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baked beans in a white oval dish with a spoon in them

Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe

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5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Yield 6 cups (12 servings)
Category Side Dish
Cuisine American
Author Lauren Grant

Description

Smoky and saucy, these homemade vegetarian baked beans are the ultimate side dish for anything grilled. Made in the Instant Pot, this recipe makes cooking dried beans easy!

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Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dried black beans (1¼ cups)
  • 8 ounces dried pinto beans (1)¼ cups)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • ⅓ cup honey or pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup mild molasses
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup, optional, if you want them sweeter and saucier
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon or brown mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, or soy sauce if vegetarian*
  • Kosher salt

Instructions

  • Sort and pick through the beans, discarding any pebbles or dirt. Rinse the beans then add to the Instant Pot with 6 cups of water. Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 25 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and naturally release pressure for 20 minutes; quick release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
  • Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid, then drain beans. Wipe out Instant Pot. 
  • Set Instant Pot to sauté function, add oil and heat just until shimmering. Add bell pepper, onion and garlic and cook until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add paprika and black pepper and cook 30 seconds. Stir in honey, molasses, and tomato paste, cook 1 minute. Add cooked beans, 1 cup reserved cooking liquid, and 1 cup water.
  • Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 10 minutes. Quick-release pressure then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
  • Set Instant Pot to sauté function and stir in vinegar, maple syrup (if using), Dijon, Worcestershire (or soy sauce) and 1 teaspoon salt; simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, 20–25 minutes. Have patience, it will thicken! Keep in mind these will also thicken as they cool. 
  • Turn Instant Pot off and let beans cool slightly; season with additional salt and vinegar to taste (you’ll likely need quite a bit more salt). 

Equipment

Instant Pot

Notes

MAKE THESE BEANS VEGAN: use soy sauce in place of the Worcestershire (make sure it’s gluten-free if needed) and use maple syrup in place of the honey.
MAKE THESE BEANS VEGAN AND GLUTEN-FREE: use gluten-free soy sauce, liquid aminos or coconut aminos in place of the Worcestershire. 
ADD BACON: use two to four strips of bacon, dice it up, and cook it in a tablespoon of oil prior to adding the veggies to cook (decrease the oil and supplement the remaining tablespoon with the bacon grease left in the pot). 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 cupCalories: 223kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 9gFat: 3gSodium: 294mgFiber: 7gSugar: 14g
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