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    Home » Recipes » Instant Pot » Instant Pot Baked Beans recipe

    PUBLISHED: February 2, 2021 • By Toni Dash 17 Comments

    Instant Pot Baked Beans recipe

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    instant pot baked beans title

    Instant Pot Baked Beans are loaded with bacon in a sweet-tangy sauce you’ll love! Skip the cans and make your own baked beans from scratch in no time–no soaking required. 

    instant pot baked beans title

    No barbecue or potluck is complete without a pot of baked beans. Sweet and tangy with a hint of smokiness, they pair well with countless main dishes.

    Ladle them onto your plate alongside BBQ Chicken or  Pulled Pork or enjoy them all on their own.

    This baked beans recipe blows canned beans out of the water! You’ll love the bits of bacon, the molasses aroma and the amazing sauce. 

    Lately, I’ve been been making batches of Baked Beans to add to my BBQ Pulled Pork Totchos. They’re an ideal complement to those cheesy tater tot nachos.

    baked beans in a bowl

    The BEST Instant Pot Baked Beans

    This is that recipe you just can’t stop eating. Perfect texture plump white beans. Sweet and tangy sauce with loads of salty bacon.

    This recipe calls for dried white beans. But no worries! There is no soaking required. 

    Unlike stove top cooking methods, the Instant Pot takes care of all cooking the beans all in one go.

    Since dried beans are more cost effective to cook with than canned ones (and taste better) this recipe is a win! 

    Even better? The beans require no monitoring during cooking. Fire up your pressure cooker and let it do the work for you. 

    instant pot baked beans ingredients

    Recipe Ingredients + Notes

    Dried Beans. Use dried great northern beans or white navy beans. 

    Bacon. You’ll need 8 – 10 slices of thick cut uncooked bacon.

    Yellow onion. Sautéed in the Instant Pot adding great flavor to the beans.

    Ketchup. Adds a sweet tomato flavor to the sauce.

    Brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses. These ingredients add the sweetness to the baked beans. Be sure to use pure maple syrup. Do NOT use ‘pancake syrup’!

    Chicken broth. Use low sodium broth or stock. 

    Apple cider vinegar and yellow mustard. These add the wonderful tangy flavors.

    Worcestershire sauce. Adds a savory and sweet tang to the sauce.

    Garlic powder. Delivers some garlic flavor without needing to sauté fresh garlic.

    Salt and pepper. Added to taste. 

    Variations

    Substituting canned beans. You can swap canned white beans for the dried if preferred. Just skip the pressure cooking step and skip to step 4. Follow the rest of the steps as directed. 

    Turkey bacon. Substitute turkey bacon for the pork bacon in your baked beans. The flavor will be slightly different but still delicious!

    baked beans close up on spoon

    How to Make It – Step-by-Step

    STEP 1. Sort and rinse the beans

    Pick over dried beans to remove any foreign objects like sticks or pebbles. Rinse and drain them well.

    STEP 2. Pressure cook

    Put the beans in the Instant Pot (photo 1). Cover them with salt and water. Secure the lid and cook on manual HIGH PRESSURE for 35 minutes.

    STEP 3. Drain

    When cooking time ends, let the instant pot naturally release the steam, then open the lid (photo 2). Transfer the cooked beans to a colander and rinse with cold water.

    instant pot baked beans recipe steps 1-4

    STEP 4. Cook the bacon

    Meanwhile, cook the bacon in the bottom of your Instant Pot on the SAUTE setting (photo 3 and photo 4). Transfer cooked bacon to paper towels to drain.

    instant pot baked beans recipe steps 5-6

    STEP 5. Cook the onions and deglaze

    Add diced onions to the reserved bacon grease in the Instant Pot. Let them sit for a moment before stirring to release moisture.

    Then use a wooden spoon to scrape off any burned bits of bacon stuck to the bottom of the instant pot.

    Cook the onions until softened (photo 5). 

    STEP 6. Pressure cook again 

    Cut the bacon into pieces. Add it back to the pot with the remaining sauce ingredients (photo 6) and stir (photo 7).

    Transfer the beans back to the Instant Pot (photo 8). Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 8 minutes.

    Do a quick release at the end of cooking time and open the lid (photo 9). Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

    instant pot baked beans recipe steps 7-9

    Recipe FAQs + Pro Tips

    What size Instant Pot do I need to make Baked Beans?

    I tested this recipe using a 6 quart Instant Pot. The proportions would need to be adjusted to work in different sized pressure cookers.

    What kind of beans are best for baked beans?

    Great Northern Beans are best for classic baked beans. They’re sturdy enough to hold up to the thick sauce with a firm bite and tender inside. 

