These vegetarian baked beans are easy to make in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker in just about an hour- no overnight soaking required! All you need is your favorite barbecue sauce, onions, and garlic. The perfect easy side dish!
Summer may be coming to an end, but that won’t stop me from sharing one of my favorite vegetarian barbecue sides: baked beans!
And there’s something a lil’ extra special about these beans. They’re cooked to tender perfection in an electric pressure cooker.
Baked beans are one of my favorite healthyish comfort food sides. Growing up, they were one of the go-to sides in my house.
Baked beans with mashed potatoes, baked beans with hot dogs, with burgers… on and on.Usually from a can, sometimes homemade and always a comforting side dish.
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Ingredients
To make vegetarian baked beans in the pressure cooker, you will need just 5 main ingredients:
- Dry navy beans
- Water
- Onion and garlic
- Your favorite barbecue sauce
How to Make Instant Pot Vegan Baked Beans
To begin, saute the diced onion for about 5 minutes using the saute function on your pressure cooker. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add in the remaining ingredients (water, dry navy beans, and barbecue sauce) and cooked on high pressure for 45 minutes.
Allow the pressure to release naturally (this takes about 15-20 minutes).
What barbecue sauce should I use?
Every time that I make baked beans I like to try out a different barbecue sauce. My go to is this sweet and spicy vegan barbecue sauce, but any store bought brand will work just as well.
If you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, make sure to check the ingredients list of store bought barbecue sauce for Worcestershire sauce, as it is often made with anchovies.
Enjoy these instant pot vegetarian baked beans with vegan mac and cheese (pictured above!) or jalapeno pimento cornbread.
All of my Instant Pot recipes are made in a 6 qt DUO60 Instant Pot. Check out more of my Instant Pot recipes.
Vegetarian Baked Beans (Instant Pot Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry navy beans (2 cups)
- 4 and 1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 and 1/2 cups favorite BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Press the saute button on your Instant Pot. Set to normal heat. Heat olive oil, then add onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute for one more minute.
- Add beans, water, and barbecue sauce. Stir to combine. Put on the lid and turn the steam valve to sealing. Select high pressure and set the timer to 45 minutes. When the timer is up, allow the pressure to release naturally; this will take about 15-20 minutes. The pressure is released when the silver float valve is down.
- Carefully remove the lid. Test a couple of the beans to make sure they are tender. If not, cook on high pressure for 5 more minutes, then let pressure naturally release. Repeat as needed.
- When the beans are cooked through, remove the lid and press “saute”. Saute for 6-8 minutes to thicken the sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Worcestershire sauce: Many brands contain anchovies, but I have found that store-brand versions are usually anchovy free.
- Keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- These baked beans can be portioned into large or individual containers and frozen for up to 3 months. These are the containers I use. It will need to thaw in the fridge for up to 24 hours before enjoying.
Carel
SO easy with what you have on hand, I didn’t have an onion, so used a cup of chopped celery and 2 tsp onion powder and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Added 2Tb brown sugar, I used dry pinto and dry red beans… after 40 minutes they were not cooked and there was a lot of water. So I cooked for another 35 minutes, Next time I might soak the beans, But this is so simple and good! thanks!
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Thanks, Carel! I know kidney beans can take longer to cook but I am surprised they took that long. Either way I am glad you liked it! 🙂