Refried beans are a staple in my house. Back when my oldest was a toddler, he went through a phase where he would only eat “smushy beans”, so I’ve practiced this recipe a lot.
Canned beans are OK – they’re good, and consistent – but if you want great refried beans, you have to cook your own. Homemade beans have an extra depth of flavor, and the cooking liquid is almost better than the beans. It’s a shame that cooking dried beans takes so long.
That’s where the pressure cooker comes in. A cup of dried beans, three cups of water, and 45 minutes of cooking time (30 minutes under pressure, plus 15 minutes for the pressure to come down naturally and the beans to finish cooking). Homemade refried beans, from scratch, in about an hour. And most of that cooking time involves staring at the pressure cooker.
*No pressure cooker? No worries. See the notes section for stove top instructions. Or if you really want to cheat, see the notes section for canned bean instructions.
For weeknight beans, I try to get the pressure cooking going early. I don’t want to be staring at the pressure cooker, willing it to finish, when everyone is sitting around the table. As soon as I get home, I throw everything in the electric pressure cooker, set the cooking time, and then go about the rest of my evening routine. The electric PC shuts itself off when the beans are done. The beans can sit in their liquid for a while once they’re cooked. That way, the beans are waiting on me, not the other way around.
Recipe: Pressure Cooker Refried Pinto Beans
Adapted From: Lorna Sass, Pressure Perfect
Equipment
- 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I used my electric Instant Pot)
- Potato masher
- Large (12 inch) fry pan
Pressure Cooker Refried Pinto Beans
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Prep Time: 10 minutes - Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
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Yield: 4-6 -
Category: Pressure Cooker -
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Pressure Cooker Refried Pinto Beans – rustic, chunky beans from the pressure cooker.
Ingredients
Beans
- 1 cup pinto beans (7 ounces), sorted and rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic (whole, with skins still on)
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups water
Aromatics
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Pressure cook the beans: Put the beans, whole garlic cloves, bay leaf, and water in the pressure cooker. Stir, and then lock the pressure cooker lid, Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes in an electric pressure cooker, or 30 minutes in a stovetop pressure cooker. Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and discard the bay leaf and garlic cloves. (Save the beans and the cooking liquid).
- Sauté the aromatics: While the pressure is coming down on the beans: heat the vegetable oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onion, smashed garlic cloves, jalapeño, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions are browned around the edges, about five minutes. (If the beans aren’t done, turn the heat off and move the pan to a cool burner. When the beans are done, put the pan back over medium-high heat and continue with step 3.)
- Fry the beans: Add the beans and all of their cooking liquid to the fry pan. Be careful – the hot oil may splatter when the wet beans are added. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over the beans. Start mashing the beans, stirring as you go to get the onions evenly distributed. Keep cooking the beans, mashing and stirring occasionally, until the beans thicken, about eight minutes. Taste, and add more salt if necessary. Serve.
Notes
For more bean cooking details, see my Pressure Cooker Beans Basic Technique.
Notes
- For an extra touch of flavor, sprinkle crumbled queso fresco (or substitute shredded pecorino romano) on top of the beans right before serving.
- These are rustic, chunky refried beans. If you want smooth beans, use a food processor. After step 1 is complete, pour the beans and their liquid into a food processor. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.
- If you want to speed up the pressure cooking, soak the beans overnight in 1 quart of water with 1/2 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Drain the beans, use the recipe recipe as written (including the 3 cups of water in the pressure cooker), but cut the time under pressure to 15 minutes.
- No pressure cooker? No problem. Cook the beans in a large sauce pot with a lid. Instead of pressure cooking, bring the pot to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover with the lid ajar so some steam can escape. Cook for 2 hours, or until the beans are completely cooked. You may have to add water during the cooking time to keep the beans submerged. Once the beans are cooked, continue with Step 2.
- No dried beans? No problem. Canned beans will work just fine. Replace step 1 with a 16 ounce can of pinto beans and its liquid.
- Use make-ahead beans: Why cook a cup of beans when you can cook a pound? I freeze leftover beans in 2 cup containers, covering them with their liquid. Then this recipe is a quick weeknight side dish. I pull a container of beans out of the freezer, and thaw it in the microwave while I sauté the onions in step 2.
What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans in Tex-Mex Broth
Pressure Cooker Pasta and Bean Soup (Pasta Fagioli)
Pressure Cooker Mexican Black Bean and Noodle Soup (Frijoles y Fideos)
Click here for my other pressure cooker recipes.
