Southern-Style Instant Pot Baked Beans (2024)

Published January 29, 2020. Last modified February 27, 2020 By Gary White

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This southern-style pressure cooker baked beans recipe is incredibly simple to make and full of rich, sweet, and savory flavors. Gone are the days of waiting hours for beans to simmer on the stove top! And it's perfect for all your summer BBQ's and picnics.

(Originally posted June 7, 2017; Updated tips and FAQs on January 29, 2020)

Why This Recipe Works:

Because this recipe is made in a pressure cooker, the hands-on time is relatively low. After quickly sautéing the bacon, onions and green pepper, add the rest of the ingredients, lock the lid, close the pressure valve, set the manual time for 60 minutes and walk away! No waiting hours for the beans to simmer on the stove top.
Cooking baked beans from scratch gives you full control of the ingredient list, allowing you to minimize artificial additives. Furthermore, flavors can be adjusted to personal taste!

How to Make Pressure Cooker Baked Beans

Add 1 tablespoon of salt to Pyrex dish.

Fill dish with about 6 cups of lukewarm water.

Add dry navy beans to dish and soak overnight (or for at least 8 hours). Drain beans, rinse, and remove any possible stones.

Using sauté setting – add bacon to pot...

...and cook bacon until almost crispy.

Then add onions, green peppers, and vinegar and cook until onions and peppers are semi-soft...

...and vinegar is evaporated, making sure to scrape up brown bits from bottom.

Add beans and stock to pot...

...along with maple syrup, molasses, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and pepper.

Mix well to combine. Lock lid and cook for 60 minutes at high pressure. Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to naturally release for at least 15 minutes. Then release remaining pressure and remove lid. Switch back to sauté setting and pour in cornstarch slurry. Mix well and continue stirring until desired consistency is reached. Then switch to warm setting, add salt, mix well, and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

And this is the AMAZING result...

Expert Tips

Don't be tempted to skip the soaking process! While it is possible to cook from dried beans, there are digestive benefits to taking the time to soak your beans. According to The Bean Institute, "Soaking overnight and then discarding the soaking water leaches out sugars in beans that are responsible for gas production." If you can't soak overnight, preform a quick soak prior to cooking.
It may seem that these beans have more vinegar in them than usual. This is totally intentional. The vinegar helps to balance the sweetness, and results in a perfectly sweet and tangy southern style baked beans dish. But, if you’re not into that, you can easily reduce the amount of vinegar from ¼ cup to 2 tablespoons.

FAQs

Can I make these with canned beans? Yes! Use four 16 oz cans of navy beans (with their liquid), along with one cup of chicken broth. Reduce the cook time to 5 minutes, with a natural pressure release. Also note, the shade of the beans will be lighter than with dried beans, however the flavor will still be great.

Do you drain the bacon grease before cooking? Nope! I leave all of that amazing flavor in there.

What size and kind of pressure cooker did you use? We used a 6 Qt Instant Pot Duo.

Can I use less sugar? These beans are meant to be sweet! However, you can reduce the amount of sugar to suit personal tastes.

Can I use less vinegar?Like the sugar, the vinegar can be adjusted to personal tastes, but we prefer it just the way it is!

More Delicious Recipes with Bacon

Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Brown Sugar Bacon

★ Did you make these Pressure Cooker Baked Beans?

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Pressure Cooker Baked Beans

Southern-style baked beans from scratch with deep, rich, and sweet flavor!

4.91 from 53 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Southern

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 397kcal

Author: Gary White

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound dried navy beans soaked at least 8 hours
▢ 1 lb. thick cut bacon roughly chopped
▢ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
▢ 1 cup yellow onions diced
▢ ¾ cup green bell pepper diced
▢ 4 cups chicken stock unsalted
▢ ¼ cup 100% maple syrup
▢ ⅓ cup molasses
▢ ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
▢ ⅓ cup ketchup
▢ 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
▢ 2 tsp. dry mustard
▢ ¼ tsp. black pepper
▢ 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
▢ ½ cup water
▢ 2 tsp. sea salt

Instructions

Add 1 tablespoon of salt to Pyrex dish.Fill dish with about 6 cups of lukewarm water and mix until salt dissolves.Add dry navy beans to dish and soak overnight (or for at least 8 hours). Drain beans, rinse, and remove any possible stones.
Using sauté setting – add bacon to pot cook until almost crispy, stirring frequently.
Then add onions, green peppers, and vinegar. Cook until onions and peppers are semi-soft and vinegar is evaporated, stirring frequently; making sure to scrape up brown bits from bottom.
Add beans, stock, maple syrup, molasses, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and pepper. Mix well to combine.
Lock lid and cook for 60 minutes at high pressure.
Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to naturally release for at least 15 minutes. Then release remaining pressure and remove lid.
Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Switch pot back to sauté setting and pour in cornstarch slurry. Mix well and continue stirring for 3-4 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.
Then switch to "keep warm" setting, add salt, mix well, and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Expert Tips

