Instant Pot Homemade Southern BBQ Baked Beans is the best, easy pressure cooker recipe that will show you how to make baked beans in the Instant Pot from scratch and with no soak beans. This healthy version allows you to ditch those canned pork n beans for dried navy beans or pinto beans. Feel free to add ground beef, bacon, or brisket.
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FOR THE FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS AND COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUCTIONS, PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST. BEFORE YOU SCROLL, THERE’S IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG POST.
Baked beans are a staple for us in the summer months. What better way to make this classic recipe, than in the Instant Pot. You don’t have to use your oven and heat up the whole house!
Are Baked Beans Already Cooked?
Most baked beans recipes call for canned beans or canned pork n beans. I have even seen Instant Pot recipes used canned beans. There’s really no need to with an Instant Pot. Let it do all of the work.
Canned beans are usually loaded in sodium. Some brands also have unhealthy additives. You can read more about Are Canned Beans Healthy here.
What Beans Do You Use for Instant Pot Baked Beans?
Navy and pinto beans are the most common. You can even use Great Northern Beans.
You don’t have to use bone broth, you can use any broth
How Do You Cook Homemade Baked Beans in an Instant Pot
- First, cook the beans in the Instant Pot with chicken broth.
- Remove the beans and rinse.
- Cook bacon in the Instant Pot and then saute garlic and onions in the pot.
- Add the cooked beans back to the pot with bbq sauce, ketchup, brown sweetener, chili powder, liquid smoke, salt, and pepper.
- Saute until the sauce thickens.
Navy beans prior to cooking
How Long Does it Take to Cook No Soak Beans in the Instant Pot?
You can prepare these beans in the Instant Pot on 25 minutes of High-Pressure. You will also need an additional 20 minutes of natural release of steam.
If you choose to soak the beans, soak for 8-16 hours (overnight). Rinse the beans and cook for 20 minutes with 15 minutes of natural release of steam.
Southern Baked Beans Ingredients
I’ve seen several variations of southern baked beans. The thing that remains the same, is that most recipes include brown sugar and a form of meat such as bacon, ground beef, and at Jack Stack here in Kansas City, they add tender brisket. Feel free to add what you wish!
I like for my baked beans to be sweet with a slight tang. I have seen some recipes call for yellow mustard, which will give the beans a little more tang. If that’s what you are going for, feel free to add a teaspoon, taste, and adjust as necessary.
How Many Cups of Beans Are in a Pound?
One pound of beans is about 6 cups.
How to Thicken the Sauce of Baked Beans in Instant Pot
I thicken the sauce by placing the lid of the Instant Pot over the cooked baked beans. I let them sit for about 10 minutes and they thicken right up. If you like them thicker, you can try making a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. Combine them in a bowl first and add it to the mixture.
What are Boston Baked Beans?
Boston baked beans are usually slow cooked in molasses. Boston has a rich history with molasses that dates back to the colonial days. You can read more about Boston Baked Beans here.
Can You Freeze Instant Pot Baked Beans?
You can freeze baked beans for up to 6 months. To reheat, defrost the beans in the fridge overnight. Reheat the beans on the stove for 10 minutes. Read more about How to Freeze Baked Beans here.
Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe Tips
- The way to get amazing tasting beans, that taste the way YOU want them to taste is to taste repeatedly throughout the cooking process. If you like sweet beans, use more sugar. If you like your beans to have a tang, add a little yellow mustard or apple cider vinegar.
- The BBQ sauce is the star of this dish. Use your favorite BBQ sauce. Most sauces are loaded in sugar, so be cognizant of that if you want a healthy version. Here is the recipe for my Low-Carb Unsweetened Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe above.
- Feel free to add whatever meat you like. Here in Kansas City, this dish is often prepared with BBQ brisket.
What to Pair With Instant Pot Baked Beans
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken
Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
Instant Pot Southern Potato Salad
Air Fryer Ribs
Instant Pot Homemade Southern BBQ Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 16 oz dried navy beans or pinto beans I used navy beans
- 4 slices bacon cut into inch cubes
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup bbq sauce For a lightened up version use unsweetened
- 1/2 cup ketchup For a lightened up version use unsweetened
- 2-4 tablespoons brown sugar I used Swerve Zero-Calorie. If you prefer mild baked beans start with 2 tablespoons and taste repeatedly. Add more as needed. 4 tablespoons will result in sweet baked beans.
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Watch the video instructions below.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot with the dried beans. You can also use water, but broth has more flavor.
- Cook the beans on Manual > High-Pressure Cooking for 25 minutes.
- When the pot indicate it has finished, allow steam to release naturally for 25 minutes.
- Open the pot, drain the beans and rinse them.
- Place the Instant Pot on the Saute function and add the sliced bacon. Cook the bacon until browned on both sides. Remove the bacon from the pot. Drain the fat from the bacon, but reserve about a teaspoon of fat in the Instant Pot.
- Add the chopped onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
- Add the beans back to the pot with the bbq sauce, ketchup, half of the cooked bacon, chili powder, brown sweetener, liquid smoke, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently so the pot does not scorch.
- Turn the Instant Pot off the Saute function. Allow the beans to cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot for 10 minutes. This will thicken up the mixture.
- Serve and top with the remaining half of cooked bacon.
- If you prefer to make your own BBQ sauce, here is a link to my Low-Carb Homemade BBQ Sauce.
Video
Notes
Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe Tips
- The way to get amazing tasting beans, that taste the way YOU want them to taste is to taste repeatedly throughout the cooking process. If you like sweet beans, use more sugar. If you like your beans to have a tang, add a little yellow mustard or apple cider vinegar.
- The BBQ sauce is the star of this dish. Use your favorite BBQ sauce. Most sauces are loaded in sugar, so be cognizant of that if you want a healthy version. I have linked my Unsweetened BBQ sauce recipe above.
- If you like your beans soft to the point they are mushy, you can pressure cook them for 10 minutes after adding the BBQ sauce and remaining ingredients. You may encounter the Burn signal, depending on which Instant Pot model you have. If so, you will have to add additional liquid to the pot (i.e. chicken broth) and afterward, you will have to thicken up the mixture. See notes below on thickening.
- You can add the beans to a 375 degrees oven for 10 minutes if you wish.
- Feel free to add whatever meat you like. Here in Kansas City, this dish is often prepared with BBQ brisket.
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