One-Pot Instant Pot Refried Beans Recipe

There are plenty of different ways to serve beans, and there's no doubt that most people have a soft spot for one method over another. But if you're a lover of refried beans, then you know why these beans really are the jack of all trades. Not only are refried beans great as a side, but they also make an excellent filling for a taco, burrito, or a spread on a tostada. Of course, you can also the refried beans as a dip or spread on tortilla chips.

Recipe developer Melissa Olivieri of The Olive Blogger came up with this fantastic recipe that yields refried beans in no time. "The simplicity of this recipe is amazing — set it and forget it, and then it just needs a quick sauté for the refried portion! I also love that you can control the salt and fat (oil)," Olivieri raves. She also discusses why the Instant Pot is such a good tool to make refried beans. "The Instant Pot makes this a quick and easy dish. No need to soak the beans overnight!" she adds.

Every recipe begins with a grocery list. For this dish, you will need pinto beans, water, onion, garlic cloves, kosher salt, ground black pepper, cumin, dried oregano, olive oil, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Once you have those things, you can make this one-pot Instant Pot refried beans.

Take out a large bowl and toss in the pinto beans. Next, some water on top of the beans and gently swoosh around with your hands, making sure to check for any rocks or foreign objects. If you find any, just remove them. 

Then drain the water from the beans and set them to the side for a moment since you won't need them just yet.

It's time to bust out your Instant Pot. Put it on the sauté mode and drizzle in your olive oil. Once the oil gets hot, toss in the onion and garlic. Cook the two together for about a minute or so. "The sautéing of the onions and garlic with spices before adding the beans allows the flavors to really burst in these refried beans," Olivieri says. "You can really taste the difference between doing the quick sauté and just throwing things in the IP."

Then, spice it up ... literally. Just add kosher salt, ground black pepper, cumin, and dried oregano. Continue to stir until fragrant.

Now, you can throw in the star of your dish — the pinto beans. At this time, you can also dump in the water. Change the mode of the Instant Pot from sauté to beans/chili mode. Then, set your timer to cook the beans for 35 minutes.

Once the timer goes off, do the slow release and ensure the safety valve is down before opening the lid. Grab a colander and place a bowl underneath it, draining the liquid from the beans. You don't want to discard the beans' liquid since you need it.

Put the beans back into the Instant Pot and add two to three ladles full of the bean water.

While the beans are still in the Instant Pot, use an immersion blender to combine until it reaches the desired consistency. You can always add more water to get a thinner consistency if you need to.

Set the pot back on sauté mode and cook the beans for another 5 minutes. Be sure to stir constantly during the cooking time.

Scoop the beans into a bowl of your choice and garnish with sliced jalapeños and chopped cilantro. These are great to serve however you usually serve refried beans, but Olivieri shares a few of her favorite suggestions. "We love to layer the beans with salsa and sour cream and enjoy it as a dip with our fave show! You can also use them in burritos or tacos," she says.

We hope you enjoyed this recipe!