When you get the craving for baked beans but don’t have hours to spare, this easy Pressure Cooker BBQ Baked Beans recipe is your answer.
Busy lifestyles don’t often have time for cooking. Dried beans cooked in a stovetop pressure cooker. Budget-friendly homemade baked beans. So much better than any canned version.
Saucy, sweet, smoky, cooked under pressure in less than an hour. If you are a Boston baked beans fan, this is the recipe for you. BBQ baked beans with bacon in a fraction of the time.
Do you have a pressure cooker? Which kind, stovetop, electric or the new Instant Pot? Are you one of the people who is scared to try any pressure cooker altogether? I was one of those people.
I only started using a pressure cooker in the last year. Hubby insisted I get one. I insisted he stand by my side the first time I used it.
Do you know what I made? Sticky Toffee Pudding. Of course, I didn’t stop there. Irish Stew with Guinness is a great pressure cooker recipe too.
BBQ Baked Beans Shopping List
- dried navy beans
- onion
- bbq sauce
- ketchup
- bacon or bacon bits
- water
- oil
- salt and pepper
Slow cooker beans, Instant Pot beans, or beans baked in the Dutch oven. So many great ways to enjoy this ultimate comfort food. Who doesn’t enjoy baked beans on toast?
How To Make Pressure Cooker BBQ Beans
This is one of those old-fashioned pressure cooker recipes. Nothing fancy, no electronics needed.
Depending on your type of pressure cooker, directions may vary slightly. Always follow manufacturer directions.
- Pre-soak the beans using either of the methods below.
- Add beans to your cooker.
- Add hot water to the pot along with some oil.
- Place lid on and secure.
- Cook on HIGH.
- Once the pressure level is reached, reduce heat to maintain pressure and cook for an additional 12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and use a NATURAL RELEASE method to release the pressure.
- Open the lid and drain, and set beans aside.
- Using med-high heat, place the pressure cooker on the stovetop.
- Cook the onion in the oil.
- Add the water, ketchup, barbecue sauce, seasonings, and beans.
- Mix well, bring to a boil, and cook until tender (about 15 minutes).
- Add in the bacon bits.
- ENJOY!
Cooking baked beans from scratch gives you full control of the ingredient list. Flavors can be adjusted to your taste.
Use all kinds of BBQ sauce flavours, spicy ketchup, and of course maple syrup or brown sugar if you want them sweeter.
This barbecued bean recipe included bacon bits. You can dice up fresh bacon, cook it, and add it to the recipe at the end, or use store-bought like I did. You can even omit the bacon to make these vegan/vegetarian friendly.
To store, place in a sealed container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them.
Reheat on the stovetop, in the oven, or the microwave.
Can I Cook Beans Without Soaking?
No, you cannot. Soaking the beans is a VERY IMPORTANT step that must be done BEFORE cooking the beans.
Soaking the beans thoroughly cleans them and also makes them easier to digest. The water is then discarded. Be sure to rinse and drain the beans after soaking.
For this recipe, I used the overnight soak method.
- Place the dried beans in a large bowl or pot
- Cover with lots of water
- Add 1 tsp. of salt to the water
- Let soak overnight
- Remove any floaters
- Rinse, drain, and place in the pressure cooker
Alternatively, you can use the quick soak method.
- Add the beans to a pot
- Cover with water, and bring to a boil
- Turn off the heat and let the beans sit in the hot water for an hour
- Remove any floaters
- Rinse, drain, and place in the pressure cooker
Types Of Dried Beans
For this baked beans recipe, I used navy beans. You can be creative and use lots of other beans. Here are a few suggestions:
- Fava
- Kidney
- Great Northern White
- Pinto
- Black
- Chickpeas
- Cranberry
- Black-Eyed Peas
Since you are experimenting with dried beans, did you know dried lentils are easy to make and nutritious too? Great for budget-friendly and protein-packed meals.
Here are a few recipes to try:
- Puy Lentil Pasta Sauce (perfect over spaghetti squash)
- Red Lentil Meatless Tourtiere (a holiday classic)
- Poached Eggs and Lentil Hash (great for #meatlessmonday)
- Spicy Beluga Pasta Sauce (a great way to try black lentils)
- Green Lentil Mini Cream Cheese Balls (a fun and healthy appetizer for any party)
Once you try making pressure cooker baked beans from scratch, heading to the grocery store for store-bought beans in a can will be history. What an economical way to feed a family.
