Description
This Instant Pot Refried Beans recipe offers a quick and easy way to prepare creamy, flavorful beans traditionally used as a side dish in Mexican cuisine. The recipe combines dried pinto beans and aromatic spices, cooked under high pressure and finished by frying in lard for authentic taste and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tbsp corn oil or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 large jalapeño, sliced (optional)
- 2 cups pinto beans, dried, rinsed and picked through
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 3 tbsp lard, found in the baking aisle
Instructions
- Prepare and sauté aromatics: Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and add 1 tbsp corn oil. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and sliced jalapeño. Sauté for about 3 minutes, or until the onion becomes tender and fragrant.
- Add beans and seasoning: Add the rinsed pinto beans, chicken broth, salt, garlic powder, and chili powder to the pot. Stir to combine all the ingredients evenly.
- Pressure cook the beans: Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to the sealed position. Cook on HIGH pressure for 45 minutes. After the cooking cycle ends, allow a Natural Pressure Release for 20 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure.
- Remove and mash beans: Carefully remove the beans and cooking liquid from the Instant Pot (beans will be hot) and place in a separate bowl. Return the Instant Pot liner to the cooker and set it to Sauté mode.
- Fry and mash beans in lard: Add 3 tbsp of lard to the pot and melt it until slightly bubbly and hot. Add the beans back to the pot and let them fry for a few minutes. While frying, use a potato masher to mash the beans to your desired creamy consistency.
- Finish and serve: Turn off the Instant Pot. The refried beans are now ready to be served as a delicious side dish or used in your favorite Mexican recipes.
Notes
- To double the recipe, simply double all the ingredient quantities but keep the cooking and natural pressure release times the same.
- Do not fill the Instant Pot more than halfway full to ensure safe and effective pressure cooking.
- This recipe was tested using an 8-quart Instant Pot; smaller models may require a longer cooking time as they reach pressure faster.
- Adjust the spiciness by including or omitting the jalapeño depending on your heat preference.
- Lard can be substituted with vegetable oil or butter for a different flavor profile or dietary needs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
