These Instant Pot baked beans are flavorful, easy to make, and ready in under an hour! Our baked beans recipe features dried beans (no soaking required), homemade sauce, and hearty sausage for a quick version of this classic comfort food.
My grandma’s sweet and savory baked beans were a childhood staple. I still remember how wonderful her kitchen smelled whenever she had a batch of these cooking. Her recipe for baked beans was incredible and took all day to make!
I was craving those baked beans but didn’t have time to spend the whole day making them on the stove or in the slow cooker. So, I turned to my Instant Pot. Although this recipe for baked beans is quick, they still have that “took-all-day flavor” and taste just like grandma’s home cooking!
What You Need for Instant Pot Baked Beans
There are 3 parts to these baked beans: beans + sauce + sausage.
You’ll need 1 pound of dried navy beans for this recipe. The best part about using the Instant Pot for baked beans is that there is no pre-soaking required! Traditional baked beans recipes call for soaking dry beans overnight. With the Instant Pot, the beans cook in 20 minutes before mixing in the rest of the ingredients.
This sweet, savory, and all around delicious sauce is incredibly simple. It’s made with tomato sauce, bbq sauce (your favorite kind), and classic baked beans spices. We also added molasses and maple syrup for the perfect amount of sweetness.
Tip: Before starting this recipe, mix, chop, and sort all of the ingredients you need so they’re ready to go once the beans are ready.
Ground sausage adds flavor, texture, and even more protein to these baked beans.
- Beans: We’ve only tested this recipe with white navy beans, but feel free to use any dried beans you enjoy. The cook time may vary a bit depending on what bean you use.
- Sausage: Mix up the flavor of baked beans with different types of sausage! Use a breakfast sausage or spicy sausage, or try a maple sausage to sweeten up the baked beans.
- BBQ Sauce: We used Lillies smokey BBQ sauce, but use your favorite kind or whatever you have on hand.
FAQ
Will canned beans work in this recipe?
Yes, you can absolutely use canned beans in this recipe. Use 2 15-oz cans of navy beans instead of dried beans. Rinse the canned beans, skip the steps for cooking the white beans, and add the rinsed beans + 1 cup of water (or broth) to the Instant Pot in step 5.
Can you make these baked beans without alcohol?
Definitely! Instead of using bourbon or whiskey to deglaze the Instant Pot, use broth (chicken, beef, or veggie).
More Side Dishes We Love
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Smashed Red Potatoes
- 15-Minute Broccoli Salad
- Rainbow Grilled Vegetables
- Parmesan Baked Zucchini
- Jalapeño Corn Pudding
- Easy Mac and Cheese
Baked beans are a great make-ahead side dish! Store baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
To freeze baked beans, let them cool completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, move the container to the refrigerator to thaw overnight, then reheat until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy these hearty and comforting Instant Pot baked beans with:
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
- Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast
- Ground Turkey Meatloaf
- Homemade Burgers
- Oven Baked Pork Chops
- Skillet Cornbread
Dried Beans
- 1 lb. dried navy beans
- 4 cups water or broth any kind
BBQ Baked Beans
- 1 cup bean water*
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 teaspoon salt separated
- 1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey
- 1 lb. ground breakfast sausage any kind
- 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce we used Lillies Smokey BBQ
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
White Beans
- Begin by adding the dried white beans and broth to the Instant Pot and cook them on high pressure >>20 minutes >> quick release. Then, let the beans sit for 5 minutes in the Instant Pot.
- Before straining the beans, remove 1 cup of the excess liquid from the cooked beans*. Set aside. Then, strain the rest of the liquid from the white beans in a sieve and set the cooked beans aside.
Baked Beans
- Turn on the sauté function and add olive oil to the pot.
- When the olive oil is fragrant, add onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the pot. Let the onion cook until it begins to caramelize (about 5-6 minutes).
- Deglaze the pot with bourbon by pouring the bourbon over the onion. Scrape the sides of the pot with a spatula to remove all the crunchy bits from the pot.
- Add the ground sausage to the pot and cook the sausage until it is no longer pink.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (including the beans AND reserved bean water) to the Instant Pot and mix everything together.
- Cover the Instant Pot. Set the Instant Pot to >> high pressure >> 3 minutes >> quick release.
- Stir the beans and let them sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Storage: Instant Pot baked beans are a great make-ahead side dish! Store baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- Freezing Instructions: Let the baked beans cool completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, move the container to the refrigerator to thaw overnight, then reheat until warmed through.
- Canned Beans: Use 2 15-oz. cans of navy beans in place of 1 pound of dried beans. Rinse the canned beans, skip the steps for cooking the beans, and add the rinsed beans + 1 cup of water (or broth) to the Instant Pot in step 5.
- Sausage: Mix up the flavor with different types of sausage! Use a breakfast sausage or spicy sausage, or try a maple sausage to sweeten up the baked beans.
