If you’ve been longing for rich, sweet, and tangy baked beans, look no further. This Southern-style pressure cooker baked beans recipe delivers all the comforting flavors you’d expect. Start with an overnight soak, then allow time for the full cooking process below.
(Originally posted June 7, 2017; Updated on January 8, 2025)
Baked beans hold a special place in my heart. Growing up, they were a staple at family gatherings and summer cookouts. Over the years, I’ve refined this recipe to balance sweetness, smokiness, and tanginess—a combination that always brings back fond memories. I’m thrilled to share this easy yet satisfying recipe that’s now become one of my children's favorites.
Why This Recipe Works
- Balanced Sweetness and Tang: Apple cider vinegar balances the sweetness from maple syrup, brown sugar, and molasses.
- Rich Layers of Flavor: Bacon, onions, and bell peppers add depth, while Worcestershire sauce and mustard bring complexity.
- Customizable: Adjust sugar, vinegar, and seasoning to suit your taste.
- Perfect for Gatherings: A crowd-pleasing side dish for BBQs, picnics, and potlucks.
- From Scratch: Uses dried beans for superior texture and taste.
Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Baked Beans
- 1 lb dried navy beans: The base of the dish, soaked for better texture and digestibility. For canned beans, see the existing canned-bean alternative below.
- 1 lb bacon: Adds smokiness and richness.
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar: Balances sweetness with a tangy kick.
- 1 cup diced yellow onions: Provides savory depth.
- ¾ cup diced green bell peppers: Adds subtle sweetness and texture.
- 4 cups unsalted chicken stock: Creates the flavorful cooking liquid.
- ¼ cup 100% maple syrup: Contributes natural sweetness.
- ⅓ cup molasses: Adds a deep, smoky flavor.
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar: Boosts the sweet profile.
- ⅓ cup ketchup: Offers a sweet and tangy tomato base.
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce: Enhances umami.
- 2 teaspoon dry mustard: Lends a sharp, tangy undertone.
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper: Adds mild heat.
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch + ½ cup water: Thickens the sauce to the perfect consistency.
- 2 teaspoon sea salt: Brings all the flavors together.
How to Make Pressure Cooker Baked Beans
How long do these baked beans take?
Timing: Plan the overnight soak separately. On cooking day, allow time for preparing and sautéing the bacon and vegetables, pressure buildup, the 60-minute High Pressure cycle, a full natural release, 3–4 minutes to thicken the sauce, and the separate 30-minute Keep Warm rest. Pressure buildup and release vary, so the cooking-day timing is approximate.
1. Prepare the beans
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in about 8 cups of water in a large bowl. Pick through and rinse the navy beans, add them to the water, cover, and refrigerate overnight (8+ hours). Drain and rinse before cooking.
2. Sauté the bacon
Set the pressure cooker to sauté. Cook the chopped bacon until almost crispy, stirring frequently.
3. Add the aromatics
Add onions, green peppers, and vinegar. Cook until the onions and peppers are semi-soft and the vinegar evaporates, scraping up any browned bits.
4. Combine ingredients and pressure cook
Add the beans, chicken stock, maple syrup, molasses, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and black pepper. Stir well. Keep the combined beans, other ingredients, and liquid at or below the pot’s half-full limit for expanding foods. Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Then allow a full natural pressure release.
5. Thicken the sauce
Mix cornstarch and water into a slurry. Set the pot to sauté, stir in the slurry, and cook until the sauce reaches your desired consistency (3-4 minutes).
6. Season and rest
Stir in salt, switch to the "keep warm" setting, and let the beans rest for 30 minutes before serving.
And This is the AMAZING Result
Expert Tips
- Soak Your Beans: Reduces cooking time and improves digestibility. Use either overnight soaking or a quick soak method. 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, perform a quick soak before cooking.
- Don’t Drain the Bacon Grease: This adds depth of flavor to the dish.
- Deglaze Thoroughly: Scrape up brown bits when adding vinegar to avoid a burn warning.
- Natural Pressure Release: Ensures the beans finish cooking evenly.
- Consistency Matters: Adjust the cornstarch slurry as needed for your preferred thickness.
- Rest Before Serving: Let the beans sit for 30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to come together.
- Storage: Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours of leaving hot holding, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and use within 3–4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled beans in portions for about 3 months for best quality.
- Serving Suggestions: Pair with cornbread, grilled meats, or coleslaw for a complete meal.
- Make-Ahead Option: Prepare a day in advance and refrigerate as directed above. Reheat to 165°F throughout, stirring so the beans heat evenly.
FAQs
Can I make these with canned beans? Yes! Substitute 4 (16 oz) cans of navy beans (with liquid) and 1 cup of chicken broth. Reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes with a natural pressure release. Also, note that 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. Keep the complete food-and-liquid load at or below the half-full limit. For larger batches, use a cooker that meets this limit or cook separate batches.
