Instant Pot Refried Beans
★ Issue CMSC·22–042 · Published 09 Oct 2022
friedinstant potMexican

Instant Pot Refried Beans.

Dry pinto beans turn silky in 40 minutes with Chain Reaction, garlic, and a hit of cumin

PREP 15 min
COOK 40 min
TOTAL 1:15h h
SERVES —  
HEAT mild
BLEND RATING 4.9 140 reviews · Chain Reaction®
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Made with Chain Reaction®Shop
You'll need
Instant pot 8-quartImmersion blender

Dry pinto beans turn silky in 40 minutes with Chain Reaction, garlic, and a hit of cumin

Ingredients

For the Beans:

  • 4 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 onion, large, roughly chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled, roughly chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds dry pinto beans, rinsed and picked over
  • 2 Tablespoons Casa M Spice Co Chain Reaction
  • 12 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons cumin, ground
  • Mexican cheese, shredded for garnish

Method

  1. 01

    Sauté aromatics

    5 min

    Heat oil in sauté mode, then add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Stir constantly for 5 minutes to soften the aromatics and build a flavor base — this is where your depth comes from.

  2. 02

    Add beans and spices

    1 min

    Add rinsed pinto beans, Chain Reaction, and cumin to the pot and stir well. This coats everything evenly so the spice hits every bean.

  3. 03

    Add water and pressure cook

    40 min

    Pour in water, stir, then cover and set to high pressure for 40 minutes. The Instant Pot does the heavy lifting here — dry beans transform into tender, creamy beans in less than an hour.

  4. 04

    Release pressure naturally

    20 min

    Let the pot sit for 20 minutes so pressure releases on its own, then manually vent the remaining steam. Slow release keeps the beans intact instead of blowing them apart.

  5. 05

    Drain and blend

    5 min

    Reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid, drain the rest, then return beans to the pot. Use an immersion blender to reach your preferred consistency — add reserved liquid as you go to control how thick it gets.

  6. 06

    Taste and adjust

    2 min

    Season to taste with more Chain Reaction, black pepper, and cumin. Don't be shy — refried beans should hit hard with flavor and spice.

  7. 07

    Serve with cheese

    Spoon into bowls and top with shredded Mexican cheese. Serve warm as a side or base — these beans are smooth, rich, and ready to go.

From Mike's Notebook

01

Pick over your dried beans before rinsing — you'll find stones that'll crack a tooth.

02

Don't skip sautéing the aromatics first; they build flavor the pressure cooker can't develop alone.

03

Mash these beans with a potato ricer if you want truly silky texture, not chunky.

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