Learn how to easily make homemade refried beans in your Instant Pot! They take just 30 minutes to cook and are delicious and cheap! Also includes instructions for making refried beans in your Crockpot as well.
There are affiliate links in this post for your convenience. Please read my full disclosure policy.
For years I had this love|hate relationship with refried beans.
I loved them because they are an easy, cheap protein that can be served in so many different yummy ways, but I disliked that the store bought ones contain unhealthy things like partially hydrogenated lard, which I prefer not to consume.
One day, I suddenly had this realization that, hello?! Refried beans really couldn’t be all that hard to make, right?
So I did some research, started experimenting and sure enough– it was really quite easy to make my own homemade refried beans, especially once I started using my Instant Pot!
Not only are homemade refried beans incredibly easy to make, they are also just as good, if not better tasting, than their canned store bought counterpart.
Plus you can happily eat them knowing that they contain only normal ingredients that you regularly have in your cupboards.
The other thing that I love about this Instant Pot Refried Beans recipe is how cheap it is to make.
I can get a 2 lb. bag of pinto beans at Aldi for just $1.49. Assuming the rest of the ingredients cost $0.51 (which is a pretty generous estimate), my total cost is just $2.00.
That means that I can make these Instant Pot Refried Beans for just $0.40/can.
That’s almost half the price of what I’d pay at Aldi, where refried beans cost $0.79/can. And much less than I’d pay at a regular grocery store!
I used to make this recipe in my Crockpot, and while it worked really well, it took much longer and I found that part unhandy.
So when my husband gifted me with an Instant Pot last Christmas (this is the one I have and love), I knew that one of the first things I wanted to do was figure out how to adapt my refried beans recipe so that I could make them in the Instant Pot.
I love how much faster it is and it’s the only way that I make them anymore!
But if you don’t have an Instant Pot and still want to try this recipe, I’ve included the Crockpot version in the Notes section of the recipe too.
Instant Pot Refried Beans
Instant Pot Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. dry pinto beans (not canned!)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 Tbsp. jarred minced garlic*
- 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. lemon juice opt.
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Sort and rinse the beans, removing any stones, dirt and shriveled beans.
- Dump the rinsed beans into the Instant Pot (this is the one I have); add water to cover the beans plus approximately an additional 2 inches. Let set 8 hours or overnight.
- Drain the water and thoroughly rinse the beans.**
- Dump beans back into the Instant Pot and add the remaining ingredients.
- Put on the Instant Pot lid, making sure that the vent is turned to "sealing".
- Cook beans on high pressure for 30 minutes. When finished cooking, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure. (This takes my pot about 40 min.)
- Mash beans using a potato masher or blender. (This hand blender is what I use and it makes so easy!) Beans will appear quite soupy, but will thicken up a lot as they cool. If you follow this recipe exactly, once cooled, your beans should be about as thick as store bought canned refried beans. If you prefer a thinner consistency, simply mix in a bit of water until you get the desired consistency.
- Beans will store in your fridge for 1 1/2 weeks or you can freeze them, too.
Notes
Follow soaking instructions. Add all ingredients to Crockpot but increase the amount of water to 6 c. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours and then on low for 1 hour. If you choose not to soak the beans and want to do the Crockpot method, use 10 cups of hot water instead of the 6 cups and then adjust the cooking time to 4 hours on high and 2 hours on low. You may also need to drain some of the liquid off at the end of cooking to get a good consistency.
You might also enjoy:
Chelsea
Hi! I just came across your recipe and I am wanting to give them a try can you make these ahead of time?
Lydia Beiler
Yes, you can! They will thicken up a lot as they cool, but once you heat them, they thin down a bit again. I often make them and freeze part of the recipe to use later.
Ruth
I’m new to your blog and loved these refried beans! I don’t have an instant pot and got started too late to use my Crock-Pot, so I cooked everything on the stove and it still worked out. I loved that it was all ingredients I had on hand and the flavor was great.
Lydia Beiler
Ruth, so sorry for the slow reply! Somehow I missed seeing this comment earlier. 🙁 Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that you loved these refried beans! I love how you adjusted the recipe and made them on your stovetop. Smart!
Sarah Mulholland
Just made these. I reserved a third for burrito bowls and blended the other 2/3 into refried. These are really fabulous. I did add some vegetable better than bouillon. My husband said it was the best he has ever had, anywhere. It is what restaurants should strive for, lol. They are kid approved as well. Two of my kiddos love bean burritos for breakfast….and every meal. Thank you for this simple recipe that is waaaay better than all the others I have tried in the past that had many more ingredients. Big win!
ThriftyFrugalMom
I’m sitting here blushing at all the praise, Sarah! 🙂 So glad that you all loved them so much. And I really like your idea of saving some for burrito bowls too! Going to have to try that next time I make them.
Kristen
great recipe! my family loved it and I loved that I didn’t have to add any oils or lard! healthy and delicious, many thanks!
ThriftyFrugalMom
So glad you all loved them, Kristen! Thanks for taking the time to stop back and let me know. I hoping to mix up another batch myself later this week. Refried bean and cheese quesadillas have become a lunch staple around here and we go through beans pretty quickly anymore! So glad they’re cheap. 🙂
christine
Isn’t the Instant Pot awesome for things like this? I never would have dared to make homemade refried beans without it. your version is a tad bit different than mine, so I can’t wait to give it a try.
ThriftyFrugalMom
Yes! I love how you can put your ingredients in the Instant Pot, set it and then walk away. It’s so convenient and has been a huge time saver for me.