Instant Pot Baked Beans

The BEST way to make baked beans is in a pressure cooker! Instant Pot Baked Beans are hearty and thick, flavored with ketchup, molasses and bacon.

Homemade baked beans are the perfect summer BBQ side dish! Complete the BBQ with Black Bean Burgers and Instant Pot Corn on the Cob. 

Speedy baked beans!

For a potluck or picnic, you can’t beat this classic side that starts with a pound of dried beans. Molasses gives it a slight sweetness and full flavor. They are hearty and thick, savory and sweeet! 

Baked beans are the perfect side dish for BBQs and potlucks. The flavor comes from letting it simmer nice and slow, like the method used in our recipe for Oven Baked Beans. This can take some time.

Fortunately you can cut that time WAY down by using an instant pot cooker! No need to soak the beans over night, whew! I love the bacon and onion rendering and the delish flavor that adds. 

Making Instant Pot Baked Beans

BEANS. Add the water and the beans to the pot of the Instant Pot. Turn the knob to seal. Cook on manual on high pressure for 15 minutes, then let the pressure release for 20 minutes. Quick release the remaining pressure. Drain the beans and rinse with cold water.

SAUCE. In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of water with the ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, and mustard.

SAUTE. Wipe out the Instant Pot, then add the olive oil to the pot. Press the saute button. When the olive oil is hot, add the bacon and onion and cook until the bacon starts to render and the onions are soft and translucent. Pour in the remaining ½ cup of water and scrape any burned bits off the bottom of the pot.

COOK. Add the sauce mixture to the pot and return the beans to the pot. Stir gently to mix. Return the lid to the Instant Pot and turn the knob to seal. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, then let the pressure naturally release for 20 minutes. Quick release the remaining pressure. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes: I couldn’t find salt pork at the grocery store, so I just used bacon, and it turned out really well!

Tips + Variations

To use dried pinto beans you can cook them in the instant pot , by following this recipe, before adding in all the ingredients to make them into baked beans.

• Thicken the baked beans: remove and smash some of the beans and mix that into all of the beans. The fiber from the smashed beans will help to thicken the mixture. If that doesn’t work try to mix in a cornstarch slurry.
• Thin the beans: add in more water or broth.
• Creamy: To make it creamy you are going to want to mush some of them to create a thick liquid to go along with the beans. Creamy beans are also cooked with enough liquid so that the beans are plump and not dried at all!
• Sweet: Sweeten the beans by adding in brown sugar or cinnamon to make it a tad bit sweeter.
• Savory: Make beans to be more on the savory side you can decrease the amount of sugar and increase the amount of BBQ sauce and bacon you incorporate.
• Spicy: To adjust the spice level add in diced and seeded jalapenos.

Storing Tips

STORE leftover baked beans in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. You might need to add more liquid when reheating it, in case it thickens after refrigerating. 

To FREEZE these beans you need to put them in an airtight bag and remove all the air before putting them in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then warm in the crockpot, microwave, or on the stovetop.

Try these Other recipes great for a BBQ:

• Classic Potato Salad
• Red White and Blue Fruit Salad
• Brioche Bun Recipe
• Oven Baked BBQ Ribs