Instant Pot Baked Beans

Don’t have a cookout without these baked beans, they are so delicious, way better than canned, and cook up quickly in a pressure cooker. These Instant Pot baked beans are the most favorite side dish of the season and beyond. 

One reason I love cooking with beans is they can be used in a variety of ways, like these yummy recipes that I share Here. They are economical and from dips to main dishes, beans are a real crowd pleaser.

Traditionally baked beans are thought to have their roots in Native American history, cooked with fat and maple syrup. Settlers adapted this recipe to use bacon and molasses just like the one I’ll be sharing today. The molasses with the mustards and brown sugar is a salty/sweet lover’s dream, and bacon gives it that smoky flavor that you look for in a good pulled pork.

To get started, and an important step that many people skip is sorting and rinsing the beans. We do this to be sure there are no rocks or foreign objects, and to rinse off any dirt. You want a clean taste, and no one likes biting down on a pebble!

Place beans in the instant pot with 4 cups of water and set time to 25 minutes. Then make yourself a Cranberry Margarita and wait. 

When it’s finished, do a natural release for 15 minutes, and finally release any excess pressure.

Drain the water off the beans. Don’t let go of that pot, as you’ll be returning your drained beans to it.

Add in the remaining ingredients to the pot, turn the timer to ten minutes and get ready to smell some delicious aromas that will make your tummy gurgle and your taste buds sing.

Once again, when the timer is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then release any excess pressure.

Stir the beans and as necessary, cook them on the sauté mode if they seem a little firm or you desire a thicker consistency. The sauce should be thick, the beans should be tender, but not soft and mushy like canned beans.

Finally taste!

Then pat yourself on the back, you did a great job, Cheers!

This is a spin-off of my mom’s recipes, she always uses white navy beans, but me, I always have pinto beans on hands so that is what I used.

I get asked about substitutions on a regular basis, here are a few questions with provided answers for inquiring minds:

Can I use another type of bean, like, white navy beans, kidney beans, or black beans?

Variety is the spice of life, so yes…and also no. Kidney beans would blend in fairly seamlessly in this recipe but if all you have on hand is black beans, it may be best to use them in a savory dish like this Corn and Black Bean Jalapeno Salsa.  

I don’t have molasses, what should I use as an alternative?

Let me be completely honest, molasses is amazing! But if you don’t have it use Maple Syrup! It can be used as a 1:1 ratio, so, for instance, my recipe calls for 2/3 cup of Molasses, you would instead use 2/3 cup of Maple Syrup. Keep in mind that Maple syrup is thinner than molasses which will change the dishes consistency a bit.

Can this dish be made ahead?

Absolutely… The good news is as the dish sits overnight, the flavors really mingle and marry, making this dish yummier the next day. However, due to the starch in the dish, it will thicken as it sits. For this reason, warming it on your stove-top using medium-low heat, stirring often is best. And you’ll need to add a little liquid to help it on its way.

This is the Instant Pot I have and love  https://amzn.to/2OUWlDb

And if you’re looking for more recipe using BEANS look here.

Print Recipe

Instant Pot Baked Beans

the side dish everyone looks forward to at a cookout! These savory-sweet baked beans are made easily from dry beans with no soaking in an instant pot.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 -15 servings

Author: Diane Schmidt - createdbydiane.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry pinto beans or white navy beans
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 onion diced
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon brown mustard
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1.4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 slices cooked bacon cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

• Rince and sort the beans to be sure there are no rocks or foreign objects.
• Place beans in the pot of the instant pot with 4 cups of water and set time to 25 minutes and when it's done do a natural release for 15 minutes, then release any pressure.
• Drain any water off of the beans and. place the beans back into the pot
• Add in the remaining ingredients to the pot and turn the timer to 10 minutes.
• Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then release any excess pressure.
• Stir the beans and if necessary cook them on the saute mode if they seem a little firm or need to cook off any excess watery liquid, the sauce should be thick when they are done and the beans should be tender, but not soft and mush like canned beans.