I just know if you mix in some of my Bourbon Caramelized Onion Jam, these beans will be kicked up a notch.
Pressure Cooker BBQ Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound navy beans (soaked overnight)
- ¾ cup onion (diced)
- ½ cup bbq sauce (your choice of flavour)
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup bacon bits (fresh cooked or store-bought)
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (divided)
- salt & pepper (to season)
Instructions
- ***PRE SOAK** beans overnight. Add 1 tsp. of salt to the water when soaking.Alternatively you can use the quick soak method. See post for link.
- Remove any floaters from the soaking beans. Rinse, drain and place in the pressure cooker.
- Add the water to the pressure cooker (follow directions for your particular model) along with the additional tbsp. of avocado oil.**NOTE** Hot water will heat up faster.
- Place lid on pressure cooker and secure. Cook on HIGH. Once pressure level is reached, reduce heat to maintain level, and cook for 12 minutes.
- **NOTE** This is a great time to cook the bacon bits if you are using fresh bacon. Dice and cook in a frying pan until cripsy. Drain on paper towel to remove excess fat. Set aside until ready to use. Alternatively you can use store-bought bacon bits.
- Remove from heat and use the NATURAL RELEASE method of pressure release.
- Once pressure is off, open lid, and drain the beans. Set aside.
- Place the (now empty) pressure cooker on a med-high heat. Add the additional tbsp. of oil and the diced onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add water, ketchup and bbq sauce. Mix well. Add cooked beans.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Add the cooked bacon bits, and mix in.
Amy Liu Dong
I like this recipe. It is so delicious and it has an easy to follow instructions that will help a person to make this dish so easily.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much, glad the instructions were easy to follow.
Veronika
A pressure cooker always saves me in the kitchen when I’m low on time! We love serving these beans with eggs and sausages for breakfast.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
What time is breakfast? Sounds like a delicious plan to me.
Juyali
I am going to make these beans for a barbecue that we will be hosting this upcoming weekend. They look so delicious and will make the perfect side dish. I look forward to trying this recipe!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Baked beans are perfect for any outdoor gathering.
Jeri
This recipe is a life saver! I love how quick they are to make! I will never cook beans on the stove top again!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I know right, so easy and fast.
Jacqueline
Definitely so much better and tastier than canned baked beans. I’ve made this reipe with Italian borlotti beans and cannellini beans. Both were really good!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
What a great way to switch up the beans….so glad it worked well!
Nora
Super easy and delicious! Thanks for this recipe!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are very welcome, ENJOY!
Liz
I made these for my dad!! He loves navy beans and the flavor was delicious. I promised to make another batch next time he visits.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Glad your dad enjoyed these BBQ beans.
Marie-Pierre Breton
I am never going back to stove cooking for my beans! This Pressure cooker is way better technique for beans!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree, once you master the pressure cooker, it saves so much time.
Jo
Baked beans are delicious stuff! How to make it sensational is by adding in bacon! Wow that beans looks so good. Pressure cooker recipes are my favorite, i’m going to try this soon
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This really is a fast and easy way to make beans. ENJOY!
Paige
Great to have a quick recipe like this in my pocket, they look delicious!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I love easy and delicious recipes to make too.
Kari | Chef and Steward
I wish my son loved all the childhood dishes that I did like this. I loooove baked beans and love to make my own so I am definitely trying your pressure cooker recipe!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
ENJOY…so much better than canned beans. I know your family will love them.
Marisa F. Stewart
Well Gloria, you’ve convinced me to dust off my pressure cooker and make some baked beans from scratch. Yours look so good and the seasoning sounds perfect. I have some beans in the pantry just waiting for a delicious recipe. Yours is it.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I would love to find some beans. With all this craziness….who would have thought to stock up on beans. ENJOY!
Veena Azmanov
Pressure cooker is definitely quick cooking. Makes life easier and meals quicker. Love your recipe and its combination.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I love my pressure cooker. So glad hubby insisted I get one.
Amy Liu Dong
This is a new recipe for me to make for the family, it looks easy and delicious I am good to make this without ham or a bacon..Love it!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
If your family is like mine, they will love this recipe. EMJOY!
Denise
This is a great recipe to have on hand for Summer BBQs! Quick and delicious side dish, love it!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I am so looking forward to summer. These are a hit at any bbq and picnic.