Ah, baked beans, the quintessential summer picnic food. But how did this get to be so? Baked means you have to turn on the oven... in the summer. Plus beans are a heavy food, not something you want to have when you're poolside in your swimsuit, right?
The History of Baked Beans
Baked beans, believe it or not, are an indigenous Native American food, and like many things, was adapted and changed by white people in the 17th century. The dish was mostly seen in the northeast part of the country, which is how maple syrup came to be part of the dish to provide sweetness.
Then as other sweeteners became popular, molasses became the bean sweetener of choice, then salt pork was added to this dish and popularized in Boston. THIS is why Boston is called Beantown! In 1895, the Heinz company began canning them, which led to them being more well-known all over the country and the world.
Baked beans became a popular celebration food after the Revolutionary War, which is why baked beans are associated with the 4th of July, which then extended to every other generic summer cookout from May through September. One of the reasons baked beans is a perfect cookout food is because they can be eaten and enjoyed hot, cold, and room temperature — an ideal trait for cookout foods.
I prefer mine hot, but Patrick has been eating them cold out of the fridge, proof that these are truly good either way!
The bean type used varies, but I've seen pinto, cannellini, and navy beans used and mentioned in the history of baked beans. So choose a similar bean to these and you'll likely find it to work out well. I used pinto in mine. I would recommend sticking with one type of bean though otherwise this dish may start to seem too chili-like.
Dr Pepper in Baked Beans
Because Southerners LOVE their cola, it seems inevitable that someone would turn to soda to replace the sugary maple syrup, molasses, or brown sugar. The complexity of flavor in Dr Pepper translates pretty fantastically to the beans. Not to mention, people love the novelty of soda in food, especially when the end result is as good as these.
Instant Pot Dr Pepper Baked Beans
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 29 ounce can of pinto, cannelli, or navy beans (or use two 15 ounce cans) (without pork fat or lard preferably)
- ½ medium yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup Dr. Pepper (non-diet)
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 drops liquid smoke
Instructions
- In your Instant Pot, add the oil into the insert. Turn the saute function on, and once oil is hot, add the onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the garlic and saute another minute.
- Deglaze the insert by pouring in the Dr Pepper and letting saute for less than 1 minute. Add in the beans, and stir. Turn off the saute function.
- Add in the remaining ingredients except the liquid smoke. Stir well to combine.
- Put the Instant Pot lid on and set the lid to venting. Press the slow cook button and let cook for 4 hours. For less soupy beans, remove the lid for the last hour, or remove the lid after 4 hours and cook an additional hour.
- Add the liquid smoke to taste once it's done cooking. Salt to taste as well.
The Benefits of Cooking Baked Beans in the Instant Pot
There are so many but the main ones are less heat and convenience of moving.
Cooking in the Instant Pot keeps the heat pretty much well contained to the IP itself. Your kitchen won't heat up in the summer, which is always a plus.
And as far as taking this dish to a cookout, nothing beats being able to unplug the IP, lock the lid, and strapping it into the car. All of the food stays in the pot, and so does the heat.
Finally, the joy of pouring everything in and letting it cook without supervision after the saute stage is priceless. You can get ready for the cookout without having to cook and get all sweaty right before going to sit outside and get all sweaty. Basically, this dish is the social Southerner's secret weapon for winning at summer cookouts.
Looking for Other Classic Summer Cookout Recipes?
