Instant Pot Baked Beans
These Instant Pot baked beans are sweet and smoky, flavored with crispy bacon. We love it served with a variety of main dishes or on toast for brunch.
The Instant Pot pressure cooker is my go-to appliance when I want a dish done quickly. It is of course extremely efficient at cooking recipes that usually would require hours on the stovetop. Which is why I love it for cooking beans in a jiffy. I used my Instant Pot Pro for this baked beans recipe and am continuously impressed by how effortless it is to use. The beans came out soft and creamy with the perfect amount of sweet smokiness.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beans. I used dried white beans but use any small dry beans of your choice. You can also make this recipe with canned beans but the cooking time will have to be reduced. Dry navy beans, pinto beans, black beans, etc will all work.
- Bacon. Omit the beans if you want a vegetarian recipe.
- Onion.
- Fresh garlic cloves.
- Spices:I used smoked paprika, red pepper flakes/chilli flakes, garlic powder and onion powder. Other spices like ground cumin, coriander, dried oregano, ground mustard and cayenne pepper can also be used.
- Brown sugar. Maple syrup, honey or molasses can also be used.
- Tomato Ketchup.
- BBQ sauce. I used homemade BBQ sauce but you can use store-bought too. You could also add a dash of liquid smoke if you want a smokier flavor.
- Beef stock/beef broth.
- Salt and black pepper.
How to make Instant Pot baked beans
- Soak: Place the beans in a large bowl then add water – enough to cover the beans fully. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to soak for 10-12 hours. Drain and set aside.
- Cook: Set your Instant Pot to the sauté function then add the chopped bacon. Cook until crisp and golden then remove from the pot and set aside. Add the onions, garlic and spices and cook for a few minutes until fragrant then stir in the drained, soaked beans, ketchup, bbq sauce, brown sugar and beef stock. Add the bacon back in then cover with the lid. Make sure the valve is in the sealing position then pressure cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Quick release the pressure.
Note: If the liquid is too thin, set the Instant Pot back to the sauté function and allow the beans to simmer for 5-10 minutes until the liquid has reduced and thickened slightly. Serve.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes, baked beans are great when made ahead. You can make this dish a day in advance and keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
We love baked beans served with mains like BBQ ribs, grilled chicken or burgers. It’s a traditional barbecue side dish with other dishes like Mac and cheese and cornbread so it will be a perfect match with smoked meats like sausage and brisket. It’s also fantastic served as part of a traditional English breakfast or on toast for brunch.
Recipes with beans
I am so pleased to be partnering with Instant Pot South Africa. All opinions are my own.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried white beans alternatively use 3 cans of drained beans
- 8 cups water
- 10 strips streaky bacon chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup bbq sauce
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Place the beans in a large bowl then add the water. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to soak for 10-12 hours.
- Set your Instant Pot to the sauté function then add the chopped bacon.
- Cook until crisp and golden then remove from the pot and set aside.
- Add the onions, garlic and spices and cook for a few minutes until fragrant then add the drained, soaked beans, ketchup, bbq sauce, brown sugar and beef stock.
- Add the bacon back in then cover with the lid.
- Make sure the vent is in the sealing position then cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Quick release the pressure.
- If the liquid is too thin, set the Instant Pot back to the sauté function and allow the beans to simmer for 5-10 minutes until the liquid has reduced and thickened slightly. Serve.