Refried Pinto Bean Quesadillas
Instant Pot pinto beans with a garam-masala-and-sesame twist, refried in butter and folded into quesadillas with gräddost.
- Servings
- 6
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 50 min PC + 20 min NR
- Tags
- instant-pot · beans · vegetarian · quesadilla
Method
A fusion refried bean recipe born from a craving and a well-stocked spice drawer. Dried pinto beans go into the Instant Pot with an unorthodox-but-killer blend of garam masala and sesame oil, then get drained almost dry and refried in butter with paprika and a second hit of chili. Folded into a tortilla with melty gräddost, it’s the kind of thing you’ll make on repeat.
Method
1. Pressure Cook
Combine everything under Pressure Cook in the Instant Pot. Seal, high pressure, 50 minutes. Let it natural-release for 20 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
2. Drain
Drain the beans — but not all the way. You want them almost completely dry so the final refry yields a thick, structured bean that won’t sog out the tortilla.
3. Refry
Set the pot to sauté. Add the butter, paprika, MSG + veg seasoning, and chili flakes in oil. Tip the beans back in and mash with a potato masher or the back of a spoon, frying and stirring until you hit the consistency you want. Taste and adjust.
4. Quesadilla
Spread a thin, even layer of beans on a tortilla, top with grated gräddost, and cook over medium-low heat until the cheese is fully melted and the tortilla is crisp. Rest a minute before cutting.
Notes
- Drain the beans almost completely before refrying — you want a thick, scoopable bean that holds its shape in the quesadilla.
- The garam masala + sesame oil gives the beans a warm, almost Indian depth that's totally unique. Don't skip it.
- Swedish cheese substitute for Oaxaca — gräddost is the secret weapon. A blend of 50% gräddost + 30% Gouda + 20% mild herrgårdsost is even closer to restaurant quality.
- Vacuum-seal portions (chamber vacuum, cooled) and freeze for 12–18 months. Flatten the bags into ~1-inch layers for fast thawing.