Instant Pot Refried Beans Recipe (No Soak Pinto Beans)

Easy homemade refried beans with bacon fat—better than canned beans and ready without overnight soaking

Once you make refried beans in an Instant Pot, you may never go back.

I didn’t grow up cooking Mexican food, so forgive the confidence here—but skipping the tedious overnight soaking process makes the Instant Pot one of the best ways to cook dried beans.

And when you blend those beans with a little reserved bacon fat?

Game over.

These homemade refried beans are creamy, smoky, inexpensive, and perfect for tacos, breakfast tacos, burritos, or meal prep throughout the week.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried pinto beans
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup reserved bacon fat
• salt to taste

Essential Kitchen equipment

• Instant Pot (my model)
• Immersion Blender (I use all clad)

Step 1: cook the pinto beans

Place the dried pinto beans, water, garlic, and bay leaf into the Instant Pot.

Pressure cook for 35–40 minutes, depending on how soft you want the beans. For refried beans, softer is better.

Allow for a natural release.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked beans to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Add enough of the cooking liquid to cover the beans.

👉 Don’t throw away the cooking liquid.

You’ll use it later to thin the refried beans to the perfect consistency.

Step 1: blend the cooked pinto beans

Place the cooked pinto beans into a container just wide enough to fit the head of your immersion blender.

A tighter fit helps the blending process work more efficiently.

Add the reserved bacon fat and stir.

Begin blending, adding small amounts of the reserved cooking liquid as needed to help the beans emulsify into a smooth texture.

👉 Be conservative with the liquid.

You can always add more, but overly runny refried beans are harder to fix.

• Too thick? Add more cooking liquid, water, or chicken stock.
• Too thin? Add more beans if available.

Blend until you reach your desired consistency, then season with salt to taste.

Why Bacon Fat Makes Better Refried Beans

Traditional refried beans rely heavily on fat for flavor and texture.

Using reserved bacon fat adds:

• smokiness
• richness
• restaurant-style flavor

And you don’t need to use another pan.

Last Bites

These Instant Pot refried beans are:

• cheaper than canned beans
• easy to meal prep
• better tasting than store-bought

And the best part?

No overnight soak required.

Now go make yourself a taco.

Preferably a breakfast taco.