Pressure Cooker Baked Beans

Southern-style baked beans from scratch with deep, rich, and sweet flavor!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Southern

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 40

Servings

Calories 397kcal

Author Gary White

Ingredients

1 pound dried navy beans soaked at least 8 hours
1 lb. thick cut bacon roughly chopped
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup yellow onions diced
¾ cup green bell pepper diced
4 cups chicken stock 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

Add 1 tablespoon of salt to Pyrex dish. Fill dish with about 6 cups of lukewarm water and mix until salt dissolves. Add dry navy beans to dish and soak overnight (or for at least 8 hours). Drain beans, rinse, and remove any possible stones.
Using sauté setting – add bacon to pot cook until almost crispy, stirring frequently.
Then add onions, green peppers, and vinegar. Cook until onions and peppers are semi-soft and vinegar is evaporated, stirring frequently; making sure to scrape up brown bits from bottom.
Add beans, stock, maple syrup, molasses, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and pepper. Mix well to combine.
Lock lid and cook for 60 minutes at high pressure.
Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to naturally release for at least 15 minutes. Then release remaining pressure and remove lid.
Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Switch pot back to sauté setting and pour in cornstarch slurry. Mix well and continue stirring for 3-4 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.
Then switch to "keep warm" setting, add salt, mix well, and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Expert Tips

Don't be tempted to skip the soaking process! While it is possible to cook from dried beans, there are digestive benefits to taking the time to soak your beans. 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, preform a quick soak prior to cooking.
It may seem that these beans have more vinegar in them than usual. This is totally intentional. The vinegar helps to balance the sweetness, and results in a perfectly sweet and tangy southern style baked beans dish. But, if you’re not into that, you can easily reduce the amount of vinegar from ¼ cup to 2 tablespoons.

FAQs

Can I make these with canned beans? Yes! Use four 16 oz cans of navy beans (with their liquid), along with one cup of chicken broth. Reduce the cook time to 5 minutes, with a natural pressure release. Also note, 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.

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