Description
Creamy, authentic Instant Pot Refried Beans deliver Mexican comfort straight to your kitchen. Hearty pinto beans slow-cooked with aromatics create a rich, velvety side dish you’ll crave with every meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound (454 grams) dried pinto beans
- 6 cups (1.4 liters) chicken stock or water
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) lard or bacon fat
Aromatics and Spices:
- 1/2 white onion (diced)
- 1 jalapeño (sliced)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Seasoning:
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse dried beans in a colander, carefully removing any discolored or damaged beans.
- Transfer rinsed beans into instant pot, combining with chopped onion, diced jalapeño, aromatic spices, bay leaf, and liquid (water or chicken stock). Mix ingredients thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
- Secure instant pot lid and program for high-pressure cooking at 45 minutes. Allow complete natural pressure release after cooking cycle.
- Open lid and vigorously stir beans. If beans remain undercooked, incorporate an additional cup of liquid and continue cooking for 10 more minutes.
- Drain excess cooking liquid, reserving separately for potential moisture adjustment. Introduce rendered lard into cooked beans.
- Utilize immersion blender to transform beans into creamy consistency, gradually incorporating reserved cooking liquid until reaching desired texture and smoothness.
- Taste and fine-tune seasoning with salt and pepper, adjusting to personal preference.
Notes
- Always choose fresh, high-quality dried pinto beans for the best flavor and texture in your refried beans.
- Customize the heat level by adjusting the amount of jalapeño or using milder peppers like poblano for a gentler spice profile.
- For a vegetarian version, swap out lard with olive oil or vegetable shortening to maintain a creamy consistency.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, a potato masher works great for creating a rustic, chunky texture that adds more character to the dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Pressure Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg