These baked beans made with bacon, peppers, onions, barbecue sauce, brown sugar and spices are going to be a must-have at all your cookouts!
Our baked beans recipe is sweet and savory and incredibly delicious, you’ll never serve straight canned beans again! Try them with our grilled pork recipe or a spatchcock chicken.
Baked Beans
Baked Beans
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Baked Beans Ingredients
- Bacon – Normal cut.
- Onion – Red, yellow or white is good. Finely chopped
- Bell pepper – We used green, but any color works. Finely chopped
- Pork & beans – Canned.
- Barbecue sauce – Grab a bottle from the market or make your own bbq sauce!
- Ketchup – Whatever you’ve got hanging out in the fridge.
- Brown sugar – Light or dark is fine.
- Mustard – We used classic yellow mustard, but dijon would also work.
- Worcestershire sauce – Soy sauce can be substituted in a pinch.
- Black pepper – Fresh ground will give the best flavor.
Beans, brown sugar, bacon, onion, bell pepper, mustard, barbecue sauce, ketchup, and mustard.
How do you make baked beans? (step-by-step)
⭐ First, cook bacon in a large skillet. Remove bacon and drain of most of the grease.
⭐ Next, sauté onions and peppers in bacon grease.
⭐ Then, in a large bowl stir together beans, vegetables, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, pepper and Worcestershire. Pour bean mixture into a baking dish.
⭐ Finally, top with bacon and bake until thickened.
Sauté peppers and onion in bacon grease.
Alternative cooking methods
Slow cooker baked beans
- First, cook bacon in a large skillet. Remove bacon and drain of most of the grease.
- Next, sauté onions and peppers in bacon grease.
- Then, add vegetables, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, pepper, Worcestershire and bean mixture into crock pot.
- Finally, cook on low or high, as desired.
Instant pot baked beans
- First, cook bacon in a instant pot on sauté mode. Remove bacon and drain of most of the grease.
- Next, sauté onions and peppers in bacon grease.
- Then, add vegetables, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, pepper, Worcestershire and bean mixture into instant pot. If your pot is on the finicky side when it comes to burn notices, also add additional liquid (water or broth).
- Finally, cook on manual (high pressure). Hit cancel, and allow pressure to release naturally or do a very careful quick release and pause if it sputters.
Mix beans with sautéed vegetables, condiments, and spices then bake in a casserole dish.
Preparation
Do baked beans need to be cooked?
Baked beans are already cooked, so they technically only need to be reheated. They’re so much more delicious when prepared this way though!
Can you make baked beans ahead of time?
For sure! You can prep this recipe a day or two in advance and then heat it up before serving. I actually love it the next day when it’s super thick and all the ingredients have fully married.
Eat as is or top with cheese, sour cream, and jalapenos.
Leftovers and storage
How long do baked beans last?
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days. Because it contains meat, you don’t want to keep it too much longer than that unless you freeze it.
Can you freeze baked beans?
Yes! Allow them to cool completely, then store in an airtight freezer safe container for up to 12 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
What’s the best way to reheat?
Reheat baked beans on the stovetop over medium heat. It will thicken when cooled, so add water as needed to reach your desired consistency.
Alternatively, heat in the microwave in 30 – 60 second intervals, stirring in-between.
Make a double batch and freeze half for later!
What to eat with baked beans (serving suggestions)
We love serving baked beans with classic BBQ dishes like homemade potato salad, macaroni salad, tender instant pot ribs (or oven baked ribs), and homemade pickles. For dessert, try these peanut butter blossoms or no bake cake balls.
Variations
🌫 Make it smoky with a drop or two of liquid smoke.
🌶 Go spicy with some sriracha sauce or diced pickled jalapenos.
🍗 Add some chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks before baking to make it a full meal.
Try topping your pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and baked beans. Mmmmm
More side dish recipes
- Stovetop mac and cheese recipe
- Twice baked potatoes
- Homemade corn casserole
- Bacon pimento cheese potato salad
- Tuna pasta salad with cheese
- See all our side dish ideas!
More recipes with beans
😍😍😍
Tools we love
- Large mixing bowl – I use mine every single day.
- Enameled dutch oven – Perfect for going from stove top to oven.
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How to Make Baked Beans
Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- Half a small green bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 large cans pork and beans 28 ounces each
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325F.
- Chop the bacon and cook till brown in a large skillet.
- Remove bacon from the pan and drain off all grease except for about 1 tablespoon.
- Add onions and peppers to the pan with the bacon grease and cook those till translucent.
- In a large bowl stir together the beans, veggies, bbq sauce, brown sugar, mustard, pepper and worcheshire.
- Pour the beans into a 9x13 baking dish (or keep it in your pan if it is oven safe).
- Top with the cooked bacon
- Bake uncovered for 1 to 1 ½ hours, you want them to bake and thicken up nicely.
Video
Notes
- First, cook bacon in a large skillet. Remove bacon and drain of most of the grease.
- Next, sauté onions and peppers in bacon grease.
- Then, add vegetables, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, pepper, Worcestershire and bean mixture into crock pot.
- Finally, cook on low for 4 - 6 hours or high for 2 - 4 hours, as desired.
- First, cook bacon in instant pot on sauté mode. Remove bacon and drain of most of the grease.
- Next, sauté onions and peppers in bacon grease.
- Then, add vegetables, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, pepper, Worcestershire and bean mixture into instant pot. If your pot is on the finicky side when it comes to burn notices, also add up to 1 cup additional liquid (water or broth).
- Finally, cook on manual (high pressure) for 10 minutes. Hit cancel, and allow pressure to release naturally or do a very careful quick release and pause if it sputters.
- Optional, cook off extra liquid on sauté mode. Stir constantly until desired consistency is reached.
Nutrition
Don’t love beans? Try this beanless chili!
Baked Beans
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Deb Carmicheal says
I love baked beans and this recipe will be a hit when I make them. Can’t wait to try them.
wilhelmina says
This is such an easy and delicious side dish! It went perfectly with our burgers!
Jennifer says
Seriously the best baked beans ever! My husband loves them!!
katerina says
This was such an incredibly delicious meal!! I can’t wait to make it again and again!
Kathleen Nebreda says
Making this again for the second time,great way to enjoy baked beans in a pinch.No overnite soaking,slow cooking in crock pot or oven like i usually do.Made this with Sweet Baby Rays Bbq sauce.Delicious recipe ,will be sharing with family.Thank you so much!
April Woods says
you’re welcome!
Tom Minker says
Hello! This sounds like a great recipe and I want to try it. BUT!
But I’d like to do so in a crockpot. Thoughts on how long one would let it cook in that manner? Thanks! 👍😉👍
April Woods says
Great question! I just updated the article and recipe card to reflect slow cooker and instant pot cooking methods. I hope that helps!
Susan Andrews says
Looks delish!