Instant Pot Baked Beans
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jul 14, 2025 
Skip the overnight bean soaking and make this rich and delicious recipe for Instant Pot Baked Beans in less than an hour!
Sweet and Smoky Baked Beans, the Instant Way
After experimenting with many instant pot bean recipes, specifically baked bean recipes, I can say with some authority that this is the BEST baked bean recipe we’ve ever made.
Not only are they delicious, but you can make these melt-in-your-mouth tangy-sweet and smoky beans in less than one hour.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
These instant pot baked beans are the ultimate side dish, and let me tell you, grandma would approve!
Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe
- Budget Friendly – Using dried beans is great for your wallet (and one of my favorite parts about this recipe). Canned beans tend to cost 3-4 times what you would pay for an equal amount of cooked dried beans!
- No Soaking Required – Skip the overnight bean soaking prep! Put the dried beans straight into your pressure cooker and you’ll enjoy the same texture and flavors as though you’d soaked them the night before.
- Perfect for BBQs – This big-batch recipe is optimal for feeding a crowd at your next cookout, and it pairs perfectly with burgers, grilled veggies, or sandwiches.
These instant pot baked beans are so delicious and easy to make that you’ll wonder why you ever bought the canned kind!
Ingredients Notes and Tips
- Beans – You’re going to need dried pinto beans for this recipe. You can also use navy beans if you prefer.
- Bacon – Good quality, thick-cut bacon gives a nice, meaty flavor to these beans. You can also chop up some ham or pork chops instead.
- Sauces – For that creamy texture, you’ll need some BBQ sauce, tomato paste, and a spicy brown mustard.
- Liquid smoke – Use just a dash of liquid smoke to give these beans that nostalgic slow-cooked and smoky BBQ flavor.
- Garnish – Top off the baked beans with your favorite shredded cheese.
Recipe Variations & Dietary Swaps
- Spicy kick – Add in some chopped jalapenos, red pepper flakes or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a little extra heat.
- Vegan/Vegetarian – Swap the bacon with hearty veggies and use a plant-based bbq sauce for a vegan version of this dish.
- Low-sugar – If you’re watching your sugar intake, omit the brown sugar or swap it with some molasses. You can also use a more nutritious bbq sauce alternative that doesn’t have as much sugar.
- Worcestershire sauce – Just a few drips of Worcestershire sauce will enhance the smoky flavors of the beans and complement the bbq sauce.
- Ketchup – For a tangier tomato flavor, add a few tablespoons of ketchup in place of or in addition to the bbq sauce.
How to Make Instant Pot Baked Beans
This comfort food is packed with your favorite southern sweet and smoky flavors, and so incredibly easy to make in one pot, in under an hour!
Find the full Instant Pot Baked Beans recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Place the room-temperature baked beans in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freezing Leftovers – Store the instant pot baked beans in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating Leftovers – Reheat on the stovetop over medium or low heat, and make sure to stir occasionally. You can also microwave these beans in 30-second bursts, stirring in between.
What to Serve With Instant Pot Baked Beans
These beans pair really well with so many dishes to make for a full meal. You can serve them with my smoky and spicy Pollo Asado (Mexican Grilled Chicken), Classic Southern Fried Chicken, or these crispy Air Fryer Ribs for a hearty and satisfying main course.
I also LOVE to soak up all of that rich and savory bean sauce with this Homemade Sweet Cornbread and pair it with a nice refreshing scoop of Southern Coleslaw.
Instant Pot Baked Beans
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans (or navy beans)
- 9 1/4 cups water, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped thick-cut bacon, about 6 slices
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the pinto beans, 8 cups of water, and salt in the Instant Pot. Lock the lid into place and set on Pressure Cook High for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, turn the Instant Pot off and perform a Quick Release. Once the steam valve button drops it is safe to open the Instant Pot. Pour the cooked beans into a large colander and drain.
- Set the Instant Pot on Sauté. Add the bacon. Stir and brown for about 5 minutes. Once the bacon is crispy, add in the chopped onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook another 3-4 minutes to soften the vegetables.
- Then pour in the beans, barbecue sauce, mustard, tomato paste, brown sugar, liquid smoke, cinnamon, and remaining 1 ¼ cups water. Stir well to coat the beans. Lock the lid into place again. Set on Pressure Cook High for 10 minutes.
- Once finished, perform a second Quick Release. Once the valve button drops, open the Instant Pot, stir and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Just keep in mind that if you use canned beans, the texture will be different, and they won’t absorb sauces and seasonings as well as dried beans do.
That’s totally up to you! Use your favorite BBQ sauce, whether that’s slightly sweeter or tangier.
The liquid smoke adds a rich outdoor BBQ flavor without the need for a smoker.
This is the 2nd time I have made this recipe and it is now my go to way of making baked
beans! My additions are I grill bratwurst and cut it into small pieces, add sriracha, Worcester, and some Maple syrup. Excellent!
What size instant pot are you using? Do you think I could double this recipe in a 6 quart pot?
Hi Kevin,
I’m so glad you like them! Your add-ins sound fabulous!! :)
I tried this and got a burn notice during the second bake of the beans. I was able to cook them on sauté for a while until the flavors came together but they turned out just okay. I’d like to try again. Any tips for avoiding the burn notice?
Hi Lisa,
This seems to happen when people have a different sized instant pot than mine. I’ve found this article really helpful: https://www.crunchycreamysweet.com/instant-pot-burn-message/
Like camp beans. Super easy to make and I didn’t have to heat up my kitchen.
Our favorite side dish for summer BBQs!! thanks for the recipe
I’ll be taking these to all my summer BBQ’s!
This is seriously the best way to make baked beans!! Soooo yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Best recipe I found…Just made a few adjustments, some due to ingredients on hand, some due to personal preference:
Instead of dried beans, used canned pintos, and picked it up after the dried beans are cooked first time. Only had one can, so cut everything in about half (next time will Luise 2 cans and same amounts).
Sub’ed ketchup for tomato paste, yellow mustard for spicy brown, and worchestershire (sp?) for liquid smoke. Turned out really good – its like the difference between homemade sloppy joes and canned. :-)
Looks like a tasty recipe, but it is not correct that there would only be 1 gm of fat per serving if there is a cup of bacon. Bacon contains an average of 42 gms of fat per 100 gms of bacon. assuming that 1 cup volume is at approximately 200 gms, there would be 84 gms of fat in the recipe, which divide by 12 would be 8 gms of fat per serving. It is also impossible that there would be only 1 mg of cholesterol as there would be an average of 220 mgs in 200 gms of bacon, or 18 mgs per serving. Not that it’s not tasty, but just sayin’. Cheers
Hi Jay,
We ran the recipe through an exterior recipe calculator (not just the automated built-in calculator for our site) and have adjusted the recipe… However, the facts still come out lower than you suggest. Hope this helps! :)
Made this today to serve with barbecued burgers for dinner. Excellent recipe! So easy and the flavor was terrific. Everyone raved about them. Thank you!
This is my new go-to BBQ side dish!
LOVE this recipe! Making this weekend to have with burgers!
These look and sound delicious! I am making them this week! Hubby is going to love them!!
I followed directions to the T for a 4th of July celebration in my community, Ft Myers florida..
My baked beans were gone in minutes while other baked bean dishes went in touched.