Homemade Refried Beans | Instant Pot recipe

Homemade Refried Beans are a breeze to make in an Instant Pot. By frying the peppers, onion, and garlic in salt pork, these beans take on a ton of flavor!

Homemade refried beans are nothing like their canned counterparts. It takes more work, but when you’re really looking to bring your meal together with the perfect, flavor packed side dish, these homemade refried beans are just the trick.

When you make them from scratch, you get to customize the flavors and textures exactly the way you want. And when you make them in the pressure cooker, you get all the flavors of homemade but in a fraction of the time. 

This post is part of our Instant Pot Beans series. We’ll teach you everything you need to know for the basics on how to cook pinto beans, how to cook black beans, and how to cook great northern beans.

We’re all familiar with canned refried beans or the bland versions that are sometimes served as fillers at restaurants. My kids always pass on these, which I don’t blame them. But my kids loved this homemade version. 

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

Homemade refried beans need more than just the pinto beans to cook up flavorful and creamy; here’s what you’ll need:

• Salt pork: Salt pork is the key ingredient for refried beans. Salt pork can be purchased in slabs or diced. We just used the Hormel salt pork from our local grocery store. 
• Onion, jalapeno, and garlic: Fried in oil, these all build flavor for the beans. You can substitute poblano or Anaheim peppers or even use half of the amount if you want a more mild flavor.
• Broth: You can substitute water if you prefer, or use half water and half broth. But you’ll need the full 3 cups of liquid to reach pressure. 
• Dried pinto beans: It’s important to make sure the beans are well rinsed and picked through to remove any debris.
• Bay leaf, salt, and pepper: Make sure to remove the bay leaf after pressure cooking. It gives great flavor, but it’s definitely not a texture you’d want in your beans.
• Toppings: You can serve the beans as-is, but I like to include a little bit of fresh pico de gallo, cilantro, and Oaxaca melting cheese for serving. (Oaxaca is a Mexican cheese that melts like mozzarella but is a little saltier and lovely. You can sub your favorite melting cheese as desired.)

If you’re wondering why refried beans are only fried once, it’s because the English translations of the Spanish term “frijoles refritos” got a little mixed up. In Spanish, the prefix “re-” can mean “again” (like it does in English), but it can also mean “thorough.” In this case, refried beans are simply beans that have been well fried.

How to Make Homemade Refried Beans in an Instant Pot

✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

First, spread out the pinto beans on a rimmed baking sheet and pick through the beans to remove any debris or damaged beans. Rinse the remaining beans well and allow to drain.

Next, you’ll need to render the salt pork to get all that juicy flavor into your cooking pot. Then cook the onion, jalapeno, and garlic for even more flavor. Then add the rinsed beans, water or broth, salt, and add the bay leaf on top. Cook at High Pressure for 30 minutes, then allow the beans to release naturally for 20 minutes. 

Carefully remove the lid, then remove any beans that are floating. Check the remaining beans for tenderness. If they’re done, remove the bay leaf. 

Next, you’re going to need to separate the beans from the cooking liquid. (Don’t drain all that flavorful liquid down the sink! Drain it over a bowl!)

If you want really smooth refried beans, pop all of the cooked beans into a blender and puree until smooth.

If you like chunky refried beans, return half of the beans to the cooking pot and blend with an immersion blender until smooth, adding cooking liquid as needed to reach the desired texture.  Mash the other half of the beans with a potato masher, then combine with the blended beans. 

Salt and pepper to taste and garnish with your favorite toppings. 

The beans will continue to thicken as they cool, so keep the reserved cooking liquid to help return them to their smooth and creamy consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions about Refried Beans

MORE Mexican-inspired Recipes

Recipes you can make with this or other recipes you might like:

• Mexican Pinto Bean Soup, also known as Charro Bean Soup, packs just the right amount of heat and is full of healthy protein.
• Taco-Bell-Style Ground Beef Tacos is a quick, one-pot, dump-and-go meal that features a few flavorful spices you probably already have in your spice cabinet. 
• Want the perfect main dish for these refried beans? Try our Instant Pot Shredded Beef Enchiladas, which features tender beef wrapped in soft flour tortillas in a not-too-spicy sauce.

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Homemade Refried Beans

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Use your Instant Pot to make up a flavorful batch of homemade refried beans, made with salt pork, peppers, garlic, and dried pinto beans.

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• Salt pork, 3 ounces with rind removed and diced very small
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (can also use poblano or anaheim; we only used half)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 3 cups water or broth
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed of debris and strained
• 1 bay leaf
• Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
• Pico de gallo, cilantro, and Oaxaca melting cheese, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Select Saute and preheat the cooking pot. When hot, add the oil and salt pork and cook, until the fat renders, 5 to 10 minutes, flipping part-way through. Use a slotted spoon to remove salt pork and set aside.
2. Add the onion and jalapeno and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Add 3 cups water, kosher salt, and the beans to the pressure cooking pot. Place the bay leaf on top. Select High Pressure and 30 minutes cook time.
4. When the cook time ends, turn the pressure cooker off and allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. Carefully remove the lid.
5. Remove the bay leaf. Discard any beans that are floating, and check several beans to make sure they're tender. If not, return to high pressure for a few more minutes.
6. Place a colander over a bowl and strain the excess liquid from the beans. Set aside.
7. Return half of the beans to the cooking pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the beans until smooth, adding some of the reserved liquid as needed to smooth to desired texture. (We used between ¼ and ½ cup.)
8. Add the remaining half of the beans and use a potato masher to mash until you reach your desired texture. Add additional reserved liquid to help your beans become creamy. (The refried beans will continue to thicken as they cool.)
9. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, garnished with cheese, pico, and chopped cilantro, if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 158Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 889mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.

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