This AMAZING Instant Pot Baked Beans recipe uses dry beans, and there's no soaking required. Tender cooked beans with bacon, onion and bell pepper in a delicious sweet and smokey sauce. I'm confident this easy baked beans recipe will become a staple at your summer BBQ's!

Instant Pot Baked Beans served in a white bowl with a handle, and another filled bowl in the background.

If you could only pick one, what is your favorite side dish at a bbq? It's a hard choice, I know, but I'd probably say baked beans. They pairly perfectly with any type of meat from the grill. My favorite sweet cornbread, and one of these fresh salads make the meal complete.

I've been really excited to share this instant pot baked beans recipe with you all because it's proof that making baked beans from scratch can happen in about an hour! The instant pot is just amazing, and I'm proud to add this recipe to the ranks of my instant pot recipe archives!

How to make baked beans in the Instant Pot:

To make baked beans in the instant pot, start by adding the dry beans and water to the pot. Cook in high pressure for about 25 minutes, with a natural pressure release. When the pressure has released, remove the lid and pour the beans into a strainer to remove the water. Rinse them well with cold water.

DISCLAIMER: This recipe was created using the DUO 60 6-quart instant pot.  Not all instant pot recipes work perfectly for all types of instant pots.  See this article for more information on adapting recipes for your instant pot.

Process photos for making baked beans in the instant pot including an overhead photo of an instant pot with dry beans and water in it, next to another photo of bacon, onion and green bell pepper added to the pot.

I've chosen navy beans or pinto beans for this recipe, but you could also use great northern beans, with the same cooking time.

After straining the beans, wipe out the instant pot and add spray it with non-stick cooking spray. I do this because even though bacon is greasy, it can still initially stick to the bottom of the pot when the saute setting is on.

Cook the bacon until it starts to get golden brown and slightly crisp on the edges. Drain some of the grease (I usually just stick a few paper towels in the pot and use them to blot out the grease). You still want a little grease at the bottom so that the other vegetables don't stick when you add them to saute.

Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot and saute them, stirring often, until they're tender.

Bacon, onion, green bell peppers, ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce, cider vinegar and liquid smoke in the instant pot, next to another photo of the mixture stirred together and brown sugar added on top.

Turn the instant pot off and stir in the bbq sauce, ketchup, mustard, vinegar and liquid smoke. Stir until smooth and then add the cooked beans and brown sugar. Secure the instant pot lid and cook the mixture on high pressure for 15 minutes, with a natural pressure release.

Baked beans cooked in an instant pot pressure cooker with a wooden spoon stirring the mixture.

Do I need to soak the dry beans?

Normally when making baked beans from scratch you need to soak the dry beans in water overnight, but with the instant pot pressure cooker you can cook the dry beans and water together, without soaking them first, and you'll end up with tender, perfect beans for making baked beans.

Can I substitute canned beans instead of dry beans?

Yes. If you'd rather use canned beans start with step 4 of the recipe, and when it's time to add the beans, substitute 56 oz canned pork and beans (whatever brand you prefer).

A close-up photo of a white bowl filled with baked beans with bacon, that were made in the instant pot.

 
Make it a meal and serve these Baked Beans with:

Instant Pot Ribs or Slow Cooker Ribs

The BEST Cornbread

Tomato Cucumber Salad

Recipe

Instant Pot Baked Beans served in a white bowl with a handle, and another filled bowl in the background.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hour 20 minutes
Total 1 hour 30 minutes
Save Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces dry navy or pinto beans
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 slices bacon
  • 1 yellow onion , finely chopped
  • 1/2 red or green bell pepper , cored, seeded, and finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup barbecue sauce store-bought or homemade
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard
  • ¼ cup cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions
 

  • **DISCLAIMER: I created this recipe using a 6 quart instant pot DUO 60.  Some users have had problems with a burn notice for this recipe using different versions of the instant pot.  I have tested it many times with this version and had no issue.
  • Add beans, water and salt to instant pot. Cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release.
  • Remove lid and pour beans into a colander/strainer. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.
  • Set Instant Pot to saute setting. Add bacon and saute for a few minutes until it starts to get golden brown, tossing and scraping down the bottom of the pot often. Drain some of the grease. 
  • Add bell pepper and onion and cook until tender.
  • Turn IP off. Add bbq sauce, ketchup, mustard, vinegar and liquid smoke to the pot and stir well to combine.
  • Add brown sugar, water and beans and stir to combine.
  • Secure IP lid, close steam valve and cook on Manual (high pressure) for 15 minutes. Natural release the pressure.
  • Carefully open lid, and gently stir mixture to combine. Enjoy! 

