Making Homemade Baked Beans is easy in your Pressure Cooker or Crock Pot. These Baked Beans are LOADED with flavor, packed with ham, bacon and beans. YUM!
Years ago we made this easy recipe in our Dutch Ovens using charcoal. Oh how we loved a good Baked Bean Recipe with a grilled hamburger while camping. Reminds me of summer!
Homemade Baked Beans are easy to make in the Crock Pot, Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot or in your Dutch Oven, both outside over coals or inside in the oven! This recipe is that versatile.
What's in Homemade Baked Beans?
The list might seem long, but the recipe is super simple. It's really a dump and go type recipe!
- 2 Cans Pork and Beans
- 1 Can Kidney Beans Drained
- 1 Can Navy or White Beans Drained
- Medium Onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 Green Onion Diced
- 1 Cup Ham Cubes
- 6 Slices Cooked Bacon crumbled
- 1 Bottle Chili Sauce 12 oz
- 2 Tbs Yellow Mustard
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup Water or Beef Broth
How to Make Homemade Baked Beans in the Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
- Rinse and Drain Kidney Beans and Navy or White Beans and dump into Pressure Cooker
- Add Pork and Beans with juices
- Dice Onion and Green Bell Pepper and add to pot
- Add Ham cubes
- Crumble Bacon and add to Pressure Cooker
- Dump Chili Sauce on top with Yellow Mustard and brown sugar.
- Stir everything together.
- Add water or beef broth and give a gentle stir
- Set Pressure Cooker to Manual / Pressure Cook for 8 minutes with a Quick Release.
- Stir Beans. As beans cool the sauce will thicken
- Store leftovers in Refrigerator
Crock Pot Homemade Baked Beans
If I told you to dump all the ingredients into the crock pot and stir, would you believe me? Well, please do!
Dice up the onion and bell pepper and rinse the kidney beans and navy beans. Then dump it all into the Crock Pot and set on Low for 4 hours.
Your house will smell amazing and you will be starving in no time!
Cast Iron Dutch Oven Homemade Baked Beans
If you aren't familiar with how to use your cast iron Dutch Oven over coals, then first you need to learn a little about how many coals, and how to place those coals. It really can be simple once you learn the tricks.
In a 12in Dutch Oven, we will use 10-12 coals on top and 12-14 coals on the bottom for about 60-90 minutes.
I like to check about 45 mins in and see how things are going. If it's windy my coals tend to burn out faster and keeps the oven not as hot. So keep in mind cooking with coals have more variables.
Making Canned Beans Taste Better
In a pinch canned baked beans work as a side dish without doing a thing, but with a few extra ingredients you can take those canned beans and make them GREAT!
This recipe for Homemade Baked Beans is loaded with flavors and textures. And with very little effort you will have a prize winning dish.
Even adding a few tablespoons of brown sugar and a dash of mustard to pork and beans will change the flavor. 😉
How long are Baked Beans Cooked?
Well the cooking time depends on which method from Crock Pot to Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot or the Oven.
- Instant Pot Pressure Time ~ 8 Minutes with a Quick Release
- Crock Pot ~ 4 hours on low
- Oven in a Dutch Oven Pan ~ 90 minutes at 325F
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven over Coals ~ Variable on size of dutch oven. 10-12 coals on top and 12-14 coals on bottom of a 12in Dutch Oven for 60-90 minutes
Can Baked Beans be Frozen?
Canned Beans or the Baked Beans you bring home from a party can be frozen. Dry beans can not be frozen as they won't cook properly once frozen.
This recipe for Homemade Baked Beans does freeze fairly well!
Who Invented Baked Beans?
I love random facts! So here you go. The beans used to make a Baked Bean Recipe are native to South America.
They were introduced to Europe about 1528 (or so Google Tells me).
The dish is known to have a sweet savory flavor that typically is a reddish or brownish color. I personally love the perfect balance of flavors in this recipe, not too sweet, not too savory. Yum!
What to Serve with Homemade Baked Beans
I love to eat a nice grilled Hamburger with Baked beans. But we also love to cook a marinated tri tip with this recipe too. Steak Bites is another fabulous option as well, the Kentucky Bourbon is a favorite for sure!
You can also go super simple with a traditional Hot Dog, or Polish Dog!
What other Side Dishes can I serve with Homemade Baked Beans
Side dishes are my FAVORITE! I've got a list of my favorite, family and neighborhood approved side dishes for your BBQ's!
- Hawaiian Mac Salad
- Southwestern Tortellini Salad
- Creamy Ceasar Pasta Salad
- Classic Potato Salad (Grandma's Recipe)
- Dorito Taco Salad
- Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad ~ Copycat Recipe Suddenly Salad
- Fresh Watermelon Salsa
- Creamsicle Orange Fluff Salad
- Pistachio Salad Green Fluff
- Pepperoni Pasta Salad
- Creamy Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Poppyseed Strawberry Pasta Salad
- Taco Pasta Salad
Homemade Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz Can Kidney Beans - Drained
- 1 15 oz Can Navy or White Beans - Drained
- 2 15 oz Cans Pork and Beans - Leave Juices
- 1 Medium Onion Diced - about 1 Cup
- 1 Green Bell Pepper Diced
- 1 12 oz Bottle Chili Sauce
- 6 Slices Cooked Bacon Crumbled
- 1 Cup Diced Ham Cubes
- 2 Tbls Yellow Mustard
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup Water or Beef Broth
Instructions
- Rinse and Drain Kidney Beans and Navy or White Beans and Dump into Pressure Cooker.
- Add Pork and Beans with Juices
- Dice Onion and Green Bell Pepper and Add to Instant Pot
- Add Mustard, Bacon Crumbles, Brown Sugar and stir
- Add Water or Beef Broth and gently stir
- Cook for 8 minutes on Manual / Pressure Cook
- Quick Release Pressure
- Sauce will thicken as it cools
- Store leftover in refrigerator
Notes
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
Ginger
Delish!! Love the combination of flavors. Made it in the crock pot- perfect.
Devour Dinner
Hi Ginger! Thanks for the 5 star review. We love to make Baked Beans too. Love the way they make my kitchen smell. Delish!