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!
★ Did you make these Pressure Cooker Baked Beans?
Please give it a star rating below! ★
📖 Recipe
Southern-Style Pressure Cooker Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. sea salt for soaking water; discarded after soaking
- 1 pound dried navy beans soaked at least 8 hours
- 1 lb. bacon roughly chopped
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup yellow onions diced
- ¾ cup green bell pepper diced
- 4 cups chicken broth 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
- Dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in about 8 cups of water in a large bowl. Pick through and rinse the navy beans, add them to the water, cover, and refrigerate overnight (8+ hours). Drain and rinse before cooking.
- Set the pressure cooker to sauté. Cook the chopped bacon until almost crispy, stirring frequently.
- Add onions, green peppers, and vinegar. Cook until the onions and peppers are semi-soft and the vinegar evaporates, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add the beans, chicken stock, maple syrup, molasses, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and black pepper. Stir well. Keep the combined beans, other ingredients, and liquid at or below the pot’s half-full limit for expanding foods.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Then allow a full natural pressure release.
- Mix cornstarch and water into a slurry. Set the pot to sauté, stir in the slurry, and cook until the sauce reaches your desired consistency (3-4 minutes).
- Stir in 2 teaspoons sea salt. Switch to Keep Warm and let the beans rest for 30 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- Soak Your Beans: Reduces cooking time and improves digestibility. Use either overnight soaking or a quick soak method. Cover and refrigerate for an overnight soak. 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, perform a quick soak before cooking.
- Don’t Drain the Bacon Grease: This adds depth of flavor to the dish.
- Deglaze Thoroughly: Scrape up brown bits when adding vinegar to avoid a burn warning.
- Natural Pressure Release: Ensures the beans finish cooking evenly.
- Consistency Matters: Adjust the cornstarch slurry as needed for your preferred thickness.
- Rest Before Serving: Let the beans sit for 30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to come together.
- Storage: Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours of leaving hot holding, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and use within 3–4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled beans in portions for about 3 months for best quality.
- Serving Suggestions: Pair with cornbread, grilled meats, or coleslaw for a complete meal.
- Make-Ahead Option: Prepare a day in advance and refrigerate as directed above. Reheat to 165°F throughout, stirring so the beans heat evenly.
FAQs
Can I make these with canned beans? Yes! Substitute 4 (16 oz) cans of navy beans (with liquid) and 1 cup of chicken broth. Reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes with a natural pressure release. Also, note that 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
. Keep the complete food-and-liquid load at or below the half-full limit. For larger batches, use a cooker that meets this limit or cook separate batches.
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
More Delicious Recipes with Bacon
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Jesse
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.
Gary White
That sounds like a delicious addition!
Tim
Can you use a stovetop pressure cooker instead of a Instapot?
Gary White
I'm not very familiar with them, but I don't see why not.
Harry Fuller
Tim, apparently, nobody posts for a real pressure cooker anymore, only "simple, electric, don't think" pressure cooker
Marion
I used my Fagor 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!
David
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
Gary White
I'm not at all familiar with soldier beans, so I can not advise.
Jessica Boykin
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.
Tori
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!
Gary White
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..
Kate
These came out great. Thanks for the great recipe!
John
Great, easy recipe. Just delicious!
Mark
60 min is to long
Gary White
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.
Ann
Would you reduce cook time if you use northern beans instead of navy?
Gary White
I think their cook time is 30 minutes at high pressure with 20 minutes NPR.
Ann
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
Stacie
Can this recipe be doubled for a larger crowd?
Gary White
Yes.
Shaunte Macarages
If doubling recipe do you adjust the time at all? Or stay at 60 min?
Gary White
I would stay at 60 minutes. I also would not double the broth, try 1.5x's.
Kathy
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!
Lisa
Born and raised in Texas, cooking for many years.. these are the best beans EVER. Thank you!
Tonia
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.
Amy G.
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!
Kim
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
Lynda Younf
Sorry, just reread recipe? Chicken stock! Trying to do too much at once.
Lynda Young
Do you add the soaking from the beans? It says to drain the beans but the picture shows lots of liquid.
Carla Jackson
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.
Gary
You can omit both of them and still get great results I'm sure.
Anna
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
Chef Gary
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!
Becky
This recipe produced the best baked beans! I love the blend of spices and the perfect amount of sweetness!
len
This recipe is way too sweet. I will try with a
Lb and a half of beans and no brown-sugar.
Chef Gary
But what if we like sweet baked beans? 🙂
Colleen
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.
Tom
Going have to try this plus fish sticks and biscuits with molasses yummy
Karly
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!