Notes

To use canned beans:
Start with step 4 of the recipe, and when it's time to add the beans, substitute 56 oz canned pork and beans.
Don't miss my other favorite INSTANT POT RECIPES

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 585mgPotassium: 287mgFiber: 4gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 250IUVitamin C: 7.8mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 1.2mg
Have you tried this recipe?! 
RATE this recipe and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Erin
5 years ago

5 stars
So easy and So So Good!!! I took them to a cookout and they got rave reviews. Making them again tomorrow for another cookout! 🙂 Thank you for this recipe!!

Marion
6 years ago

5 stars
I used the 6qt duo and cooked 1lb navy beans I did soak for a couple hours and then followed directions to cook them. They were quite soft and a little overdone but ok. I have my own recipe I use, carrot, onion, celery, apple which I chop fine and make sauce of brown sugar, molasses, tomato paste, vinegar, course mustard, salt, ground cloves, bay leaf. Followed the rest of your recipe and beans turned out delicious ? Thanks

Megan La
6 years ago

4 stars
I use the Instant Pot Ultra 8qt with no issues with the burn notice.
I also used pork belly instead of bacon and wow it was good.
Didnt use the instant smoke (bc of an allergy) and forgot to use peppers and onions and it still turned out amazing!
Definitely a must keep recipe

Alison
6 years ago

5 stars
Perfectly cooked beans…great recipe for novice InstantPot users like me.

Trish Farano
6 years ago

5 stars
I kept the ingredients the same, but changed the process based on the comments about burn messages. Allowed the IP to heat on Saute until it read HOT. Added the bacon and browned; added the onion and sauteed. (I didn’t have a green pepper on hand.) I removed bacon and onion with a slotted spoon and drained the bacon drippings. Poured 1/2 cup water into the IP and deglazed until the bottom was clean. I combined the BBQ sauce, ketchup, musbard, vinegar, liquid smoke and brown sugar in a small bowl. Returned beans and bacon to pot. Poured sauce mixture over the top and added 1/4 cup water over the top. Did not stir. Cooked as directed. No burn message; great flavor, not soupy.

Serving at a church potluck tomorrow. They wll be well received. Thank you for the recipe.

Diane
6 years ago

had same issue with low liquid alarm. added 1/2 cup water and restarted. seemed to work just fine

Ralene
6 years ago

I bought small white beans. Any idea what time length I should cook at?

Elizabeth
6 years ago

5 stars
OTher than the initial test run with water this was the very first thing I made in my instant pot! Came out perfectly and I was a little brave but this was made in the late afternoon foe a New Years was be party! Sweet and Smokey like steakhouse baked beans. I left out the bacon because there were vegetarians to feed. Still wonderful! Thanks for the thorough instructions!

Tara
6 years ago

I used pinto beans and they remained hard … I guess I will have to try navy beans next time.

Rick Leerentveld
6 years ago

3 stars
I have been looking for a good baked bean recipe for a long time now! The ingredients sound delicious, and eventually they were. I have a new instant pot max 6qt…. I used dry navy beans, after 25 mins and 15 min or natural release, the contents were like a mashed potato soup! I only had 2 cups of navy beans on hand, so next attempt was pinto beans…. I reduced the water to 6 cups and the cook time to 15 mins, they were already very soft, for the second step I was worried about the burn warning, so I added an additional 1 cup of water, it came out a little thin, but thickened up nicely on standing.I did however only cook it on high pressure for not even one minute! After the pot came to pressure, but before the timer started, I waited about a minute then did a quick release of pressure, every thing was delicious.
I think for the next time the first step I will cook for 10 mins max and try for 5 mins second step.
I am surprised that I have the only “Overcooked” comment!
Very tasty though! Thanks for the recipe

Donna H.
6 years ago

5 stars
The beans themselves turned out very good. No pre-soaking necessary. I’m not sure what kind they were as my husband had brought them home from work.
I made some changes (out of necessity) that made the sauce a little less tasty. I will probably use more bbq sauce and less ketchup next time, as I don’t’like the taste of ketchup.
Red onion instead of yellow (only onion I had) and 2 T red wine vinegar and 2 T white wine vinegar because I was out of apple cider. I’m sure these things made it not quite as tasty.
BUT, I thought it was still really good and will follow the recipe more closely next time.
I thought the directions were very clear. Thanks for posting it.