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refried pinto beans with tomato salsa on top
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Homemade Refried Pinto Beans

This Homemade Refried Pinto Beans recipe is simple, smoky, flavorful, and delicious! Perfect for snacking or a great addition to meals!
Course Appetizer, Dips, Entree, Snack, Taco
Cuisine Mexican-Inspired
Keyword homemade beans, homemade refined beans, instant pot beans, pinto beans, refined pinto beans
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Soak 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 35 minutes
Servings 6
Author Tracey Gene

Ingredients

Making Pinto Beans from Scratch:

  • 1 cup dried pinto beans soaked for at least 8 hours or overnight, rinsed and drained
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1 bouillon cube or substitute 2 cups of broth and use only 1 cup of water
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil only needed if making Pinto Beans in the Instant Pot

Refried Pinto Beans

  • 2 cups cooked pinto beans from recipe above
  • ¼ -1/2 cup cooking liquid from recipe above
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce
  • Salt to taste

Toppings:

  • Tomato salsa
  • Cilantro
  • Lime juice
  • Cotija Cheese

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions:

  • Soak 1 cup of pinto beans overnight (about 8 hours).
  • Drain and rinse beans and add to an instant pot along with 1 cup of water and 2 cups of vegetable broth, (or substitute with 3 cups of water and 1 bouillon cube). Add seasoning, and hot sauce. Stir together and add 2 tbsp of avocado oil on top - Do not stir. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.

Stove Top Instructions:

  • Soak 1 cup of pinto beans overnight (about 8 hours).
  • Drain and rinse beans and add to a pot along with 1 cup of water and 2 cups of vegetable broth, (or substitute with 3 cups of water and 1 bouillon cube). Add seasoning, and hot sauce. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. I recommend checking the beans at the 2-hour mark. They should be tender and fully cooked through, but they are still a little firm and not mushy. Cook an extra 30-minutes and try again).

Refried Pinto Beans Instructions:

  • Once the pinto beans are fully cooked, reserve about 1/2 cup of cooking water and drain the rest.
  • Add cooked pinto beans to a food processor along with the 1/4 cup of cooking water and 2 tbsp of hot sauce. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add an additional 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning. Does it need more salt, or hot sauce?  
  • Serve with tacos, burritos, or as a dip.