Refried Beans
These creamy and indulgent Instant Pot Refried Beans are the best! Easy to make entirely in a pressure cooker, they’re a vegan and protein-packed side dish or filling to pair with all of your favorite Mexican-inspired recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans (about 2 1/4 cups)
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1-2 teaspoons salt, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the pinto beans in a large colander, picking out any misshapen beans. Set aside.
- In the Instant Pot, turn on the Saute feature and warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the Instant Pot for a moment. Pour a small amount of water into the Instant Pot, and scrape along the bottom to remove any bits of food (this will help prevent the BURN message).
- Add the dry pinto beans, the rest of the water, spices and 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot. Give it a little stir.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to "sealing". Set to manual, high pressure for 40 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, then vent any remaining pressure manually.
- Keep 2 cups of the liquid from the cooked beans in a bowl, then drain the rest of the liquid. Return the beans back to the pot.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the beans to the desired consistency, adding some of the reserved liquid as needed. The beans will continue to thicken as they cool. Add more salt to taste. Serve with any desired toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- How to store refried beans: Keep in covered containers in the refrigerator for 5 days. They also freeze well. To save space, freeze flat in large freezer ziplock bags. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before warming on the stovetop and serving.
- If your Instant Pot gets the burn message easily: Instead of sauteing the onion and garlic in oil, simply skip the sauteing and add everything together in the pot.
- If you wish to pre-soak the beans, you can decrease the pressure cooking time t0 15-20 minutes.
- Don’t have an immersion blender? You can leave the beans whole, use a potato masher, or transfer in small batches to a food processor/blender and process until smooth.
- For a change, use black beans instead!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 825mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 74IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!
This recipe was originally posted in December 2017 and has been updated with newer photos and writing.
I have tried other instant pot refried beans recipes. I then tried yours!!! Definitely no comparison!! The best refried beans ever!! I have been putting them on a tortilla with some diced onions and Kroger’s brand of vegan cheddar then I fry them in about a tablespoon of oil! So good! I made some a few days ago and I have some more cooking right now! Oh!! I am also cooking your tofu bolognese for dinner tonight!! The best ever! Do you have an easy focaccia bread recipe??
I am so glad you are having fun with my recipes! Also that you are loving them! Thanks so much for taking time to share your fun and great review! I have a naan recipe, no focaccia bread recipe yet! Happy cooking!
I will definitely check out that recipe!! Thanks for all your hard work! I’m thinking about making your cinnamon rolls tomorrow morning! So yummy!!
Thanks, Shannon! Oh they are SO GOOD. Enjoy!
So last week I made these beans twice! I also made your cinnamon rolls and your vegan butter chicken and your tofu bolognese! I have more beans going in the instant pot now! I’m a fan of all your recipes I make! Thanks for helping me stay on the vegan wagon. I was switching back and forth from vegan to vegetarian but I have not ate dairy in over a month and I am down 20 pounds!!
Hi Shannon. I am glad you are loving my recipes! Sounds like you’ve had lots of fun cooking! I know I love easy and delicious food, and I love creating the recipes. Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and comments!
The beans turned out great! I use the pressure cooker a lot for pinto beans. But for some reason never used the stick blender. Great idea. Great flavor and so easy.
Thank for sharing your great review, Teresa! I’m glad you love the refried beans!
Great recipe! I’ve made this a couple of times now and this turns out great every time.
Thank you, Claire! I’m glad you are enjoying the recipe!
How much does the recipe yield? I saw 8 servings, but not sure how many cups (or grams) each serving is. Loved the recipe and will make again.
I haven’t measured exactly, but probably about 3/4-1 cup of refried beans. You’d have to divide it by 8 to know for sure, and it will vary based on how much liquid you use to mash/puree them. Thanks!
This was so delicious that I decided to double the recipe (in my bigger IP)! When I asked my three-year-old if she liked the refried beans, she said “I love them!” Thanks for another easy, healthy, and affordable recipe.
You’re welcome!
First time and I love the taste!
But They’re very loose (too runny/too much water). I pulled out 2.5 Cups of water. Somewhere I messed that up.
But anyway to salvage this batch? Won’t work for tostadas tonight.
Thanks! Excited to fine tune the recipe!
Hi!! You are supposed to drain the beans but save 2 cups of the liquid. After you put the beans back in the pot then you gradually add some of the bean broth back in until you get the consistency that you like. I usually only use about 3/4 cup of the broth
I make these all the time!!!!!
This is a wonderful recipe! Everyone raves about how good the flavor is. I added about 3-4 tablespoons of McKays Chicken Seasoning to the pot.
Can this recipe be doubled in a 6 quart instant pot?
Thank you for this recipe.
God bless you and your family
Patti
Thank you, I’m glad you like the refried beans! Yes, that should work as long as there is room in the pot.
I made this tonight and loved it. I added vegan cheese when mashing it (I chose to mash it with a bean mashed completely) and it turned out very yummy!
Great recipe! I omitted 1/2 cup of water for chicken broth, and added 1/2 can of diced chiles for a little more heat. Will definitely make again!!
