Instant Pot Refried Beans
Instant Pot refried beans are remarkably quick and easy to prepare and cook from scratch—it's almost magical!
Ingredients
- 1 pound pinto beans, or black beans
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups unsalted chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¾ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Prep the Beans: Rinse and pick over beans, discarding any damaged or malformed beans. Look for small stones or anything that doesn't look like a bean.1 pound pinto beans
- Sauté the Aromatics: Choose the sauté setting on the Instant Pot and add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, sauté the onion until wilted; add the jalapeño and garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer.1 tbsp vegetable oil | 1 medium onion | 1 jalapeño pepper | 4 cloves garlic
- Cancel the sauté setting and add the beans, water, chicken broth, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne, if using.4 cups water | 3 cups unsalted chicken broth | 1 large bay leaf | 1 tsp kosher salt | 1 tsp ground cumin | 3/4 tsp dried oregano | 1/2 tsp ground black pepper | 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- Pressure Cook: Place the lid on the pot and make sure the pressure release knob is in the sealing position. Select the pressure cook or manual button, high pressure. Set the timer to 45 minutes. When the time is up, allow a natural release, which will take approximately 20 minutes. If the beans aren't tender (some older beans could need more time), lock the lid back on the pot and pressure cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
- Finish the Dish: Strain the liquids into a bowl. Reserve up to 2 cups of the cooking liquids and discard the rest. Discard the bay leaf and return the beans to the Instant Pot or turn them into a large bowl. Mash or blend the beans with an immersion blender, adding small amounts of the reserved liquid, as needed for consistency. Taste and season with additional kosher salt, if needed.
- Garnish and Serve: Enjoy refried beans with shredded cheese, sliced green onions, chopped tomatoes, red onions, or your favorite toppings.
Nutrition
Calories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 12gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 427mgPotassium: 131mgFiber: 10gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 27IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 0.4mg
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
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