    If you can’t find Great Northern Beans, white Navy beans make a great substitute.

    Can I make this recipe with canned beans instead?

    Yes, you can substitute canned beans for the dried. Omit the 35 minutes of pressure cooking and skip to step 4 of the recipe.

    Add canned beans to the pot along with the other sauce ingredients. 

    Can baked beans be made vegetarian?

    Yes, baked beans can be made vegetarian if you omit the bacon. However, you will lose that delicious smoky flavor! 

    Do I have to soak the dried beans before cooking them?

    No, you don’t have to soak them when you use this Instant Pot recipe! The high pressure of the Instant Pot cooks them perfectly, no pre-soaking required. 

    Storing Leftovers

    Keep leftover baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top. Enjoy within 3 – 4 days. 

    instant pot baked beans in pot

    More Recipes You’ll Love!

    • White Bean Soup (Instant Pot recipe)
    • Fresh Green Beans with Bacon and Sliced Almonds
    • Easy Instant Pot Potato Salad
    • How to Make Pickled Red Onions
    • Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
    Did you make it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    instant pot baked beans.

    Instant Pot Baked Beans

    Soft white beans, loads of bacon in a sweet-tangy sauce make these baked beans a favorite. No soaking of the dried beans is required. The Instant Pot does all the work.
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes
    Time for Instant Pot to come to pressure (estimate): 10 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings: 8 1-cup servings (total yield: 8 cups)
    Calories: 213kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
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    Equipment

    6 quart instant pot
    6 quart Instant Pot

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound dried great northern white beans or dried navy beans
    • 8 cups water
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 8-10 slices thick cut bacon strips 1 pound package
    • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
    • ½ cup ketchup
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
    • ⅓ cup maple syrup
    • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
    • ¼ cup prepared yellow mustard
    • 2 tablespoons molasses
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Sort through the dry white beans to discard any stones or impurities, and rinse well.
    • Place the beans in the bottom of the Instant Pot and pour in the salt and water.
      Lock the lid and cook on manual HIGH PRESSURE for 35 minutes. Once the beans have finished cooking, allow the Instant Pot to NATURAL RELEASE the steam. NOTE: if the natural release isn't complete by 30 minutes, QUICK RELEASE the remaining pressure.
    • Drain the beans in a colander and rinse with cold water.
    • While the beans drain, add the bacon to the bottom of the Instant Pot and turn on the SAUTE setting. When the bacon is cooked through, remove the bacon and set aside on paper towels.
      Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the Instant Pot..
    • Add the chopped onion to the Instant Pot. Cook the onions on SAUTE for 2-3 minutes or until softened.
      TIP: to deglaze the Instant Pot insert allow the onions to sit briefly before stirring them so the moisture will allow scraping up of any food bits sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
    • Deglazing the Instant Pot. This step helps ensure no Burn warning. If when cooking the onions all the food bits did not scrape up use a spatula to scrape any food still sticking onto the bottom before proceeding to the pressure cooking cycle.
      Turn off the SAUTE function.
    • Chop the bacon and return it to the Instant Pot with the drained beans. Add the remaining ingredients, stir until well combined.
    • Place the Instant Pot lid back on and select manual HIGH PRESSURE for 8 minutes.
      Once finished cooking, do a QUICK RELEASE. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

    Notes

    Cooked in a 6 quart Instant Pot Duo.
    The beans do not need to be soaked prior to cooking. 
    Canned beans (drained and rinsed) can be used as a substitute for the dry beans. Omit the 35 minute pressure cook step and start the recipe on Step 4 with cooking the bacon in the Instant Pot.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 563mg | Potassium: 461mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amanda Livesay says

      February 08, 2021 at 7:58 am

      5 stars
      These are THE BEST baked beans! I can’t believe how easy they were, too!

      Reply
    2. Sandra says

      February 07, 2021 at 7:48 am

      5 stars
      This is so good and comforting! A new favorite at my house!

      Reply
    3. Constanze says

      February 04, 2021 at 11:12 pm

      5 stars
      Made a batch today and loved the flavors! Used pinto beans because that’s what I had on hand. Will definitely make this again!

      Reply
    4. Tammy says

      February 03, 2021 at 2:11 pm

      5 stars
      I couldn’t believe how easy these were. My family could not stop eating them either. I’m making another batch to try on your pulled pork totchos recipe!

      Reply
    5. Beti says

      February 03, 2021 at 8:18 am

      5 stars
      These Baked Beans were incredibly delicious!! I can’t wait to make them again and again!

      Reply
    6. katerina says

      February 03, 2021 at 8:17 am

      5 stars
      We loved these baked beans! Such a fantastic recipe!

      Reply
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    About Toni Dash

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

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