Instant Pot Refried Beans

So, 2020 was the pandemic and I picked up some dried pinto beans and then never really needed them and dreaded the long prep/soak time for beans. When I saw this recipe for making them in the Instant Pot, I just had to try it! Everyone really liked it, but I did leave out the jalapeno that the original recipe called for. To see the original from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, click here: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/pressure-cooker-refried-beans/

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Ingredients:

•  1 tablespoon olive oil
•  1 jalapeño, cored, seeded and finely chopped
•  1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
•  3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
•  1 1/2 pounds dry pinto beans, rinsed
•  8 cups water
•  4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
•  2 teaspoons salt
•  2 tablespoons white vinegar

Directions:

1. In the insert of an electric pressure cooker, heat the oil (using the Sauté function on the Instant Pot) and add the onion, and garlic, and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add the rinsed and drained beans, water, broth, salt and vinegar.
3. Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes (electric).
4. Let the pressure naturally release for 30 minutes. Reserve two cups of the liquid in a separate bowl.
5. Drain the rest of the liquid off the beans. Using an immersion blender, process/mash to the desired consistency, adding reserved cooking water, if needed for a smoother/softer consistency.
6. Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for several months.

Marsha's Notes:

I started the onions with the Sauté function on high  and then turned it down to medium once things started to cook. I also used just about all of the reserve liquid to remoisten our beans. It probably varies from batch to batch depending on the beans and how much cooking liquid you initially drain off, so just taste-test until they are perfect! I also added a sprinkling of garlic powder to taste but you may not need that depending on how strong your garlic is.

2024- We made these again, and I will note that the 1.5 pounds of beans called for in this recipe makes a LOT of refried beans (probably 4-5 cans worth and that was only a portion of the 4 lb bag of dry beans I bought) so we did use some fresh for dinner, then split the remaining beans into two batches and froze one of them.

This recipe fills our Instant Pot all the way to the max fill line. When venting, things do tend to want to spurt starchy bean water around the kitchen, so maybe cover the valve with a rag before opening. 

Also, a half batch is probably more useable for our family, but I am not sure how that might change the cooking process, so I will return and report if I try it.

2025- I used my two-cup Souper Cubes tray to freeze four cups of these beans for late use. Two cups is about the same amount as one 15 oz can of beans, so this means I have about two cans worth frozen in one-can portions for future use.