This Baked Beans in Instant Pot recipe is made from scratch using dry beans but with NO SOAKING required! The Instant Pot transforms plain beans into a flavorful side dish, made even more delicious with bacon. Perfect party food or side for any meal or gathering!
Original recipe: June 2019 | Updated: May 2021
Why This Recipe Works
When I think of baked beans I think of hot summers in Iowa. My dad liked to grill steak and burgers on the grill on those hot days, alongside perfectly-cooked, buttery sweet corn, watermelon slices and baked beans. Ahhh, now that is Midwestern food perfection.
The only type of baked beans we ate growing up was the kind we poured out of a can and heated in a saucepan. I created a slow cooker recipe for baked beans a few years ago and fell in love with that. I’d never tasted anything quite like it. The flavors are incredible! It is still a great recipe!
Then I fell in love with this contraption called the Instant Pot and knew I had to make a new NEW version of baked beans because everything is better when made in pressure cooker. There’s some sort of magic going on in that shiny little pot.
- Instant Pot Baked Beans are even tastier than the crock pot version and they take a fraction of the time to make.
- I love that this recipe uses dried beans that do not need to be soaked and they are so budget friendly.
- The bacon in the recipe adds YUM, as does the onion, tomato paste and brown sugar. It’s the perfect sweet and savory little side dish that you will fall in love with!
Recipe Ingredients
Beans – I recommend using 1 pound of beans total in the recipe, but feel free to use a variety of bean types. Great options include: pinto beans, red kidney beans and navy beans. Also, to cut down on time use canned beans in place of dried beans and skip steps 1 and 2. With that said, I highly recommend going dried!
Bacon – Omit this ingredient for a slightly healthier dish.
Beef broth – Replace with water, if desired.
Brown sugar – Cut the amount of sugar used by half in order to slim down the recipe.
How To Make This Baked Beans In Instant Pot Recipe
Step 1
Add dry beans (red kidney, pinto or a combo of both), water and salt to the pot and stir. Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 25 minutes on high pressure (use the pressure cook setting).
It will take the Instant Pot pressure cooker around 20 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
Step 2
When cooking time is done, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release. Remove the cover and drain the beans.
Step 3
Set the Instant Pot to saute and add bacon that has been cut into pieces. Stir until the bacon is cooked through and drain the grease from the pot (keep browned bits in the pot).
Add yellow onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the pot add cook for 3 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add beef broth or water, brown sugar, tomato paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and the beans to the pot.
Step 4
Place the cover on the pot and set the timer to 5 minutes on high pressure (use the pressure cook setting). It will take the Instant Pot around 5 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
When cooking is done, do an immediate quick release to release remaining pressure. Remove the cover and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe has a ton of flavor, but if you want to play around with extra flavor consider one or more of the following: Add a couple tablespoons of maple syrup or bbq sauce. Add a drop or two of liquid smoke for a delicious smoky flavor! Replace all or some of the bacon with ground pork. Use additional salt and pepper or even a seasoned salt.
- This recipe will serve 10 people who consume approximately 1/2 cup of beans.
How Long Does Mustard Last
How long does mustard last? Read this post to learn more!
Why Does It Take My Instant Pot So Long To Heat Up?
The time leading up to actual cook time may seem long and even confusing (“What is going ON in there?!”), but it’s an important part of the process! The Instant Pot is working on building up the appropriate amount of pressure that it will be cooking the food at.
It handles liquids and solids differently and also fresh and frozen differently, so the time can vary. Most recipes take between 10 and 30 minutes to build up pressure. The countdown to cooking begins once there is enough pressure.
FAQ About Baked Beans
Beans themselves are a nutrient-dense, healthy food. Different varieties of beans contain different vitamins and nutrients and also different health benefits. Kidney beans are high in fiber and protein. Pinto beans are high in magnesium and folate. Navy beans can assist in regularity and antioxidant defense. When combined with other ingredients, however, to create a typical baked bean recipe the healthiness of the dish decreases. Bacon, sugar and sodium are all added to this recipe, raising the calorie and fat content by quite a bit.
Not all store-bought brands of baked beans are gluten free, so be sure to check your labels. Homemade baked beans can be gluten free when using a variety of broth that does not contain gluten.
Beans themselves contain a good amount of nutrients and fiber and therefore sometimes thrown into the “vegetable” category, when they are actually legumes. Therefore, baked beans are a legume with other ingredients added, such as bacon, sugar and ketchup.
Baked beans can be frozen for up to 6 months when stored in an airtight container.
Instant Pot Recipes To Make Next
The list of recipes you can make in an Instant Pot is endless! It can act as a slow cooker, saute pan, steamer, rice maker, yogurt maker and pressure cooker. It can cook soup, chili, pasta, meat, potatoes, veggies, cake, beans and so much more. Here are a few of my favorite Instant Pot recipes:
Other Great Potluck Recipes
- The classic, crowd-pleasing Fruit Pizza has a cookie dough crust, dreamy cream cheese frosting and a colorful top layer of fruit and a tasty glaze. Great appetizer/dessert for parties of any kind, any time of the year!
- This delicious Taco Ranch Pasta Salad gets totally devoured at gatherings, no matter the season.
- Sausage Cheese Dip is easy to make (let your crockpot do the work for you!), cheesy, flavorful and totally irresistible! Only 6 ingredients required for this delicious party food!
- This is the best 7-Layer Taco Dip you’ll ever meet! It’s the perfect appetizer and party food and it is always the first thing to get devoured.
- These Crockpot Meatballs require only a few ingredients with only a few minutes of prep. They are SO EASY to make, totally packed with delicious flavor and great for game-day parties or holidays.
- This Spinach Artichoke Dip is a party staple! People always get excited about this dip and its so easy to make! It’s a filling, cheesy snack or appetizer that you can put on pita squares, crackers or chips.
- Vegetarian Baked Beans from Fork in the Kitchen.
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Baked Beans In Instant Pot Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add beans, water and salt to the pot and stir. Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 25 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the IP around 18 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
- When cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick release. Remove cover and drain the beans.
- Set instant pot to saute and add the bacon. Stir until bacon is cooked through; drain grease. Add the onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the pot add cook for 3 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add the beef broth, brown sugar, tomato paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and beans to the pot.
- Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 5 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the IP around 5 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
- When cooking is done, do an immediate quick release. Remove cover and serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe has tons of flavor and I am so in love with it exactly as it is, but if you want to play around with extra flavor consider one or more of the following: Add a couple tablespoons of maple syrup or bbq sauce. Add a drop or two of liquid smoke for a delicious smoky flavor! Replace all or some of the bacon with ground pork. Use additional salt and pepper or even a seasoned salt.
- It is recommended that 1 pound of beans total is used in the recipe, but feel free to use a variety of bean types. Great options include: pinto beans, red kidney beans and navy beans.
- To cut down on time, use canned beans in place of dried beans and skip steps 1 and 2. With that said, I highly recommend using dried beans!
It seems that in the recipe instructions the author forgot to add some liquid for the final cooking to go into the IP. There is one cup of beef broth or water and I assume that was to be added but that was not stated in the recipe and I think it’s important.
Hi Daniel, thank you for letting me know it was missing from the recipe card (it was in the notes within the post) – it’s been corrected! Appreciate it!