Hi! I love refried beans so was excited to make this. The beans were a bit tough at 40 mins so i put them on for another 10 and they were creamy goodness! The one other tweak that I did was add a few dashes of liquid smoke to give them a bit of umami—yuuuum! Thanks for all the amazing recipes!
You’re welcome! I’m glad the beans came out great!
Hi! We don’t have an instant pot, and have no plans to get one anytime soon. Do you have a recipe for crock pot or stove cooking?
Hi there! So you could cook these in a crock pot for about 8 hours on high. Or the stovetop for about 2 hours until soft. Hope that helps!
Used this recipe for my instant pot 1st use. It is super easy and oh my goodness they are awesome. So much so, we made it again the next day. Thanks for sharing this with us, This is the one you need to make.
Thanks for the comment! So glad you like them!
Because of a very fragile digestive system I have to soak beans before cooking and discard the water. So, if I soak these beans overnight, by how much do I reduce the water for cooking them?
This recipe sounds delicious and I would like to try it.
Sure! I haven’t tried it, but I would check them after just 20 minutes. If they aren’t quite done, cook them for 5 more minutes, but 20 minutes might do it. Enjoy!
Hi Nora,
Probably a dumb question, but here goes. I have some frozen, chopped green chile from New Mexico that I’m thinking about adding to the recipe. I’m a newbie to the instant pot and have yet to try refried beans. When do you think I should add the thawed chile?
Alan
I would probably add it after they cook, when you blend the beans. Not a dumb question at all!
My first Instant Pot recipe! Good beans. I think I’ll tweak the seasonings a bit, but that is personal taste. (I did add roasted chiles!) So what used to take 8+ hours in a crock pot now took less than 2! I think I’m sold on the Instant Pot! Thank you!
That’s great, I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Please state what size instant pot you used. I have a 6 qt and am never sure if there is enough room for the liquid after cooking to not burn. I love your recipes. I find in vegan recipes authors many times don’t give the size pan or instapot to use to get optimum results. Thanks!
6 quart. I will keep this in mind to specify what kind I used, thank you!
I left a comment to say my beans were kind of hard. I came back to change my comment and tell you after I processed them. They were delicious. However, my original comment has not been posted. Seems a bit dishonest.
Hi Jane! I never saw another comment from you, sorry! I don’t even see it in my spam folder, so I’m not sure what happened there. Whatever happened with the beans, I’m so glad they turned out for you!
Jane Hallett – What’s dishonest is publicly rating a recipe when you hadn’t even finished it!
I just made this recipe and it was perfect!
Thanks so much! I’m glad they came out perfect for you!
I’ve made these on the stove for years. I just cook up 2lbs of pintos & then make a meal of beans & rice. Then put the remaining beans & juice into freezer bowls & freeze. One way to make this authentic is to brown 4 guajillo dried chilis in some oil. Leave peppers in pot & add rest of the ingredients and cook according to directions. After done use tongs to remove peppers and serve beans, This is the authentic flavor like you get in Mexico!!
Hi
Can these be made with black beans?
Yes, I don’t see why not!
WOW…these beans were delicious! My family and I will be enjoying this recipe for many years to come. Thank you ?
So much better than canned, right?! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Hi Nora! I just made a batch of these beans and they are absolutely DELICIOUS! I am slowly becoming your biggest fan; I’ve been on a marathon of cooking your recipes for the past few days and not one has been a disappointment! I love how each recipe is simple, uses ingredients I have on hand, and tastes delicious! Do you have a cookbook? If so, I would buy it! Thanks for providing such great recipes. PS I love how you sprinkle in Instant Pot recipes as well! I love my Instant Pot and use it all the time!
Thank you for this super easy recipe! I added a small can of chopped jalapeno with the beans during the cooking process to add a little kick. Yummy!
You’re welcome Cheryl! Thanks for the feedback. The jalapenos sound like a fantastic addition!
Hi Nora, I made your recipe last night and dipped baked potatos in it with avocado slices on top. It was perfect, I’m eating it every day this week. Easy way to reduce your grocery bill to almost nothing, eat just about as healthy as a human can, with almost no effort.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the beans! Sounds good with potatoes and avocado slices. Yes, eating plant based and healthy doesn’t have to be expensive at all!
This was PHENOMENOL!! My beans came out percect – I didn’t Realize just how good this was going to taste. Thank you for such a great recipe. BTW, I added my salt last, before blending. I’ve heard you shouldn’t add your salt while the beans are cooking.
Yay! They are so good, right!? You’re so welcome, thanks for the comment!
What about refried black beans?? Would it work the same?
Yes that should work fine.
Can this recipe doubled? It’s my first attempt at Instant Pot!!
Oh how exciting! I think there would be room to double this, depending on the size of your Instant Pot. Make sure the beans and liquid don’t go above the line inside the pot where it says to stop. However, this recipe does make a lot of refried beans, so you may not need to! With a family of 5, we usually have leftovers for days, or I freeze half.
Love these beans!!!