If you love the creamy texture of classic refried beans, you’ll love this recipe. It’s made in the Instant Pot, is oil free and so easy to prepare! All you’ll need is a few simple ingredients and an Instant Pot!
Contrary to popular belief, refried beans are not fried twice. The name comes from the Spanish name “frijoles refritos,” which just means they are cooked well. They are generally cooked pinto beans that are mashed up well and included as a side dish or in tacos. Traditional refried beans do contain lard, so finding a vegan option is always exciting.
Why make your own refried beans
- It’s healthier. There’s no preservatives and you can control the oil and ingredients.
- It’s tastier! All the flavorful ingredients are added to an instant pot and then mashed to a puree. The resulting texture just like restaurant-style refried beans without all the fat! For extra flavor, I added a teaspoon of Better than Bullion (or you could use any vegetable broth of your choice).
- It’s easy and cheap! A bag of dried pinto beans is only a dollar or 2 and and using an Instant Pot, this dish can come together without much time over the stove.
To Soak or Not To Soak
Soaking the beans for 8 hours can shorten the cooking time and yield softer beans. If you forget, no worries at all! Just increase the cooking time in the Instant Pot from 30 minutes to 45. However, I do recommend soaking and discarding the water for optimal quality and nutrition.
Pinto beans that have been soaked for 8 hours
To Prepare
Once the beans are soaked, all you will need to do is add them to the Instant Pot along with a few ingredients for extra flavor and pressure cook for 30 minutes. Make sure the vent is in the “sealed” position. It will likely take about 15 minutes to reach pressure, and then allow about 10 minutes for the pressure to naturally release. Release any pressure left and open to reveal nice, soft beans, ready to be mashed!
If you don’t have an immersion blender:
Mashing takes no time at all with an immersion blender. Just pulse a few times until they become mashed, but not fully pureed. You may mash the beans with a fork or a potato masher. They will be a little more rough, but cooking it in the Instant Pot should make them soft enough to mash easily.
To Store
This recipe makes around 8 servings and freezes well! It keeps in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks and in the freezer for a few months.
Easy Vegan Instant Pot Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 2 cups pinto beans
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 tsp better than bullion or 1 can vegetable broth
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
Prep
- Soak pinto beans for at least 8 hours. I do this in the Instant Pot itself. Drain beans and rinse before cooking.
To Prepare
- In an Instant Pot, combine beans with all of the above ingredients (onion, garlic, bay leaf, cumin, bullion, salt) and 3 cups water. Add only 2 cups water if using vegetable broth instead of vegetable bullion.
- Add 1 tsp salt. You can add more later.
- Pressure cook on manual for 30 minutes with the pressure release valve in the “sealing” position. Allow a 10 minute natural release.
- Release any remaining pressure and carefully remove lid. Adjust salt to taste.
- Pulse using an immersion blender until you reach the desired consistency.
- Add more water if you feel it is too thick, or simmer for a few additional minutes if you feel it is runny. The beans tend to thicken up more over time.
- Garnish with cilantro or white onion and serve!
Notes
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