Instant Pot Baked Beans
I’m getting a little more familiar with my pressure cooker all the time. Although I am not an expert with it, I am trying to learn new ways to use it, like with these Instant Pot Baked Beans. I still use a long handled spoon to turn the valve to do a quick release of the steam. Ha! I’ve had steam and water splatter all over the place. I was told (by some expert Instant Pot users) that I should allow the pot to naturally release for a few minutes before turning the valve to quick release when cooking pasta. I went back and made the Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese and it did seem to help to let it naturally release for a few minutes so there wasn’t so much splatter. 
No soaking necessary
What I am really excited about with this recipe is that I am using dry beans with this and I am not soaking them overnight first! What?!? I usually use cans of pork and beans because I never remember to soak beans overnight. Never. This totally solves that problem. However, I do enjoy the added flavor the pork and beans bring to the party so you can still use those with this recipe (just see my Cook’s Notes below on how to do that.)
Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) bag dry navy or pinto beans
8 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
½ cup diced red onion
½ cup diced green bell pepper
⅓ cup brown sugar
2 cups barbecue sauce
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp minced garlic
Directions:
- Sift through beans to check for stray rocks, twigs and leaves. Add beans, water and salt to a 6-8 quart Instant Pot pressure cooker. Secure lid, close steam valve to sealing and cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes. Allow it to do a natural release. Remove lid and pour beans into a strainer. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Wipe out the inside of the Instant Pot basin.
- In the Instant Pot basin, add olive oil and chopped bacon. Season bacon with a bit of salt & pepper. Select “SAUTE’” and adjust your cook level to high. Stir and cook for around 5-8 minutes, or until bacon has released some fat. Then stir in onion and bell pepper with the bacon. Cook until onions begin to turn translucent. Add additional olive oil if necessary if your bacon didn’t produce much fat.
- Next, stir in beans, brown sugar, barbecue sauce, mustard and garlic.
- Secure lid, close steam valve to sealing and cook on Manual (high pressure) for 15 minutes. Natural release the pressure. Carefully open lid, and gently stir mixture to combine.
Serve as desired. Shown here with sliced jalapeños. 
Cook’s Notes: Want to use canned pork and beans instead of dried navy beans? Just switch out the dried beans with a 56 oz. can of pork and beans and start with Step 3 above.
Enjoy!
- 1 16 oz bag dry navy beans
- 8 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- salt & pepper, to taste
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 cups barbecue sauce
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- Sift through beans to check for stray rocks, twigs and leaves.
- Add beans, water and salt to a 6-8 quart Instant Pot pressure cooker. Secure lid, close steam valve to sealing and cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes.
Note: Instant Pot may take about 10 minutes before it comes to full pressure then it will begin the 25 minute cook time.
- Allow it to do a natural release. Remove lid and pour beans into a strainer. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Wipe out the inside of the Instant Pot basin.
- In the Instant Pot basin, add olive oil and chopped bacon. Season bacon with a bit of salt & pepper. Select “SAUTE’” and adjust your cook level to high.
- Stir and cook for around 5-8 minutes, or until bacon has released some fat.
- Then stir in onion and bell pepper with the bacon. Cook until onions begin to turn translucent. Add additional olive oil if necessary if your bacon didn't produce much fat.
Finally, stir in beans, brown sugar, barbecue sauce, mustard and garlic.
Secure lid, close steam valve to sealing and cook on Manual (high pressure) for 15 minutes.
- Again, it may take about 10 minutes before the Instant Pot comes up to full pressure then it will begin the 15 minute cook time.
- Allow the pressure to naturally release. Carefully open lid, and gently stir mixture to combine.
- Serve as desired.
Recipe Video
Want to use canned pork and beans instead of dried navy beans? Just switch out the dried beans with a 56 oz. can of pork and beans and start with Step 6.
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