Don't be tempted to skip the soaking process! While it is possible to cook from dried beans, there are digestive benefits to taking the time to soak your beans. According to The Bean Institute, "Soaking overnight and then discarding the soaking water leaches out sugars in beans that are responsible for gas production." If you can't soak overnight, preform a quick soak prior to cooking.
It may seem that these beans have more vinegar in them than usual. This is totally intentional. The vinegar helps to balance the sweetness, and results in a perfectly sweet and tangy southern style baked beans dish. But, if you’re not into that, you can easily reduce the amount of vinegar from ¼ cup to 2 tablespoons.

FAQs

Do you drain the bacon grease before cooking? Nope! I leave all of that amazing flavor in there.

What size and kind of pressure cooker did you use? We used a 6 Qt Instant Pot Duo.

Can I use less sugar? These beans are meant to be sweet! However, you can reduce the amount of sugar to suit personal tastes.

Can I use less vinegar?Like the sugar, the vinegar can be adjusted to personal tastes, but we prefer it just the way it is!

Nutrition

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Karly
June 06, 2017 at 9:03 am
Baked beans are one of my all time favorite BBQ sides, and these look INCREDIBLE. Obviously love love love the pressure cooker-convenience factor as well. Cannot wait to dive into these!
Reply
See Also
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Tom
June 21, 2017 at 4:50 pm
Going have to try this plus fish sticks and biscuits with molasses yummy
Reply
len
August 15, 2017 at 4:49 pm
This recipe is way too sweet. I will try with a
Lb and a half of beans and no brown-sugar.
Reply
- Chef Gary
  August 16, 2017 at 8:39 am
  But what if we like sweet baked beans? 🙂
  Reply
- Colleen
  September 11, 2020 at 8:31 am
  No brown sugar! That is a crime! lol Here in New England you have to have the brown sugar. Maybe try 2 Tbsp of sugar and syrup.
  Reply
Becky
January 30, 2018 at 9:45 pm

This recipe produced the best baked beans! I love the blend of spices and the perfect amount of sweetness!
Reply
Anna
July 03, 2018 at 8:53 am
Soaking beans in salt water gives the beans softer skins! There's actual science behind the technique. Cooks Illustrated explains. I've tried it. It works.
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5803-salty-soak-for-beans
Reply
- Chef Gary
  July 05, 2018 at 9:10 am
  Hey Anna! Thanks for the tip. I've heard that before, but somehow I've never tried it. Always looking to become a better cook, so I appreciate the info!
  Reply
Carla Jackson
March 13, 2019 at 4:11 pm
I am allergic to nightshade veggies, any ideas on what to substitute the peppers and ketchup for. I would love to have good baked beans again.
Reply
- Gary
  March 13, 2019 at 6:59 pm
  You can omit both of them and still get great results I'm sure.
  Reply
Lynda Young
March 17, 2019 at 10:15 am
Do you add the soaking from the beans? It says to drain the beans but the picture shows lots of liquid.
Reply
Lynda Younf
March 17, 2019 at 10:18 am
Sorry, just reread recipe? Chicken stock! Trying to do too much at once.
Reply
Kim
May 03, 2019 at 9:50 pm

Hi, very yummy! I never send reviews about recipes! The recipe was easy to follow and when it was time to eat it looked like the picture 🥳 Husband kept saying how good they are! This is now my go to, baked beans recipe ! Thanks Kim
Reply
Amy G.
June 02, 2019 at 1:51 pm

Very very good, but a little strong on the vinegar for me. Bean liquid was a bit thinner than what I expected so will also cut back on that, but will definitely make again!
Reply
Kathy
July 13, 2019 at 7:18 pm

Love these! Third time making them tonight 🙂 I found from a planning perspective to start earlier than you think you need to meet the other sides and entree. Super yummy!
Reply
- Lisa
  September 02, 2019 at 6:54 pm
  
  Born and raised in Texas, cooking for many years.. these are the best beans EVER. Thank you!
  Reply
  - Tonia
    February 21, 2022 at 6:25 pm
    
