Instant Pot Pinto Beans + Easy Refried Beans
These delicious Instant Pot pinto beans are so easy to make, and make amazing refried beans too!
Yay! Another Instant Pot recipe! I totally doubted all the people singing Instant Pot’s praises when it first came out, but I really do use my Instant Pot at least three or four times per week. So many things are so much easier and faster to make, from mashed potatoes to basic chicken breast to chicken tortilla soup. Since I got my Instant Pot about six months ago, I’ve only used my slow cooker once, which is totally crazy. I just can’t bring myself to wait longer than thirty minutes to cook anything. 🙂
I’ve been making homemade pinto beans and refried beans for several years in the slow cooker, and I love that they taste so much better than canned. The texture is way better than canned, too. I wasn’t sure if they would come out equally well in the Instant Pot, but… I think I like them even better! They’re silky smooth, flavorful, and delicious. They’re also perfect for freezing, so you can make a big batch and save some for later. You can easily double the recipe and have even more to freeze. My family uses them for tostadas, or as a side with enchiladas and tacos. Yum!
Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 pound dried pinto beans rinsed
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- splash of white vinegar
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot and mix gently. Set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 30 minutes. When the cook time is finished, let the pressure release naturally. Remove the excess liquid from the beans and set aside. Mash the beans using a potato masher or immersion blender to your liking, adding more liquid as needed to make the beans smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
These turned out really well. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this today. I added a little more pepper, cumin, and chili powder because I like alot of spice. OMG…it was delicious!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
How many cups is a pound of pinto beans?
About 2 cups. It really doesn't have to be precise, so I often just eyeball about 1/5 of the 5 pound bag I usually buy.
If I double the recipe does that change the cook time?
The cook time should stay the same. Just be sure not to fill the Instant Pot more than halfway, because the beans will expand and foam when they cook.
Fantastic! Amazingly easy and honestly the best refried beans we have ever had! I used a regurlar pressure cooker and some of the beans could have used a few extra minutes. But once I took the immersion blender too them you couldn't tell. I will be making these from now on. Thank you!
Fantastic! Amazingly easy and honestly the best refried beans we have ever had! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing! These beans really are the best.
OMG. I made these yesterday. The best beans I've made yet!
Do you need to soak the beans first?
Nope, mine turned out great without soaking. I'm not sold on the science of soaking, so I actually never soak mine. 🙂
Yay! So glad you liked them!
What does the white vinegar do?
These were fantastic. I just mashed with potato masher. I also only used a sprinkle of Cumin and Chili Powder.
O usually do pre-soak my beans but I have done it other ways too including cooking dry beans in water for 2+ hours and they came out fine.
I made these tonight! The spices were spot on! Perfection! I only mash about half the beans because I love the soupy creamy mixture of whole and mashed together. Thank you!!
Amazing. My first try at dried beans in the IP. The recipe is perfect right down to the spices. I’m so glad I tried this recipe first! I like to slightly mash about half the beans for a creamier soupy bowl of yum! Thank you!
The time didn't work for me. But then again I'm still learning my instant pot and I can't get it to set to High. So i set it for another 30 minutes on medium again, so we'll see. Flavor is great so far. I did add a little garlic salt.
Vinegar breaks down indigestible sugars to help digestion and also brightens the flavor of the beans without the need for excess salt.
To have refried beans you'd need to put them in a skillet after you smashed them and reheat them. That's when I add shredded cheese and Chipotle powder. Enough stove top heat that they bubble. That's refried beans.
Do you use the 6 qt instant pot?
Yes, that's the size I have.
I already soaked the pinto beans (because I’m use to doing such) will this mess up the process in the IP?
I can't say for sure because I haven't tried it, but I assume they will work just fine!
Can I double the recipe in a 6 quart?
If you’re going to eat these beans without mashing them up, increase the cook time to 45-50 minutes. I make these with sausage and rice. My family loves it!
Hi Alicia… Thank you so much for this recipe, I have made it now at least 5 times. It's so good and we really wanted to add some legumes to our diet so this was perfect. I used the left over broth to make french onion soup with and it sounds weird but it was crazy good. Thanks again… Noreen
Approx how many servings is this?
It will depend on your serving size of course, but I would say it makes around 12 adult sized servings.
We like beans and cornbread so I up my cooking time as well!
I made these once, and i wanted to know, what happens if i dont have the chicken broth? Will it be ok to use water instead, and how much?
So delicious, this is our favorite way to make pintos. We usually cook them 45-50 minutes and don't spin them.