Instant Pot Cowboy Beans

A BBQ favorite side, these Instant Pot Cowboy Beans are made with a variety of beans, brown sugar, ground beef, and bacon.

Pressure Cooker Cowboy Beans

Pressure cooking beans is fast and simple. These cowboy beans are made using canned beans that have all been rinsed except for the pork and beans.

Pressure cooking dry beans is also simple but it requires additional work.

It's a good idea to soak the dry beans overnight before pressure cooking them because they cook more evenly but also because it makes them easier to digest.

If using dry beans, let them soak, pressure cook them, and then add them to this recipe.

Beef and Bacon

To make this recipe, first, the beef and the bacon needs to be cooked on the SAUTE mode in the Instant Pot.

To cook the bacon, cut the strips into small pieces before adding them to the beef. Once the beef and the bacon have been cooked, drain any excess fat from the pot. If you use leaner beef, there won't be as much fat to drain.

Saute the onion along with the bacon and beef to maximize the flavors of the onion.

Once the beef and the bacon have been sautéed, it is very important to deglaze the pot.

To deglaze the pot, add the water and use it to loosen any stuck-on bits. Scrape the bottom of the pot until all of the stuck-on bits are removed.

Ingredients in Instant Pot Cowboy Beans

The ingredients in this recipe come together to create a very flavorful and delicious bean dish.

• Ground Beef - lean is best because there is little to no fat to drain once it has been browned
• Bacon - chopped and cooked ahead of time
• Beans - Navy, pinto, black, and pork & beans
• Onion
• Molasses
• BBQ sauce - of preference
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Seasonings - Garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dry mustard

Layer the Ingredients

The next step is to layer the ingredients. This step is very important because this is how you avoid the burn notice.

Once the beef, bacon, and onion have cooked, drain the grease and make sure to scrape any cooked-on bits at the bottom of the pot by adding the water to allow the stuck-on bits to loosen.

Next, the apple cider vinegar, molasses, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce are added in. NOTE: Don't stir!

The spices are added next and they include dry mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

The beans are added next. Drained and rinsed black beans, pinto beans, and navy beans are added next.

To top the beans off, undrained pork and beans are added to the pot.

Close the lid and vent, and start pressure cooking!

REMEMBER: Don't stir the ingredients, it will result in a burn notice!

After the natural release, open the lid and set the pot back to sauté. The last step is to add your favorite BBQ sauce and stir well to combine.

RELATED: Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese (Chick fil A Copycat)

BBQ Sauce

Once the pot has come to pressure and the beans are pressure cooked, a 10-minute natural release is performed before opening the lid.

Once the lid is opened, turn the pot back to SAUTE and add the desired amount of BBQ sauce.

Perfect for Parties

These Instant Pot Cowboy Beans are perfect for potlucks, BBQs, cookouts, and great for Game Day. They're also a delicious side to your everyday meal.

This pot of beans makes enough to easily feed 10 people and is filling enough to feed a crowd!

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📖 Recipe