    I made these last night and they were really good. I followed the recipe exactly, but after cooking I did not let them sit for 10 minutes, we added them to smoker (husband was cooking pork but). We smoked them uncovered in a cast iron skillet for about 2 hours…….AMAZING! And some reheated tonight for dinner and I think they were even better! Thank you for such a great recipe.
    Reply
Stacie
September 01, 2019 at 11:59 am
Can this recipe be doubled for a larger crowd?
Reply
- Gary White
  September 03, 2019 at 1:07 pm
  Yes.
  Reply
  - Shaunte Macarages
    May 10, 2023 at 7:27 pm
    If doubling recipe do you adjust the time at all? Or stay at 60 min?
    Reply
    See Also
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    - Gary White
      May 15, 2023 at 8:29 am
      I would stay at 60 minutes. I also would not double the broth, try 1.5x's.
      Reply
Mark
September 22, 2019 at 10:34 am

60 min is to long
Reply
- Gary White
  September 24, 2019 at 7:52 am
  Did you actually make this recipe? Navy beans are the toughest of all the dry beans to cook. It may seem like a long time, but any shorter and your beans will be undercooked.
  Reply
  - Ann
    October 21, 2019 at 9:15 pm
    Would you reduce cook time if you use northern beans instead of navy?
    Reply
    - Gary White
      October 22, 2019 at 1:10 pm
      I think their cook time is 30 minutes at high pressure with 20 minutes NPR.
      Reply
      - Ann
        October 22, 2019 at 7:08 pm
        With Northern beans - 30 mins on high and 25 mins NPR. Beans were perfect but should have reduced liquid, too wet. And a bit too sweet for me, but not my husband! Will definitely make again. Thx
John
September 24, 2019 at 8:04 am

Great, easy recipe. Just delicious!
Reply
Kate
September 24, 2019 at 11:17 am

These came out great. Thanks for the great recipe!
Reply
Tori
October 21, 2019 at 10:56 pm

I posted a review but for some reason it’s not showing up. I made these this weekend. Just like others who started it was too runny, mine too came out that way. I was transferring my beans to a crockpot to stay warm for a BBQ so I drained the sauce and added a slurry to thicken it up... it was PERFECT! Everyone loved them. Your directions don’t state anything about what to do with the bacon grease. My bacon produce about 1/2 cup of grease. I assumed I didn’t need ALL that, please let me know if I should have kept it in there!
Reply
- Gary White
  November 14, 2019 at 8:12 am
  Hi Tori! Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. Thanks for giving the recipe a try and a review! I need to apologize for an oversight in this recipe. I totally left out the step of adding a cornstarch slurry after the cooking has taken place. I have added it now, along with a video tutorial. By the way, I do not drain the bacon fat! That's what makes them taste so good. Lol..
  Reply
Jessica Boykin
February 08, 2020 at 1:15 pm

I don’t know why I waited so long to try this recipe. I will never be able to eat any other version of baked beans again. Simply amazing. Perfect combination of the sugar and vinegar. Neither ingredient is overwhelming and together they create perfection.
Reply
David
April 21, 2020 at 12:14 pm

I tried the recipe and they were delicious! What would need to be changed if I were to use soldier beans with this recipe?
Thanks,
David
Reply
- Gary White
  April 22, 2020 at 8:00 am
  I'm not at all familiar with soldier beans, so I can not advise.
  Reply
Tim
May 10, 2020 at 10:34 am
Can you use a stovetop pressure cooker instead of a Instapot?
Reply
- Gary White
  May 11, 2020 at 8:10 am
  I'm not very familiar with them, but I don't see why not.
  Reply
- Harry Fuller
  July 11, 2020 at 1:01 pm
  
  Tim, apparently, nobody posts for a real pressure cooker anymore, only "simple, electric, don't think" pressure cooker
  Reply
- Marion
  January 30, 2021 at 5:06 pm
  
  I used my fa*gor Duo and it only took an hour with Great Northern Beans. I switched out a few ingredients: chipotle sauce for Worchestershire, pureed San Marzano tomatoes for the broth plus some beer, balsamic vinegar for the apple cider vinegar, added some savoury and a bay leaf, and omitted the peppers. Also added half a tablespoon of my home made habanero vinegar for a base note!
  Reply
Jesse
May 11, 2020 at 9:44 pm

I made this for mother's day and they were a hit. I just had some of the leftovers for dinner tonight and I swear the beans are even better the next day.
I did make one small addition to the recipe. I was making ribs in my smoker so I threw a jalapeno in the smoker until it was cooked and then removed the seeds and chopped it up and added it in when I added the other veggies.
Reply
- Gary White
  May 12, 2020 at 7:35 am
  That sounds like a delicious addition!
  Reply
Linda Abernathy
May 13, 2020 at 2:47 pm
I haven't tried these yet but have a question, couldn't you wash the beans and put them in the pressure cooker with water or chicken stock and cook them for an hour?
Reply
- Gary White
  May 13, 2020 at 5:36 pm
  While it is possible to cook from dried beans, there are digestive benefits to taking the time to soak your beans. According to The Bean Institute, “Soaking overnight and then discarding the soaking water leaches out sugars in beans that are responsible for gas production.” If you can’t soak overnight, I recommend preforming a quick soak prior to cooking.
  Reply
Lynn Bisset
June 01, 2020 at 9:44 pm

