These refried beans are gluten-free, low-sodium, oil-free, and vegan. They make the perfect dip with oven-baked tortilla chips, but can easily be used as a side dish, paired with rice and veggies for a delicious and satisfying entrée, or as a base for tacos and burritos!
What you need to make these gluten-free refried beans:
- Pinto beans
- Onion
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
How to prepare the beans
Making dried beans is pretty hands-off, but does require some preplanning because it can take more time than opening a can of cooked beans. This vegan refried beans recipe covers two methods: Instant Pot and Stovetop.
Instant Pot Method
This method is the fastest and takes less than one hour. Turn on the sauté setting on your Instant Pot pressure cooker. Give it 2 minutes to heat up. Dry sauté the chopped onion for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly brown. Stir in seasonings and cook for another minute. Add dried beans and water and stir to incorporate. Secure the pressure cooker lid, and make sure the vent is in the cook position. Hit the beans button or set the timer for 30 minutes and let it naturally release for 15 to 20 minutes.
Stovetop Method
Soak dried beans in a large bowl of water for 8 hours or overnight. Ensure plenty of water covers the beans because the beans absorb some of the water during soaking. After 8 hours, drain and rinse the beans well in a large colander.
Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Dry sauté the chopped onion for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly brown. Stir in seasonings and cook for another minute. Add soaked beans and fresh water and stir to incorporate. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce heat, partially cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Check the beans after 45 minutes and ensure enough water to complete the cooking. After one hour, check one or two of the beans to ensure they're cooked through. If not, continue cooking for another 15 minutes.
Slow Cooker Method
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 ½ hours. You
Want to learn more about cooking with dried beans? Check out this post.
How to make the cooked beans "refried"
When beans are done cooking, carefully drain off most of the excess liquid. Add some or all of the cooked beans to a large mixing bowl. Using a potato masher, mash the beans to desired "refried" consistency. Salt to taste. Top with fresh cilantro, diced tomato, and sliced (or minced) jalapeno. Squeeze fresh lime juice on top and serve with Oven-Baked Tortilla Chips.
Why I love these beans
These vegan refried beans have become a staple in our house, partly because I have a stockpile of pinto beans on hand. Lol!
Living on an island, we are encouraged to have provisions in the event of an earthquake or other disaster (like a pandemic) that might interrupt ferry service to and from the mainland. Part of those preparations involved getting a few giant bags of dried beans and lentils for my pantry.
Besides giving me some peace of mind that I have food staples in the house, the upside is that it significantly lowers my food costs. When you buy dried beans in bulk, the cost per serving ends up around $0.25.
With the use of a trusted appliance—the Instant Pot pressure cooker—beans as a staple in your nutrition plan will not only be good for your waistline and heart health, but also your wallet. Using the Instant Pot, your beans will cook in under an hour.
Pinto beans are a favorite in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. While this recipe uses pinto beans as the base for refried beans, you could also use black beans or kidney beans.
Also, these vegan refried beans are also low in sodium.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 4 months. To reheat, thaw frozen beans in the refrigerator or on the countertop. Then reheat in a dry hot skillet or the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
These refried beans are rich in complex carbohydrates. Each generous serving contains about 33 grams of carbohydrates.
Many refried beans are high in calories because they contain oil. However, this recipe is oil-free, so the calories per generous serving are only 182. Trust me, the portion size of this recipe is big (in a good way).
Yes, beans are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. As a nutritionist, I personally eat beans or lentils daily. The American Heart Association recommends eating beans for heart health. Beans are also a staple in the diet of the longest lived people, or Blue Zones.
These refried beans keep well in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days. If you don't think you'll eat them all within four days, I recommend portioning out the beans into individual containers and freezing them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to four months. To reheat, thaw frozen beans in the refrigerator or on countertop. Then reheat in a dry hot skillet or the microwave.
This refried bean recipe can be served as a dip along with Oven-Baked Tortilla Chips. You could also use these vegan refried beans as a side dish, or over brown (or red) rice with salsa, fresh chopped cilantro, and sliced avocado as a main dish, as well as in a burrito or taco.
We hope you love this refried bean dip as much as we do. Please rate and leave a comment below. Be sure to share a picture on Instagram and tag us @danielsplaterecipes so we can see your creation!
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Refried Beans (GLUTEN-FREE)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These refried beans are gluten-free, low sodium, oil-free and vegan. They make the perfect dip with oven-baked tortilla chips, but can easily be used as a side dish, paired with rice and veggies for a delicious and satisfying entrée, or as a base for tacos and burritos! #refriedbeans #oilfree #nooil #vegan #healthyveganrecipes #danielfastrecipes #wfpb
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried pinto beans
- 7 cups water
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- Salt to taste
Optional, but recommended toppings: fresh cilantro, diced tomato, sliced (or minced) jalapeno for heat, lime
Serve with Oven-Baked Tortilla Chips
Instructions
Making dried beans is pretty hands-off but does require some preplanning because it can take more time than opening a can of cooked beans. This vegan refried beans recipe covers three methods: Instant Pot, stovetop, and slow cooker.
Instant Pot Method
This method is the fastest and takes less than one hour. Turn on the sauté setting on your Instant Pot pressure cooker. Give it 2 minutes to heat up. Dry sauté the chopped onion for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly brown. Stir in seasonings and cook for another minute. Add dried beans and water and stir to incorporate. Secure the pressure cooker lid, and make sure the vent is in the cook position. Hit the beans button or set the timer for 30 minutes and let it naturally release for 15 to 20 minutes.
Stovetop Method
Soak dried beans in a large bowl of water for 8 hours or overnight. Ensure plenty of water covers the beans because the beans absorb some of the water during soaking. After 8 hours, drain and rinse the beans well in a large colander.
Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Dry sauté the chopped onion for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly brown. Stir in seasonings and cook for another minute. Add soaked beans and fresh water and stir to incorporate. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce heat, partially cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Check the beans after 45 minutes and ensure enough water to complete the cooking. After one hour, check one or two of the beans to ensure they're cooked through. If not, continue cooking for another 15 minutes.
Slow Cooker Method
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 ½ hours. You
Want to learn more about cooking with dried beans? Check out this post.
How to make the cooked beans "refried"
When beans are done cooking, carefully drain off most of the excess liquid. Add some or all of the cooked beans to a large mixing bowl. Using a potato masher, mash the beans to desired "refried" consistency. Salt to taste. Top with fresh cilantro, diced tomato, and sliced (or minced) jalapeno. Squeeze fresh lime juice on top and serve with Oven-Baked Tortilla Chips.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 4 months. To reheat, thaw frozen beans in the refrigerator or on countertop. Then reheat in a dry hot skillet or the microwave.
Notes
EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES
- Instant Pot (or large pot if cooking stovetop)
- Large bowl (for soaking beans if cooking stovetop and mashing beans after cooking)
- Potato masher
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring spoons
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Instant Pot or Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southwestern
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Regina
This refried bean dip was a hit at my last party. I decided to also add some diced avocado even though the dip is already creamy. You're right! The portion sizes are huge. I'm thinking this recipe makes more like 12 portions for snacking. But that's a "good problem" to have. ha ha.
Gigi & Sersie
Thank you for your feedback, Regina. We love the idea of adding diced avocado. You're inspiring us to create a layered dip with this recipe that would also include our cashew sour cream.