Easy Instant Pot Vegan “Refried” Beans (Oil-Free)

An instant pot or pressure cooker was a kitchen essential I did not know I needed until I got one. Not only has the instant pot streamlined so much of my cooking, the “set it and forget it” aspect of this kitchen appliance is great, allowing you to work on other things in the kitchen while your pressure cooker is at  work. But the thing I love the most about my instant pot is how much faster it cooks certain ingredients making it the perfect tool for my Easy Instant Pot Vegan “Refried” Beans.

Growing up in a Mexican household, beans were always a staple side dish to almost every meal. While this recipe might not be the most traditional way to prepare Mexican refried beans, you still get the satisfying traditional flavors in less time with less fat.

Traditional Mexican refried beans typically have oil in them, hence the name “refried”. A tablespoon of oil can have 100 calories or more, not to mention the toll it can take on your arteries over time. This is why I choose to be strategic with what kinds and how much oil I use in my recipes. I often try to think of ways I can cut oil out of a dish while still maintaining epic flavor.

This refried bean recipe was the perfect candidate to cut the oil, but you still get the flavor and great creamy texture without the added calories from the oil.

I know you might be thinking, aren’t beans already considered vegan? Many Mexican refried bean recipes typically use pork fat or lard. In my household no pork fat was ever used. My grandmother’s refried beans were already vegan. Woo hoo! and they most definitely did not lack flavor!

While this dish can still easily be made on the stovetop without a pressure cooker I highly recommend one as it will cut your cooking time down drastically.

How to Use Refried Beans

• Traditionally refried beans are eaten as a side dish with many Mexican meals. Give these Easy Instant Pot Vegan “Refried” Beans a try along side these Crazy Easy Vegan Quesadillas de Rajas
• Add them to any dish where you are looking to incorporate a little more protein such as burritos, tostadas, or even some vegan scrambled egg.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can use either black or pinto beans. The cooking times just change a little bit.

If you use black beans you can cut your cooking time down to 30 minutes in the pressure cooker while still letting the steam release naturally. 

Once the beans are cooked the beans and some of the water from the pressure cooker are added to a high-speed blender and blended until smooth and creamy. 

To add a little bit more traditional Mexican flavors you can add a few stems of fresh cilantro to the pressure cooker with the onion to let the flavor infuse into the beans while they cook.