Get healthy refried beans in under an hour when you use your Instant Pot or other pressure cooker! Pinto beans could be used instead, but I love black beans. Total time includes pressure build up and release!
I got an Instant Pot for Christmas and have used it moderately since then. I’m super excited about it, but I haven’t jumped in without looking back like most people, it seems. I have, however, made healthy refried beans in the Instant Pot pretty much every Taco Tuesday since December!
This recipe is so crazy easy, and using a pressure cooker to cook dry beans makes it so crazy quick that I set it up an hour before dinner, and then I’m done! Healthy refried beans, pinto or black, on the table when we are ready to eat.
Obviously you could serve these alongside any Mexican inspired meal, but I always make them with tacos, which we have every Taco Tuesday. My littlest one actually calls tacos “Taco Tuesdays”, as in, “Can I have another Taco Tuesday, mom?” It’s adorable. And we are clearly a taco loving family.
These healthy refried beans would be at home alongside my Veggie Tacos Loaded with Guacamole, Guinness Braised Pork Irish Tacos, or Chicken Taco Baked Sweet Potatoes. Heck, they’d be great as brunch with my Taco Muffin Tin Eggs!
I like to make an entire pound of dried beans at once and then use the leftovers for easy burritos at home for lunch all week.
OR you could make a whole batch and freeze half so you don’t need to make more the next week. Just thaw, warm and done!
Whatever you serve them with, there’s no reason to eat the canned version when fresh, homemade, healthy refried beans are an less than an hour of hands off time away! And don’t forget to make a double batch to freeze for quick meals 😉
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Vanessa at The Cheerful Kitchen
Yields Serves 8-10
Healthy refried beans in less than an hour from your Instant Pot!
10 minPrep Time
45 minCook Time
55 minTotal Time
Ingredients
- 1lb dried pinto or black beans, rinsed well
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 brown onion
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 2tsp salt
- 2tsp chili powder
- 2tsp cumin
- 5 1/2 cups of water
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot on to saute and let it heat up.
- While that is happening, dice your onion and mince your garlic.
- Add the oil to the Instant Pot for 30 seconds, then add the onion and garlic and stir to coat with the oil.
- Saute the onion and garlic for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the rinsed beans, salt, spices and water, and mix to combine.
- Put the lid on your Instant Pot and make sure the the pressure valve is closed.
- Change the settings from Saute to Pressure Cook. Make sure it is set to High, and set the timer for 33 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the pressure to build up, and then the timer will start to count down. When it beeps to signal that the cooking time is done, let the pressure naturally come down for 10 minutes before opening the pressure valve and releasing the rest of it manually. Make sure to get your hand out of the way fast when you open the valve so you don't get burned by the steam!
- The pressure will take about 30 seconds to release once you open the valve, so when steam stops coming out, you can open the lid.
- Remove 1 1/2-2 cups of the liquid, depending on how thin you like your beans. I remove a full 2 cups of liquid.
- Then, using a potato masher or an immersion blender, mash or blend the beans until you reach your desired consistency. I like my refried beans to be on the chunkier side, so I use an immersion blender just until there are some chunks left and then stop.
- Serve hot!
Notes
You can easily halve the recipe for a more manageable portion, or make the entire pound so that you have leftovers for healthy bean burrito lunches! You could also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Check out these other easy side dish ideas:
Fire Roasted Corn + Black Bean Salad
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Boston Baked Beans
Kelsey at Raising Little Wild Ones says