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    Home > Mexican Southwest Recipes > Cheesy Mexican Style Instant Pot Refried Beans

    Cheesy Mexican Style Instant Pot Refried Beans

    Published: Nov 5, 2019 · Modified: Aug 18, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Refried Beans in the instant pot pressure cooker

    Instant pot refried beans. Homemade refried beans using dried pinto beans are easier than you think. With just a few ingredients and a little bit of elbow grease, you’ve got everyone’s favorite side dish for Mexican food.

    Instant pot refried beans served in a cast iron skillet topped with cheese and chopped tomatoes

    About This Recipe and Why It Works

    I can’t begin to tell you how many homemade refried bean recipe versions I’ve tried over the years. The result? I’ve always come away underwhelmed.

    Then there are canned refried beans? Sure, they’re quick and easy. They’re a little hard to get out of the can (what’s up with that?) and I still have to fiddle with the consistency and flavors before I serve them. Again, I’m underwhelmed.

    I have simply refused to give up on making homemade refried beans.

    Finally! I now have a homemade refried bean recipe that I’m comfortable sharing with my readers.

    A refried bean recipe that I can be proud to serve as a side dish.

    A recipe that is so easy and flavorful that I’ll never reach for canned refried beans again.

    And this recipe is so flavorful, it can be served as a side dish or a dip. Bingo!

    Refried beans in a cast iron skillet topped with cheese and used as a dip appetizer

    Why This Instant Pot Refried Bean Recipe Is So Genius

    You can be guaranteed that the Instant Pot will cook starchy foods like a champ. The Instant Pot cooks potatoes and pasta beautifully creamy, and beans fall right into that category.

    One of our favorite Instant Pot Pasta Recipe is this one for Instant Pot Chicken Chipotle Mac and Cheese. A great example of what a pressure cooker can do for pasta.

    The Instant Pot website says that “cooking under pressure or at higher temperature, starch gelatinizes to the maximum degree. This is why pressure cooked pasta, rice and beans have a softer texture in comparison to boiled at normal pressure”.

    Here are more reasons why this recipe works:

    • Once the beans are cooked, the starchy liquid from the cooked beans is reserved. It’s used in the mashing process to enhance the texture and flavor of the refried beans.
    • Chipotle chile powder is added for seasoning to bring some beautiful smokiness to the flavor.
    • Brown sugar adds a little sweet.
    • Cumin brings it all down to earthy goodness.
    • And lime juice brightens the entire overall flavor.
    • And my favorite part is the addition of one of my favorite ingredients, New Mexico Chile Powder. It adds a “just right” heat.
    • This refried bean recipe can be used as a side dish or a dip.

    What are Refried Beans?

    Refried beans are a side dish recipe of cooked and mashed beans and commonly served with Mexican and Tex-Mex Cuisine. It’s somewhat the “mashed potato” of Mexican cuisine.

    In some parts of Mexico, red kidney beans are used to make refried beans. In Northern Mexico and in Tex-Mex cuisine, pinto beans are used.

    I’ve made this recipe twice, using each of the variety of beans and I must say I prefer the Pinto Beans. Pinto beans simply returned a creamier texture.

    What to Serve With Refried Beans

    • Mexican Shrimp Burrito Con Queso
    • Chile Rubbed Braised Beef Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw
    • Lobster Tacos with Poblano Peppers
    • Slow Cooker Tinga de Pollo Poblano Tacos

    Recipe for Instant Pot Refried Beans

    https://highlandsranchfoodie.com/instant-pot-refried-beans/

    I hope you give this Instant Pot Refried Beans Recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.

    And if you have a favorite refried bean recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

    More Southwestern Bean Recipes

    • Mexican Chorizo Instant Pot Mexican Beans
    • Southwest Beans and Chicos
    • Bolita Beans with Red Wine, Smoked Paprika and Jalapeno

    And if you’re looking for Main Course Mexican Recipes, don’t miss my Mexican Southwest Recipes category. You’ll find a ton of South of The Border Recipes.

    Including the most popular Mexican food recipe on my site for Hatch Green Chili Colorado.