These are the most delicious “baked” beans I have ever had. I made it just as the recipe said and I LOVE them. Go for it...you won’t be disappointed!
Reply
Maureen Z
June 03, 2020 at 11:30 am

This was the best baked bean recipe I have ever made. I chopped 1/2 lb. steak cut bacon, as opposed to the full pound, and adding one teaspoon of salt at the end of the cooking process was the right amount for my taste. Due to this amazing southern bean recipe, I now have a renewed respect for my dust collecting, instant pot.
Reply
Andrea
August 23, 2020 at 2:49 am
I made it as written, except I quick-soaked the beans and used small sweet peppers instead of green peppers. I also added some chopped celery with the onions and peppers because I needed to use it. These are fantastic! The sweet/tangy balance is perfect. Thanks for a great recipe.
Reply
Terri Felix
September 19, 2020 at 4:02 pm

These are amazing, I halved the recipe because there are only two of us eating them but I will make the full recipe next time. They are great and we needed more left overs. I used less vinegar and regular maple syrup (didn't have 100%) also use light brown sugar, again just what I had and left out the bell pepper.
Reply
Dan Leithauser
October 04, 2020 at 9:23 am

This is a great recipe. I used my regular pressure cooker and made a time adjustment to 50 minutes cook time with an immediate release of pressure (based on my own experience with same, and using soaked beans). I cooked the liquid down another couple of minutes to reduce the volume. The cornstarch trick at the end is brilliant, bringing all the liquid together for a nice consistency. I think the sweetness is well balanced with the vinegar (the only adjustment I made was to use 1/4 cup of molasses instead of 1/3 cup. Thanks for a nice recipe.
Reply
Marie
January 24, 2021 at 6:53 pm

Appreciate how easy and quickly I could serve my family delicious baked beans.
Reply
Irma
March 24, 2021 at 4:02 pm
Can you meet us in a slow cooker?
Reply
- Gary White
  April 09, 2021 at 9:38 am
  Unfortunately, we have not tested this recipe in a slow cooker.
  Reply
Sharon
July 03, 2021 at 3:10 pm

Excellent recipe. I didn’t change a thing.
Reply
Gayle
August 18, 2021 at 8:56 am

I love this recipe, perfectly sweet and tangy. I subbed in sugar free maple syrup and sugar free brown sugar...aka Lakanto golden....no one was the wiser. The ACV is what makes these the bomb.....and the bacon helps too. Mhmmmm.
Reply
Ursula Weiss
November 11, 2021 at 6:16 am
it is one of my fav recipe baked beans looks delicious...really it looks very yummy tonight i will try this at my home my kids love this
Reply
Donna
May 29, 2022 at 11:13 pm

I did a double batch of these beans, cooking 1/2 at a time in my Ninja Foodi. For the first batch, I used the recommended 4 cups of chicken stock and found them way too soupy. Had to cook on the stove top for about 30 minutes to reduce the liquid. In the second batch, I used 1 2/3's cup of stock and found them just about right after adding a slurry made with with about 1 1/2 T. of cornstarch. Added a couple of jalapeno peppers to the fresh ingredients at the start and omitted the sea salt at the end, because the beans tasted PERFECT at that stage of the game. They were a huge hit at our Memorial Day celebration!
Reply
Gina F.
June 19, 2022 at 11:36 am

These were terrific "baked" beans. I liked that they were a little sweet, but not over-the-top sweet as most southern style baked beans are. They had great depth of flavor and came out thick (after adding the slurry), and perfect. This will be my go-to baked bean recipe. Great job! (My only adjustment was to remove the bacon while the onion/pepper/vinegar mixture cooked.)
Reply
- Gary White
  June 21, 2022 at 7:48 am
  I think I'm going to try removing the bacon next time. Then add it back once the beans are finished. Thanks for the feedback!
  Reply
michel
September 04, 2022 at 7:51 pm

excellent..even on the 3rd time with tweaks
Reply
Gayle
January 12, 2023 at 11:27 pm

This is my third time making these beans, we love this recipe. Perfectly sweet with a nice tang. Plus all that bacon, so delicious. This is a must try recipe. No syrup this time because I was out. Still fabulous!
Reply
Wendy
December 19, 2023 at 10:11 pm

Did this with 1/2 ingredients in a stove top pressure cooker, 45 mins high pressure, quick release and 15 mins resting with lid on. Worked brilliantly. My husband loves it.
Reply