Instant Pot Refried Beans From Scratch
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These homemade refried beans are one of those recipes that quietly sneaks into your regular rotation and never leaves.
They’re buttery, comforting, and packed with flavor.
Plus they freeze beautifully, which means one quick batch now gives you a stash of beans for taco nights, enchiladas, burrito bowls, or my husband’s very famous bean dip. (Seriously, it’s elite. I’ll share the recipe soon.)
If you’ve never made beans from scratch before, this is the recipe that’ll make you feel like a real food whisperer. It’s easy and budget friendly!
HOMEMADE REFRIEND BEAN ESSENTIALS
To Soak or Not to Soak?
Soaking dried beans overnight helps break down some of the starches that can cause digestive drama. It also makes the beans cook more evenly and gently. Some people swear by it for better texture. Others skip it and live their lives in peace.
Here’s the deal:
If you have the time to soak, do it. It’s not hard and can help your beans cook faster.
If you forget or just don’t want to, no problem. Add a little more water and pressure cook for 45 to 50 minutes instead. Still turns out delicious.
Refried Beans
Easy refried beans made from soaked black beans and simple seasonings in the Instant Pot. Great for tacos, enchiladas, and freezing for later.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds dried black beans (or pinto, or a mix)
- Filtered water for soaking and cooking
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 to 4 garlic cloves, 1 jalapeño (optional)
- 1 packet taco seasoning or homemade
- 4 tablespoons butter (or sub oil for a vegan version)
- 2 tablespoons of salt (or less for low sodium)
Instructions
- Rinse and pick through your beans. Place them in the Instant Pot and cover with filtered water until fully submerged with a few extra inches of water on top. Let them soak for about 12 hours.
- After soaking, drain the beans and give them a quick rinse.
- Add the soaked beans back to the pot with fresh water to cover by about 1 to 2 inches. Toss in a quartered onion and any optional flavor boosters like garlic cloves or a jalapeño.
- Pressure cook on high for 25 to 30 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
- Drain the beans, reserving some of the cooking liquid just in case you want to thin the consistency later. Add in your butter, taco seasoning (or homemade blend), and salt to taste. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth and creamy. You can also leave them a little chunky if you like more texture.
- Let the beans cool completely, then portion into freezer bags or jars. I like to freeze them in 14.5 ounce portions/ 1 3/4 cup so they’re easy to swap for canned beans in recipes.
Notes
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can mash the beans by hand with a potato masher or use a regular blender in batches. Just be careful blending hot beans and make sure to leave room for steam to escape.
How I Freeze These for Later
This recipe made just under seven cans worth of refried beans, so I froze the extras in individual portions. I measured out 14.5 ounces per bag, which is about the same as 1¾ cups if you don’t have a scale.
I used freezer bags this time, but jars work great too if you have them. I laid the bags flat so they’d freeze faster and stack easily.
To use them later, I just thaw one in the fridge or heat it gently in a pan with a splash of water or broth. Super simple and ready to go for tacos, enchiladas, or whatever’s happening that night
Can I Use Pinto Beans Instead?
Yes absolutely! This method works beautifully with pinto beans, black beans, or even a combo of the two. Use what you have. Just be sure to follow the same steps for soaking and pressure cooking.
A Few More Notes
This is a great base recipe. You can make it spicier, swap the butter for oil, or skip the jalapeño completely.
I didn’t even have garlic cloves the day I made these and they still turned out amazing.
Use filtered water if you can - it really helps with the flavor.
I’ll be linking the cordless immersion blender I used. That thing is a game changer.
Coming Soon The Famous Bean Dip
My husband makes the best bean dip on the planet and it starts with these homemade beans. It’s warm and melty and slightly spicy! I’ll post it soon and link it here when it’s live!
Let me know if you give these instant pot refried beans a try! I’d love to hear what kind of beans you used and what you paired them with. This is one of those recipes that just makes you feel capable and confident in the kitchen! Hugs!
For more instant pot recipes follow me on Pinterest!
Updated on: 07/24/2025