    Instant pot refried beans served in a cast iron skillet topped with cheese and chopped tomatoes

    Instant Pot Refried Beans

    Lea Ann Brown
    Homemade refried beans using dried pinto beans are easier than you think. With just a few ingredients and a little bit of elbow grease, you've got everyone's favorite side dish for Mexican food.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 42 minutes mins
    Natural Steam Release 20 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 8 people
    Calories 230 kcal

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup dried pinto beans sorted for misfits and rinsed
    • 8 cups water
    • 1 heaping tablespoon lard
    • 1/4 cup unsalted butter divided
    • 1 small onion fine minced
    • 2 cloves garlic fine minced
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon brown sugar packed
    • 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin Seeds
    • 1 teaspoon Chipotle Chile Powder
    • 2 cups shredded cheese Montered Jack, or Queso Panela
    • 1 Tablespoon lime juice
    • Chopped cilantro to garnish

    Instructions
     

    • Add beans to Instant Pot and cover with 8 cups of water. Add the scoop of lard.
    • Close Instant Pot and set to pressure cook on high for 40 min. When finished, allow pressure to naturally release for 20 minutes before venting and removing lid.
    • Reserve 1 1/2 cup cooking liquid before draining beans.
    • In the meantime, In a large cast iron or oven-safe skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is starting to show bubbles, add minced onion, stirring often for 2 – 3 minutes.
    • Add garlic, salt, brown sugar, cumin, and chipotle powder and cook for 30 seconds, or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
    • Stir in cooked beans and 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer a couple of minutes to marry the flavors.
    • Use a potato masher to mash beans into a chunky paste. Add more of the cooking liquid for a creamier texture.
    • Add the lime juice, 1 cup of cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and stir until combined. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese and place skillet under broiler for 1 to 3 min., or until cheese is melted, bubbling, and beginning to brown.
    • Top with cilantro or chopped yellow and red petite tomatoes, or both. Serve as a side dish or with chips as a dip.

    Notes

    Serve as a side with rice, as a filling for tacos and burritos, or as a dip.
    Keyword beans, Instant Pot

    Lea Ann Brown
    Lea Ann Brown

    Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.

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      Pork Green Chile Stew, Chile Verde
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      Baked Shrimp Burritos Con Queso
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katherine Dietz says

      August 30, 2020 at 9:24 am

      Could this be made in a crockpot?
      Thanks
      Katherine

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        August 30, 2020 at 12:16 pm

        Hi Katherine. Absolutely yes. Just cook the beans in the crockpot until tender, then proceed with the instructions in this recipe. Actually I use my crockpot to make beans more frequently than my Instant Pot.

        Reply
    2. Maria says

      December 26, 2019 at 9:13 am

      At which point in time do you add the lard?
      I believe that ingredient is important to give it the wonderful end result in flavor.
      My daughter’s godmother used lard and added milk at the refry / mashing process.
      I just know she makes an awesome batch of refried beans – they too make a really good bean dip.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        December 30, 2019 at 6:35 am

        Hi Maria. I actually add the lard to the beans and the water in the initial cooking stage. Thanks for your note, I’ve corrected the recipe. I like the idea of the milk during the mashing process. I’ll try that next time. Make it a delicious day.

        Reply
    3. Holly says

      November 06, 2019 at 8:49 am

      Is there anything the Instant Pot can’t do? What a great machine. I will have to give these beans a try.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        November 15, 2019 at 3:09 pm

        I don’t use my Instant Pot nearly as much as some, but I sure do love having it.

        Reply
    4. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      November 06, 2019 at 8:20 am

      I’ve never had refried kidney beans. Sounds interesting. And a bit weird. 🙂 Think I’ll stick with pinto beans. Anyway, I don’t often make refried beans — perfer a chunkier version, basically charro-type beans — but when I want them, I want them. This looks like a neat way to make them — thanks.

      Reply

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    I'm Lea Ann, Welcome to my Colorado kitchen. I'm a Culinary School Grad with a passion to inspire you to cook as often as you can. Here you'll find Wild West Colorado inspired recipes along some Southwestern and Mexican food favorites. I also share some special recipes from school along pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

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