Go Back
Print
Smoky Sweet Baked Beans in a white bowl on wooden board

Instant Pot Smoky Sweet Baked Beans

Instant Pot Smoky Sweet Baked Beans are rich and delicious. Made from soaked or dry beans in your electric pressure cooker.

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword pressure cooker baked bean recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 399 kcal
Author Sandy Clifton

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Navy Beans, soaked overnight, or Quick Soaked*
  • 7 cups Water, for soaking the beans
  • 6 slices Thick Cut Bacon, chopped in 1" pieces
  • 1 large Yellow Onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves Garlic, pressed or finely minced
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt (or ¼ tsp table salt)
  • ¼ tsp Pepper
  • 2 cups Water
  • ¼ cup Pure Maple Syrup
  • ¼ cup Ketchup
  • ½ cup Molasses
  • ½ cup Smoky Flavored BBQ Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Prepared Yellow Mustard
  • 1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar (or any vinegar you like)
  • 1 tsp Liquid Smoke
  • cup Brown Sugar

Instructions

  1. Soak beans in a bowl with 7 cups of water overnight. Then drain and rinse them. Set aside (You can also make this recipe from Quick Soaked beans. See Note. Sort, rinse, & set aside).

  2. Turn the pot on to the Sauté function. Add the bacon. Cook until mostly done.

  3. Add onions to the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts turning translucent.

  4. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant, stirring frequently.

  5. Add salt, pepper, water, syrup, ketchup, molasses, BBQ sauce, mustard, vinegar, liquid smoke, and stir well. Bring to a simmer and scrape the bottom of the pot to get up any browned bits (deglaze).

  6. Add beans and brown sugar. Stir, and place the lid on the pot and lock in place. Set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.

  7. Cancel the Sauté function.

  8. Set to Pressure Cook (Manual) and use the + or - button (or dial) to select 40 minutes.

  9. Let the pot naturally release the pressure for 15 minutes after cooking cycle ends. Then manually release the remaining pressure.

  10. When the pin in the lid drops down, open the lid and give the beans a stir. Sample a few of the beans to check for tenderness. If they are too firm, place the lid back on and set the time for them to cook another 10 minutes, and a 15 minute natural release.

  11. When they are done cooking, if they are too soupy for your taste, turn on the Sauté function and stir them frequently as they cook down. Then turn off the pot. They thicken a little more as they cool.

  12. You can set the pot to the Keep Warm setting if you aren't serving them right away. Put a lid on them (don't set to Sealing if using the IP lid).

Recipe Notes

*Quick Soak Method if you didn't soak your beans overnight: Pressure cook the beans in 4 cups of water, on High Pressure, for 2 minutes. Then turn the pressure cooker off and let the beans naturally release for 30 minutes. Continue with the recipe as directed.