Low Sodium Refried Beans Recipe (No Salt Added)

This Low Sodium Refried Beans recipe is a flavorful and easy recipe with pinto beans, spices, and oil – no soaking required. These bold and flavorful beans can be made on the stove top or Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker. These beans make a great side dish or you can add them to tacos or burrito bowls.

We are all about easy flavorful recipes – and these low sodium refried beans are a fantastic way to get some major flavor onto your plate without the salt. Most canned refried beans are loaded with salt and preservatives, making them a poor choice if you are watching your sodium intake. Luckily, a low so version couldn’t be easier to make!

You can used no-salt-added canned beans for this recipe, or dried beans from I use my pressure cooker weekly for meal prepping and cooking ahead. I have recipes below for both cooking methods. I prefer using my Instant Pot as can have a delicious pot of beans ready in under an hour, no soaking required.

One of the Best Low Sodium Beans Recipes

This salt free refried beans recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal!  It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards – most of which you probably have on hand. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious and healthy meals using a few staples you can rotate.  I made a list of my Favorite Low Sodium Pantry Staples that I always keep stocked. By stocking up on healthy whole ingredients you can cook delicious salt-free & low so recipes without a trip to the store!

No Salt Canned Beans Versus Homemade

While I love the convenience of no-salt-added canned beans, I also love cooking dry beans from scratch in my Pressure Cooker – the texture is better and it’s more economical.  I use the 8-Quart Instant Pot Ultra, which is larger than standard models3 to 4 times a week. The Instant Pot works wonders for cooking dried beans fast, no soaking required!

While canned beans are super convenient, normal varieties are often loaded with sodium.  If you buy canned beans, I always recommend using a no salt added variety so you can control the amount of sodium in your recipes. Next time you reach for the canned beans, think about investing in a pressure cooker instead! Homemade beans are incredibly cost efficient, and you can add seasonings and spices to the beans while they cook for extra flavor.

1. In a large pot, add the Olive oil and onions and cook over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
2.  Add the canned beans and the rest of the ingredients, and stir well to combine. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
3.  Using an immersion blender or a potato masher, blend the rest of the beans until they are a creamy consistency.  Garnish with extra cilantro, chili flakes, lime juice and enjoy.

• Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode, add Olive oil and onions and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, and set to Manual/Pressure Cook mode for 45 minutes.
• Allow the beans to naturally release for 20 minutes or so. Then release any remaining pressure manually. Using an immersion blender or a potato masher, blend the rest of the beans until they are a creamy consistency.  Garnish with extra cilantro, chili flakes, lime juice, and enjoy.