These are the BEST EVER Instant Pot Baked Beans, and they come together with simple sauce ingredients from your fridge and pantry – you’ll love these smoky baked beans!
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Ingredients in Instant Pot baked beans
For Instant Pot baked beans, I use either pinto or navy beans. The biggest difference is how creamy you want the finished dish to be.
Pinto beans have a rich earthy flavor. They break down easily while cooking creating a creamy texture to the baked beans.
Navy beans are small and have a thicker skin. They have a very mild flavor and usually taste like whatever they were cooked in. Navy beans are smooth and dense and keep their shape better while cooking.
To season the Instant Pot beans, you will need:
- Onion
- Bell Peppers
- Garlic
- Ketchup
- BBQ sauce
- Brown sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Bacon, if you want
How to make Instant Pot baked beans
By using your Instant Pot, we make this baked beans dish in less than 30 minutes instead of the hours that it usually takes to simmer. It’s a great side dish or can be a vegetarian main dish that is quick and easy. I put bacon in mine, but you can just leave that out if you prefer. Simply put everything in and let the Instant Pot work its magic!
- Put all the ingredients in the Instant Pot in the order they are listed in the recipe. Start with the veggies and end with the beans.
- Set the Instant Pot to cook at high pressure for five minutes.
- If you are including bacon, fry it while the Instant Pot cooks. Bacon won’t get crispy in the Instant Pot so I cook it separately.
- Do a quick release when the cooking time is finished. This means you flip the valve to release the pressure and immediately stop the cooking process.
- Add the bacon and serve.
Ingredient substitutions
If you prefer, you can add ground meat to your Instant Pot baked beans. Brown the meat in the bottom of the Instant Pot before adding all the other ingredients and cooking under pressure.
Great northern beans also work well in Instant Pot baked beans.
I prefer a BBQ sauce with a smoky flavor. You can use any BBQ sauce that you prefer however. Some even have a bit of heat if you like your beans to be spicy. You can even use Liquid Smoke to create a bolder smoky flavor.
You can also switch out most of the condiments if you prefer. Use regular mustard instead of Dijon for a subtly different flavor. Or Worcestershire sauce instead of apple cider vinegar.
Can you use dried beans?
One of the amazing things about cooking beans in the Instant Pot is that you do not have to soak them! You can use dried beans in this recipe. It just takes a little longer to cook.
Cook the beans in water or broth first without the other seasoning. Dry beans will take about 20 minutes to cook in the Instant Pot. When they are done, rinse and add to the rest of the recipe.
Adding extra veggies
If you want to add veggies to this dish to make it a more complete meal with lots of nutrients, you can. Add your sturdy veggies to the Instant Pot with the rest of the ingredients.
Any vegetables that you would just steam (like leafy greens), leave out during cooking. You can put them in after the beans have finished. Put the lid back on and let them sit for a few minutes to soften. They would fall apart if cooked under pressure.
Veggies that taste great with baked beans are:
- Butternut squash
- Carrot
- Sweet potato
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
What to serve with baked beans
Baked beans have lots of protein. But baked beans aren’t just picnic food. Serve them with any of these for a complete meal:
- Grilled meat
- Pulled pork sandwiches
- Garden salad
- Baked potatoes
- Coleslaw
- Grilled veggies
Storing and reheating
Instant Pot baked beans will last in the refrigerator for up to four or five days.
This makes them great for meal prep. This recipe makes six servings so you can divide what is left into individual portions and refrigerate.
Baked beans are super easy to reheat. Just pop them in the microwave for a minute or two and enjoy! You may want to crumble more bacon on top before eating. You can also reheat in a pot on the stove.
Can you freeze baked beans?
Instant Pot baked beans make a great freezer meal.
Allow them to cool completely before storing in a freezer-safe container. Make sure all the bacon pieces are fully submerged in the sauce. Baked beans will last for six months in the freezer.
Baked beans can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight or cooked directly from frozen. If you put the frozen beans in a saucepan, use a low heat to warm them evenly.
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this 30-Minute Ahi Poke Bowl into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box,conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometerto make sure your chicken is cooked through
- Use these Ziploc bag holders if you’re marinating the chicken then freezing it
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowlsup to 3 months
Instant Pot resources
If you’d like some more help with your Instant Pot, then you’ll love my free resources! Sign up for free below when you get my weekly newsletter:
5-Day Instant Pot Challenge!
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Instant Pot Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 red, green or yellow pepper, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup smoky BBQ sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 3 cans navy or pinto beans rinsed and drained
Optional addition
- 6 slices bacon
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to Instant Pot in the order in which they are listed. Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal. Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 5 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large frying pan on the stove if using.
- Do a quick release of the pressure on the Instant Pot by flicking the switch at the top with a spoon. Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily.
- Stir in bacon if using, then serve and enjoy!
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