Instant Pot Baked Beans
Perfect Instant Pot Baked Beans, cooked from dry beans in your pressure cooker. These sweet and savory baked beans are the perfect side dish for summer BBQ’s and potlucks.
Baked beans are a classic summer side dish, and this from scratch version can’t be beat.
After many recipe tests, I’ve perfected my Instant Pot baked beans recipe. These homemade baked beans taste so much better than canned beans. My 11-year old, who usually only loves baked beans from a can, kept asking for more of these homemade baked beans. I call that a recipe win!
This baked beans recipe starts with dry beans, which are perfect for cooking in your Instant Pot. The beans pressure cook together with the seasonings so that they come out irresistibly flavorful.
These Instant Pot baked beans are the best combination of sweet and savory. Bacon and onion add savory notes, and brown sugar and molasses create the most delicious sweet sauce.
Serve your baked beans with grilled chicken, grilled pork chops, or turkey burgers. They are a delicious addition to any summer meal!
Soaked or No Soak Beans?
I had originally hoped to create an Instant Pot baked beans recipe that did not require you to soak the beans. After many failed attempts with beans that did not cook to the tender texture that you want in a bowl of baked beans, I decided that soaking the beans is the way to go.
The soaking step doesn’t take much more effort, but you do need to plan ahead so that you can soak the beans in water for 8 to 12 hours before you plan to cook them.
How to Make Baked Beans in an Instant Pot
There are a few varieties of dried beans that you can use to make baked beans. Navy beans, great northern beans and pinto beans all work well and will cook in the same amount of time. I used navy beans to make the baked beans that you see in the photos. I also tested this recipe with pinto beans.
Here are the steps to making these easy baked beans. Find the full recipe including ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Soak the beans in a large bowl of filtered water for 8 to 12 hours. Then drain and rinse them.
- Using the sauté function of your Instant Pot, cook some chopped bacon. Then add chopped onion and continue sautéing. Finally stir in minced garlic and then turn off the pot.
- Pour in 2 cups of water for a 6 quart Instant Pot, or 2 1/4 cups for an 8 quart pot. Scrape up any bits that might be stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients, except for the salt. You will salt the beans to taste after pressure cooking.
- Pressure cook for 55 minutes, followed by a 15 minute natural release.
- Stir in the salt, to taste. When you first open the Instant Pot after pressure cooking, the beans will look too watery. Simmer them using the sauté function of your Instant Pot until they are thickened to your liking. This usually takes 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how saucy you like your baked beans. Be sure to stir the beans every few minutes. The beans will continue to thicken as they cool.
If you are new to Instant Pot cooking, my Instant Pot Instructions are a helpful resource.
How to Make Vegetarian Baked Beans
I often make a vegetarian version of these Instant Pot baked beans, and we enjoy them just as much. To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the bacon. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot when you sauté the onion, since you won’t have bacon grease to cook the onion in.
Recipe Tips for Instant Pot Baked Beans
- There can be a lot of variability between dried beans, which can affect how long it takes them to cook. I tested this recipe multiple times and found that 55 minutes of pressure cooking at high pressure was needed to cook the soaked beans that I used. Be sure to use beans that have not expired, since old beans may never get tender no matter how long you cook them.
- You can replace half of the brown sugar with pure maple syrup, if desired.
- I was able to find dried pinto beans at my local grocery store, but not dried navy beans. You can usually find all types of dried beans on Amazon.
- I recommend waiting to salt the beans after cooking, so that you can add salt to taste. Salt can also slow down the cooking process.
You might also enjoy my Instant Pot Pinto Beans and Instant Pot Black Beans recipes. And don’t miss these Best Instant Pot Recipes!
Instant Pot Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry navy or pinto beans
- 8 cups water, for soaking beans, filtered water if possible
- 6 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups water, use filtered water if possible
- ½ cup brown sugar
- â…“ cup molasses
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Pick over beans to remove any small pebbles or debris. Rinse, drain and put beans in a large bowl. Pour 8 cups water over beans. Soak for 8 to 12 hours. Then, drain and rinse beans.
- Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot and allow it to get hot. Add the chopped bacon to the pot. Cook, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and continue cooking 2 to 3 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Press Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot.
- Pour in the 2 cups water (use 2 ¼ cups for 8 quart pot) and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the soaked and drained beans, brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, mustard and pepper. Stir. (You will add the salt after cooking.)
- Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set the pressure cook time to 55 minutes at high pressure using the Pressure Cook or Manual function. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will start counting down.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pot to naturally release for 15 minutes (just leave the Instant Pot alone). Then, carefully turn the steam release valve to the venting position to release the remaining pressure. When the pin drops down, open the Instant Pot lid.
- Add salt to taste and stir the beans. The beans may look too liquidy, so press the Saute button (if Keep Warm is on, press Cancel to turn it of first) and simmer beans until they are thickened to your liking, 5 to 10 minutes. Beans will continue to thicken as they cool.
Notes
- There can be a lot of variability between dried beans, which can affect how long it takes them to cook. I tested this recipe multiple times and found that 55 minutes of pressure cooking at high pressure was needed to cook the soaked beans that I used. Be sure to use beans that have not expired, since old beans may never get tender no matter how long you cook them.
- You can replace half of the brown sugar with pure maple syrup, if desired.
- To make vegetarian baked beans, omit the bacon and add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot when you saute the onion.
Have you doubled the recipe in a 6 quart Instant Pot? If so, were all ingredients simply doubled, and is the time still 55 minutes?
I have not tried doubling this recipe. I would recommend making a single batch first, to see how it turns out and to see if there would be room for a double batch.
Just perfect! I used Black Eyed Beans as that is all I had. They cooked up a treat! Your Lasagna recipe is next on my list! Keep up the good work!
I made your baked beans yesterday for a rib fest and they were a hit! I did 1 1/2 of the recipe. Doubling would not leave enough room. I did add some spicy brown mustard in addition to the yellow. I will be making these again and again! Thanks.
My mother-in-law gave me a lot of red beans. May I use them in this recipe?
Yes, red beans should work in this recipe. You may need to adjust the cooking time if using a different type of beans. You’d have to experiment. 🙂
I have tried many baked bean recipes over the years and this is definitely the best! Thank you.
Why are you soaking the beans? The instant pot shouldn’t need soaked beans. Put them in dry.
In the post above the recipe, I explain why in the section titled, “Soaked or No Soak Beans?”
Why is the timing so much longer on this recipe than the regular pinto recipe you have? Is it the sauce that makes it take longer? Just curious as the regular  pinto beans unsoaked took only 30 minutes and the soaked 15.
When I tested this recipe, I started with a shorter cook time, more similar to my pinto beans recipe. I had to keep increasing the cook time to get the baked beans to cook through. For some reason, with the sauce the beans took much longer to cook.
I hope to make these soon! Â I use my IP for beans often. Â I wanted to mention that you can freeze soaked beans and it further breaks down the starches and makes a creamier bean texture. Â You could soak extras and freeze pre measured for this recipe! Â