Instant Pot Loaded Refried Beans Recipes

INSTANT POT LOADED REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Crisp Chopped Bacon: Add bacon in Instant Pot, then heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function (no need to add oil as bacon has a lot of fat). Stir occasionally and allow the bacon to crisp (~7 - 9 mins). Remove bacon from Instant Pot, then place them on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat. *Pro Tips for Crisp Bacon:a) In order to cook the meat and fat evenly, crispy and not burnt - place the bacon in the cold pot before turning on the heat. Then, let the heat slowly render out the pork fat.b) Important to absorb the bacon's excess fat with a paper towel after sauteing.
• Saute Onion, Spices, and Garlic: Add roughly diced onion in the bacon fat, then cook until softened (~3 mins). Then add ½ - 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, and minced garlic to Instant Pot. Cook for another minute until fragrant. *Spicy Tip: ½ tsp chili powder: a hint of spiciness; 1 tsp chili powder: mildly spicy.
• Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour roughly ½ cup unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
• Pressure Cook Refried Beans in Instant Pot: Add the well-drained pinto beans in Instant Pot, then pour in the remaining 3 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock. Close the lid. Turn the Venting Knob to Sealing Position.Pressure Cooking Methods:a) For Tender with Bite Result: High Pressure 40 mins + 25 mins Natural Releaseb) For Smooth Tender Result: High Pressure 50 mins + 25 mins Natural ReleaseAfter 25 minutes of Natural Releasing, carefully turn the Venting Knob to Venting Position to release remaining pressure. As the Instant Pot is natural releasing, grate the cheddar cheese and thinly slice the green onions.
• Drain Beans Liquid: Once the Floating Valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Strain the beans liquid with a strainer. Place the beans back in Instant Pot. Reserve the beans liquid in a mixing bowl.
• Mash Beans: Mash the beans with a potato masher or immersion blender until desired consistency. *Pro Tip: potato masher yields a coarser, chunky paste while the immersion blender creates a thick & creamy smooth paste (see comparison photo). Taste and season with salt (for reference: we used 4 pinches of salt). Add drained beans liquid back to the mashed beans until desired consistency. *Pro Tip: Adjust the thickness of the bean paste according to your preferences.
• Load Instant Pot Refried Beans: Load up your gorgeous Instant Pot Refried Beans with umami bacon bits, thinly sliced green onions, and grated cheddar cheese. Serve & enjoy~

INSTANT POT REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Place the pinto beans in a large colander. Thoroughly rinse them. Pick the beans over, removing any damaged or clearly misshapen beans and discarding them. Set the rinsed beans aside.
• Turn a 6-quart (or larger) Instant Pot to SAUTE. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and jalapeno. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and let cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add a few splashes of chicken stock and scrape along the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck-on bits of food (this will prevent a BURN warning). Add the remaining stock, water, bay leaves, salt, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and the rinsed and drained beans. Lightly stir to combine.
• Seal the Instant Pot. Cook on HIGH (manual) for 45 minutes. When the 45 minutes of pressure cooking has finished, let the pressure release naturally for 25 minutes. Vent to release any remaining pressure. Carefully open the lid. The beans will be very liquidy.
• Discard the bay leaves. Reserve 2 cups of the bean cooking liquid in a bowl or measuring cup, then drain the remainder. Return to the beans to the pot. With an immersion blender (or by hand with a potato masher), puree the beans until they reach your desired consistency, adding some of the reserved liquid as needed. (You can also scoop the beans into a blender in batches and puree them that way-be sure to let the beans cool somewhat first so that they do not splatter). Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Sprinkle with any desired toppings, serve, and enjoy!

INSTANT POT® REFRIED BEANS

Steps:

• Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®) and select Saute function. Add oil, onion, garlic, and oregano; cook for 5 minutes. Add beans and water; stir. Close and lock the lid. Choose high pressure and set timer for 35 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
• Release pressure using the natural-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, 10 to 40 minutes.
• Remove the lid and check a bean; if not yet tender, close and lock the lid and cook another 5 minutes at high pressure.
• Drain beans, reserving 2 cups of liquid. Return beans to pot and add salt and 1 cup reserved liquid. Puree using a stick blender, adding additional cooking liquid as needed. Keep warm using the slow cooker function.