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This really makes me want to run out and get a pressure cooker! I do the opposite — cook my beans all day in a slow cooker so they’re ready and waiting when I come home.
Stretching time with a slow cooker works just as well as a pressure cooker.
I DID IT! Thank you! I bought a Fagor PC, but am admittedly a little intimidated by it! These were a HUGE success last night! I have a Diva induction cooktop, I brought it up to full pressure on 12-setting, left it there for 1 minute, then reduced to 6 for 33 minutes and they were PERFECT! Thanks again!
You’re welcome, and thank you for the induction burner update. A portable induction burner is on my “when I get some mad money” wish list.
These were awesome!! This was my very, very first attempt with a brand new pressure cooker (our first.) Your recipe was very clear and easy to follow, and they turned out delicious. My friend Charlotte (http://www.therebelheart.com/charlottes-blog/) uses a pressure cooker a lot, and she directed me to your website. I ended up having beans already soaking when my husband came home with the new Fagor, so I’m glad you had the note to only do 15 minutes. They were perfect.
One variation: I used Peruvian or Peruano Beans, instead of Pintos. They are similar but a little tastier, in my opinion, and I found them in the bulk section of my local health-y store. I think next time I will also add a little epazote and cumin in with the bay leaf in the cooking water, which are all carminatives. If you don’t mind a link to a recipe on my own blog, I use them when cooking Anazasi Beans… http://babybirdsfarm.com/anasazi-bean-burgers/
Thanks and looking forward to trying more recipes on your site!
Thanks for the suggestions! I just got som Anasazi beans from the market, and was wondering what to do with them.
Oh they are yummy! They can be done any way pintos are cooked. Anazasis also make great refried beans. But we do love those burgers…
Oh they are yummy! They can be done any way pintos are cooked. Anazasis also make great refried beans. But we do love those burgers…
I was looking for an alternative to my slow cooker refried bean recipe because it was already evening and I found this recipe. It was great. Next time I’ll go lighter on the salt but these very tasty. Thanks!
Thanks for this recipe! It is my favorite refried beans recipe. I make a big batch and freeze smaller portions. I come to this blog often for the simple pressure cooker recipes.
Thanks, Kayla!
I made these beans this morning. They are delicious and taste nothing like the store bought! I did cut back on the salt due to my husband’s high blood pressure. Thanks Mike! Your directions are super clear and I followed to T.
Next time I will double the recipe. Hopefully they will still reduce well in larger batch.
You’re welcome! And, you can double the recipe and it will work fine. Enjoy!
Did these tonight minus the Jalapeno so it was kid friendly. Very tasty.. went over quite well and the Instant Pot makes quick work of dried beans!
Thanks for this. Wonderful easy recipe and tastes fantastic! Canned refried aren’t even in the same galaxy.
You’re welcome, and I agree – canned refried are…not good.
How has this site eluded me for so long?
Made these refried beans in my pressure cooker just now and fried up in my cast iron skillet.
Flavor explosion and the best refried beans I’ve ever had! Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve made these beans twice now, each time tripling the recipe, for our contribution to the potluck family taco night and they are a hit! The first time I made these, it took a really long time because the pan I used was too small so I had to cook it in batches. This last time I hauled out our 12″ dutch oven and used an electric hand blender to speed up the mashing process (so much easier on my poor arm!). My husband has volunteered me to make another batch of beans for his upcoming March Madness party. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I sure love my pressure cooker.
★★★★★
You’re welcome!
I made this recipe, and it was tasty!! If you increase the recipe using an electric pressure cooker, do you also increase the water, and all ingredients? (Like if I wand to use a pound of dried beans?
Thanks!
★★★★★
Yes – this recipe will scale up nicely. (Though what I usually do is cook the pound of pintos, then freeze the extra for later. )
Thank you for this recipe! I have done refried beans in a pressure cooker before, a long time ago, and am a little rusty. But just purchased an electric pressure cooker, not your brand though. I went for the PressurePro. I am wondering, do I need to soak my beans (either over night or with the quick method) to cook them in my pressure cooker, or can I just put them in dry? (I have forgotten what I did in my stove top pressure cooker I had before) My instruction manual didn’t give any info about beans, although there is a preset button for beans (which I thought was kinda weird!) Thank you again so much. 🙂
The beans are not soaked in this recipe – put them in the pot dry.
Hello Mike,
What a wonderful recipe. I’ve been making great R.F. Beans in my nearly antique pressure cooker for decades, but I’m always looking for variations in seasonings etc. In this case, I measure, wash and pick about two cups of dried beans, add tons of water and bring to a near but incomplete boil (no salt) and let them rest for an hour or so. After, I drain the few veggies, including about 2X the pepper – I used the pickled ones and all must be a super fine dice. Rinsed, soaked beans get fresh water or broth, the veggies and a slightly shortened time under pressure. (One might think a little less time, but they are getting old.) As noted, I’m always looking for new seasonings to try, but your combination is one of the best. I still use natural cooling and a brief fry while mashing; I tend to mash a bit less that many. I serve them in multiple ways and they seem just fine after short term freezing (3-4 months?) without any errant flavors. Friends even ask for them. Your seasoning combination is a big hit and it makes the beans. I do like to add a little fat while frying and mashing and I’ve tried just about everything. For my own use, I prefer a pork leaf lard, a few object on religious grounds; perfectly OK. EVOO, butter vegetable shortening or vegetable oil are fine and so little is used. As for a little salt, that is always the last addition I do not much care for it and in many things use under half what may be called for. Thanks for sharing this adaptation of Ms. Sass’s method. Now… I hope I can find your blog and an equally good method for Mexican rice. Per the comment above, I know that you do not like to pre-soak beans. I recognize that it is not necessary when using a P.C., but I still do so, especially with dried beans that are >one season old. Thanks for the great seasoning suggestions. Happy eating to you + family,
-C.
A bit confused how you presoak but still use the same amount of water to cook the beans since all of the water is transferred to the aromatics. Do you reduce the amount of cooking liquid transferred over to the aromatics?
Made a half recipe of this (without presoaking the beans) today to put on tacos. Oh my, I never knew beans could taste like that. My wife was blown away by the flavor in these beans.
Thank you so much for opening our eyes to the amount of flavor fresh beans can have. I will never buy canned refried beans (or canned beans in general) again!
Ahh – another dried bean convert. You’re welcome!
Agreed! Have this recipe and haven’t bought canned beans ever again!
I’m planning on making this today, I’m looking forward to it based on comments. I just am not understanding why it says the prep time is 8 hours when there’s no pre-soak needed. Can you explain what I might be missing?
Thanks
Fixed – must have copied the prep time from a “soak the beans recipe.” Thanks!
I’ve been doing alot more cooking from scratch lately. I’ve gotten to the point that (except for tomatoes) canned ANYTHING just doesn’t taste right. I absolutely LOVED these refried beans. So so easy and SO tasty. I served them alongside some viejo ropa and rice. I was wondering if the full 1/4c of vegetable oil is necessary or could I cut back a little? At any rate, I will never EVER buy canned refried beans again.
Yes, you can cut back on the oil…but the results are less “fried” and more “simmered until thick”. That’s not necessarily bad, but it is a different style of beans. Give it a try and see if you like it with less oil.
I’ve made all sorts of refried beans over the years, and this definitely is a good, no frills recipe for them! One question, though – if I soak the beans in advance, is there a reason why I still should use 3 cups of water? The beans don’t need that much water to cook, and less water would certainly cut down on the amount of time it takes to cook down the liquid. Is there some other benefit to that specific quantity of water that I am missing?
Thanks!
I find that the beans do need that much water to cook, even when soaked, or I wind up with floaters that aren’t cooked all the way through.
OK, these are delicious!!! Just made them for lunch and, you’re right, the depth of flavor is astounding when compared to canned! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Nice recipe. I kept the beans in the pressure cooker for 35 minutes with a natural release… they were a bit underdone. Next time I’ll go for 45. The only thing I changed is adding Epazote in a tea ball (removed prior to frying.) to me, if you don’t have epazote, the beans are missing some flavor.
This part of the directions is confusing me: Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes in an electric pressure cooker, or 30 minutes in an electric pressure cooker.
Can you please clarify?
Typo – second one should say “30 minutes in a Stovetop pressure cooker.” Fixed in the recipe.
Amazing refried beans! In fact, the best ever!! I get asked for the recipe regularly, I tell them to come here to your website to get it! I have found the water to beans ratio works better if I don’t soak the beans, which works great for those last minute recipes! And of course, for us non-spicy/heat people, I put in 1/4-1/2 of a jalopeno. Awesome job Mike!
Thanks! Yes
Hello, if I make 3 cups of beans, would i use 9 cups of liquid? Thanks
★★★★★
Sounds right!