Instant Pot Baked Beans

Hong Kongers are a little obsessed with fresh food (it’s our life goal to buy fresh groceries everyday from the Wet Markets ?).

So we usually have a super limited supply of canned food in our itsy bitsy pantry. And canned tomato-based baked beans (aka Ketchup Beans 茄汁豆) is one of the rare ones that earned shelf space along with SPAM and Sardines.

And to a ketchup-obsessed kid, they were like jelly beans. hehe~

So, when mom pulls out the can opener for “emergencies”, I’d get all excited & ready for the perfect comforting meal of ketchup beans over rice.

But when I had my first bite of American homemade baked beans from scratch, my soul was captivated by the rich sweet & hickory-smokey savory sauce.

Where have you been all my life?! ?

After some experiments and tweaks with beans & secret ingredients in the magic pot…

The tender creamy beans with a super flavorful sweet & savory glaze-like sauce.

Deliciously comforting to eat with the lingering smokey fragrance…yum!! ?

You seriously gotta try this Sweet ‘n Smokey Instant Pot Baked Beans!

Instant Pot Navy Beans Experiment

This is unusual…but we’re spilling the beans and publishing our Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe before our Experiment + Results.

We simply couldn’t hold off any longer for you to have a taste of our Sweet ‘n Smokey Baked Beans!

One finding to mention from the experiment: 

Molasses slows down the bean cooking, and acid (including vinegar, dijon mustard, tomato sauce, ketchup) slows it down even further. So it is best to add in acid after pressure cooking.

Stay tuned for our Full Pressure Cooker Navy Beans Experiment + Results!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe

Soak Navy Beans

• 1 pound (454g) dried navy beans(soaked overnight for at least 8 – 16 hours, 889g after soaked)
• 1 ½ tablespoon (25g) fine table salt
• 6 cups (1.5L) cold water

Baked Beans Sauce & Aromatics

• 6 strips (242g) thick cut bacon, roughly diced
• 1 (159g) small onion, roughly diced
• 2 (6g) garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 ¾ cup (438ml) cold water
• ¼ cup (80g) blackstrap molasses
• ¼ cup (60g) maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) light soy sauce (not low sodium soy sauce)
• ¼ teaspoon fine table salt
• 2 bay leaves
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons (12g) dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) apple cider vinegar

Tools for Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe

• Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
• Large container
• Mesh strainer
• 1L (4 cups) Glass measuring cup

Instructions for Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe

Step 1
Soak Navy Beans

1 pound (454g) dried navy beans
1 ½ tablespoon (25g) fine table salt
6 cups (1.5L) cold water

Results from Quick Soaking Method (left) vs. Overnight Soaking Method (right)

A. Overnight Soaking Method:

• Place 1 lb (454g) dried navy beans and 1 ½ tbsp (25g) fine table salt in a large container.
• Pour 6 cups (1.5L) cold water in the large container and give it a few stir.
• Allow beans to soak overnight for at least 8 – 16 hours.

*Pro Tip: If your house is very warm, place the large container in the fridge to avoid fermentation.

B. Quick Soaking Method:

If you’re short on time or forgot to soak the beans overnight, you can use this quick soaking method. But, the result will not be as good as the overnight soaking method.

• Place 1 lb (454g) dried navy beans, 1 ½ tbsp (25g) fine table salt, and 6 cups (1.5L) cold water in the pressure cooker.
• Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 0 minute + 30 minutes Natural Release.

Step 2
Drain Beans

Soaked navy beans

Discard the soaked water and drain the navy beans through a mesh strainer.

Rinse the beans with cold tap water. Drain well.

*Note: The soaked beans should almost double in weight.

Step 3
Render Bacon

Chopped bacon
Diced onion
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped garlic cloves

Place chopped bacon in Pressure Cooker and turn heat to medium (Instant Pot: press Sauté button).

Stir occasionally and allow the bacon bits to crisp (~3 mins).

Add in diced onion, freshly ground black pepper and sauté for a minute.

Add in chopped garlic cloves and sauté until fragrant (~30 seconds).

Step 4
Create Molasses Mixture

1 ¾ cup (438ml) cold water
¼ cup (80g) blackstrap molasses
¼ cup (60g) maple syrup
1 tablespoon (15ml) light soy sauce (not low sodium soy sauce)

While the bacon is rendering in pressure cooker, combine ¼ cup (80g) blackstrap molasses, ¼ cup (60g) maple syrup, 1 tbsp (15ml) light soy sauce, and 1 ¾ cup (438) cold water in a 1L (4 cups) glass measuring cup. Mix well.

Step 5
Deglaze

½ cup (125ml) of the molasses mixture

Pour ½ cup (125ml) of the molasses mixture in the Instant Pot.

Deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pan and mix them into the mixture.

Step 6
Pressure Cook Navy Beans

¼ teaspoon fine table salt
2 bay leaves
Soaked navy beans
Remaining molasses mixture

Add ¼ tsp fine table salt, 2 bay leaves, soaked navy beans (889g) and the remaining molasses mixture in the pressure cooker. Mix well and make sure all the beans are submerged in the molasses mixture.

Close lid and pressure cook at

• Pressure Cooking Method: High Pressure for 20 minutes, then 20 minutes Natural Release (After 20 minutes, turn the venting knob to venting position to release the remaining pressure).

Open the lid carefully.

*Important Tip: The pressure cooking time may vary depending on many factors such as the age of beans. If your beans are not fully cooked, simply add pressure cooking time accordingly. For reference, some readers reported their beans need to pressure cook for an extra 15 – 25 mins.

Step 7
Season and Thicken Baked Beans

2 teaspoons (12g) dijon mustard
1 teaspoon (5ml) apple cider vinegar

Add 2 tsp (12g) dijon mustard, and 1 tsp (5ml) apple cider vinegar into the cooked baked beans. Mix well.

Turn heat to medium (Instant Pot: press Sauté button) and stir to thicken the baked beans to desired consistency.

Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more blackstrap molasses, salt, or vinegar if necessary (For reference, we added in another tbsp of blackstrap molasses).

Step 8
Serve Instant Pot Baked Beans (Pressure Cooker Baked Beans)

Serve this delicious sweet ‘n smokey baked beans as a side dish at your BBQ, picnics, potlucks, or dinner.

Watch: How To Make Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe

Can’t see the cooking video? Watch it here.

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