Vegan Instant Pot Refried Beans Recipe (No Soak)

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These vegan Instant Pot Refried Beans are a flavorful and easy plant-based recipe with dried beans, vegetable stock, and spices – no soaking required. These creamy spicy beans are simple and flavorful, and cook in no time!

These easy beans make a great side dish or you can add them to chickpea tacos or burrito bowls! A great bean side dish idea that cooks completely in the pressure cooker.

Want more Instant Pot bean recipes? Try our Instant Pot black beans, Instant Pot lentil stew, and Instant Pot navy beans!

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Table of Contents

We are all about easy flavorful recipes on our homestead- and these simple instant pot refried beans are a fantastic way to get some major flavor onto your plate. I use my Instant Pot weekly for meal prepping and cooking ahead, but it really shines for beans!

I can have a delicious pot of beans ready in under an hour, no soaking required. Just add all the ingredients, pressure cook, blend, and enjoy! Great as an addition to your next Taco Tuesday, or enjoy simply as a side dish or dip with tortilla chips.

These Vegan Instant Pot Refried Beans are:

Earthy
Spicy (but can be less spicy if desired)
Warming
Filling
High Protein
Vegan, plant based, and vegetarian
Made without oil!

a hand dipping a tortilla chip into vegan instant pot refried beans with herbs and spices.

Homemade Pinto Beans VS Canned

While I love the convenience of canned beans, I usually cook dry beans from scratch in my pressure cooker – the texture is better and it’s more affordable. I use a large 7.5-Quart Instant Pot which is bigger than the standard model so I can batch cook more at a time.

If you don’t already have one, the Instant Pot works wonders for cooking dried beans quickly, with no soaking required! While canned beans are convenient, they are often loaded with sodium. If you buy canned beans, I always recommend using a no-salt-added variety so you can control the amount of salt in your dish.

Next time you reach for canned beans, consider investing in a pressure cooker instead! Homemade beans are incredibly cost efficient, and you can add seasonings and spices to the beans while they cook for extra flavor.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

Onion, Jalapeno, Cilantro

Dry Pinto Beans – I like these organic pinto beans which have a fantastic texture and flavor when cooked. Beans are a hearty addition to any meal – add them to your breakfast burritos, enjoy in a soup for lunch, or turn them into refried beans to enjoy with dinner.
Adobo Seasoning: a really fantastic blend of salt, pepper, garlic, and spice! I like to get one that doesn’t have a lot of salt it in, so I can control the amount of salt going into the dish.
Chili Powder: for a really nice flavor in this dip – the chili powder isn’t spicy but will give you a rich and bright flavor.
Paprika – for a hint of spice and great flavor!
Bay Leaves: I always add bay leaves to every bean soup I make.
Red Chili Pepper Flakes: for a little heat! I like to add a few shakes to this recipe to give this dish a nice complex depth of flavor.

Substitutions and Variations

Instead of chili flakes you can use crushed arbol chiles or cayenne pepper to give these beans some heat.
Skip the heat altogether if you don’t like spicy food – omit the pepper flakes.
Add your favorite toppings – I used cilantro, jalapenos, and hot sauce, but you can add any toppings you prefer.

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How To Make This Recipe

Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode, add olive oil and onions and cook on Sauté mode for 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, and set to Manual/Pressure Cook mode for 45 minutes.
Once done, allow the beans to naturally release for 20 minutes or so. Quick release any remaining pressure. Discard bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, blend the beans (or mash with a potato masher) until they reach a creamy consistency.
Enjoy hot with tacos, burritos, or as a chip dip!

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Recipe FAQs

What are in vegan Instant Pot refried beans?

This recipe uses dried pinto beans, onions, oil, spices like chili powder, onion powder, and paprika, Adobo seasoning, and water or vegetable stock to make these tasty beans.

How to store leftover refried beans?

Store any leftover beans you have in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can store them in a plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Can you use canned beans instead of dried beans?

You can, but it’s best to use dried beans for this recipe as they have a much better texture. If you want to use canned beans, reduce the cooking time to 6 minutes, and only add 1.5 cups of water or vegetable stock.

Expert Tips

Along with my Instant Pot Black Bean Recipe, these pinto beans are super easy to start in the pressure cooker and walk away from. The Instant Pot does all the work, and you reap the benefits without constantly stirring or watching a pot boil on the stove.
Change the amount of added water for a different texture – add 1 cup less for firmer beans, and 1 cup more for more watery beans.
Sautéing the onions first adds nice flavor, but you can skip this step if you are short on time.

More Vegan Bean Recipes

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A fun delicious dip anytime I need a yummy snack