Cinco, Cinco, Cinco de Mayo – are you singing it too? I can’t stop! Cinco de Mayo (May 5) is a day of celebration of the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla. Mexican celebrations mean lots of Mexican food. One of those foods is Instant Pot Refried Beans. I love how easy this recipe is to make in the Instant Pot.
The best part of the recipe is that because of the way the pressure cooking process works, the pinto beans don’t need to be soaked. You just dump them in there and go. It’s truly a dump and press start recipe.
While they are not technically refried, most refried beans aren’t fried at all anymore. The refried part comes from the Spanish words frijoles refritos, which translates to “well-fried beans.” Thanks to the Instant Pot, you can save on some calories and still have delicious beans to serve on Cinco de Mayo.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Refried Beans:
1lb small bag pinto beans (about 2 cups)
4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
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Instructions:
Wash the beans in a strainer. Throw out any loose skins and bean pieces. Add the beans to the Instant Pot.
Add in cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper and give it a good stir. Place the lid on the Instant Pot.
Pour in 4 cups of beef broth.
Set the valve to the sealed position. Press the pressure cook or manual button and set the time to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Once the instant pot stops counting and beeps, release the pressure by opening the valve. This is called quick pressure release. When the pressure has released and the pin has dropped you can open the lid.
Use an immersion blender (or even a regular blender) to blend the beans. This will make them thick and creamy. Once blended, if you feel like more liquid is needed you can add a little water and blend again.
Pro tip: The beans get thicker as they cool, so be careful when adding the liquid
Personally, I don’t add liquid because I like the thickness and flavor of Instant Pot refried beans from the broth alone.
Serve as a side dish or on your favorite burritos or tacos like Easy Instant Pot Chicken Tacos or Easy Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas.
Easy Instant Pot Refried Beans
This no-fuss way of making refried beans will become your go-to recipe for Taco Tuesday. You'll love the way they turn out!
Ingredients
- 1lb small bag pinto beans (about 2 cups)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Wash beans in a strainer. Add them to the Instant Pot. Pour in four cups of beef broth.
- Add in cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Give it a good stir. Place the lid on the Instant Pot.
- Set the valve to the sealed position. Press the pressure cook or manual button and set time to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Once the instant pot stops counting and beeps release the pressure by opening the valve. Once the pressure has released and the pin has dropped open the lid.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the beans. This will make them thick and creamy. Once blending. if you feel like more liquid is needed you can add a little water and blend. However, we do not add liquid and like the thickness and flavor of the beans from the broth alone.
- Serve as a side dish or on your favorite burritos or tacos.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 60Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 951mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 3gSugar: 0gProtein: 5g
Nutrition Information May Not be accurate
Tools Needed for Instant Pot Refried Beans:
Instant Pot
Wooden Spoons
Measuring Spoons
Measuring Cups
Questions People Ask:
Instant Pot refried beans are pinto beans that are cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot. They make a perfect Cinco de Mayo side dish or addition to your tacos, nachos, or enchiladas.
While pinto beans are the most common, you can also make these refried beans with navy or kidney beans.
You can store refried beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Instant Pot Refried beans freeze well. They will last about 2 months in the freezer, also in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn.
Refried beans are delicious both as a side dish and as part of the main dish. I love them in burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and as a dip for tortilla chips.
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