These Easy Bacon Baked Beans are the perfect blend of sweet, savory and smoky! Topped with bacon, they’re always a hit, and are SO easy to make!
Thisย Baked Beans recipe is one of those recipes we have with so many of our family dinners and for potlucks and bbq’s.ย We also love easy summer recipes like my Classic Pasta Salad andย Smoked Chicken Wings.ย This is one of myย Side Dishesย recipes I know youโll want to keep on hand!
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BAKED BEANS RECIPE
Baked beans are such classic summer cookout/bbq food… and really easy to make yourself! ย Don’t reach for a can of pre-seasoned and full of preservatives beans… whip up theseย easy and lip-smackingly delicious brown sugar and bacon baked beans instead! ย Your mouth will thank you.
Baked beans are such a classic dish, and I love how many varieties there are! ย Depending on your tastes and where you live, your beans might be more savory, more sweet, or more smoky.
These beans are a great combination of the 3! ย You get the savory flavor from the sautรฉed onions and peppers, sweetness from the brown sugar, and the smokiness from the molasses and of course, the bacon ๐
I also like to season my bacon with a sprinkle of black pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, dried rosemary and brown sugar. ย That’s my signature bacon seasoning, it’s SO addicting!
HOW TO MAKE BAKED BEANS
Making these baked beans is a cinch… in about 10 minutes they’re ready to pop in the oven and then you don’t have to mess with them for at least 2 hours.
- Cook bacon halfway through in whichever method you prefer.ย See my method for baking bacon below in the additional cooking tips section.ย Once bacon has cooled enough to handle, roughly chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Preheat oven to 325ยฐF and set oven rack to lower-middle position.
- Cook onion and pepper.ย I like to use bacon grease to saute these in if I have it, but butter will work just as well.ย Just saute until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add beans, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and dry mustard.ย Stir to combine well and let cook a minute or two to make sure it’s all meshed together.
- Transfer bean mixture to a greased 3 quart baking dish or pot.ย Top evenly with partially cooked bacon.
- Bake 2-3 hours, until beans are desired consistency.ย I like my beans thick and brown, so I bake mine closer to 3 hours, but if you like yours more saucy, start checking the beans around 2 hours.
ADDITIONAL COOKING TIPS
Even though they’re pretty straightforward, here are a few extra tips and tricks.
HOW LONG TO COOK BAKED BEANS
How long you cook them depends on how you like your beans… I like mine thick and pretty brown. ย So I cook mine about 2.5 hours, sometimes up to 3. ย If you like yours a little less thick, I’d cook them for 2 hours.
HOW TO BAKE BACON
Baking bacon is my preferred way to cook it, since there’s NO mess, and it’s pretty hands off.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with a double layer of aluminum foil (trust me on this).ย Lay out your bacon so they’re close but not actually touching.
Place baking sheet in a COLD oven, turn the oven on and preheat to 400ยฐF.ย Immediately start a timer for 18-19 minutes.
No need to flip them or anything, just walk away until the timer beeps.ย If you like your bacon a bit crispier, you’ll probably want to bake an additional minute or two.
BUT FOR THIS RECIPE YOU DON’T WANT TO COOK THE BACON ALL THE WAY THROUGH!
- So when I bake my bacon for baked beans, I only bake it about 10-12 minutes.
- My advice is to cook it about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way done. ย That way it will be nice and crispy once the beans are finished!
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- VEGETARIAN – to make this dish vegetarian-friendly, don’t use bacon fat, and omit the bacon.ย You’ll also want to use 4 (15.5 oz each) cans of navy or pinto beans that have been drained and rinsed.ย Increase the sauce ingredient amounts by 1/2 to make up for the lack of sauce in the pork and beans.
- SPICY – if you prefer your baked beans to have some kick, use 1 – 2 diced jalapeรฑos instead of the green bell pepper.ย You can also add some cayenne pepper to the sauce, and top with some jalapeno slices!
- EXTRA SMOKY – I don’t know about you, but I LOVE smoky baked beans.ย Try adding 1/2 tsp of liquid smoke to the bean mixture.ย You could also smoke these baked beans in your smoker at 325 for about 2 hours!
- SLOW COOKER – if you’d prefer to cook your beans this way, cook onion and bell pepper in butter as directed in recipe.ย Cook bacon all the way through to desired crispness, then set aside.ย Add all ingredients to slow cooker, stir and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours.ย If beans are too thin, remove lid and continue cooking (on HIGH now), until thickened to your liking.ย If your beans are too thick, stir in a little bit of water, as needed.ย Top beans with bacon before serving.
MAKING BAKED BEANS AHEAD OF TIME
You can make these beans a day or so ahead of time.ย I find that when I reheat my beans, they tend to dry out a bit though.
Alternatively, you can also assemble the bean mixture and pre-cook the bacon and store them separately in the refrigerator.ย Then just add to baking dish, top with bacon and bake.ย This will ensure your beans aren’t dry at all.
STORAGE
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 1 week.
FREEZING
Let baked beans cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat at 350ยฐF for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly throughout.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- 3 quart baking dish – normally I use a glass dish like this one, and I love the included lid!
- Alternate baking dish – if you like the look of the dish in the photo above, this is a very similar product and by the same quality brand.
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERSโ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DONโT FORGET, IF YOUโVE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!
Recipe originally published in 2015 and has been updated in 2020 with additional information.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 10 slices bacon diced
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper finely diced
- 54 oz can pork and beans or 4 (15.5oz each) cans
- 4 Tbsp ketchup
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 2 tsp dry mustard
Instructions
- Cook bacon about half way through (in whichever way you want), and set aside to drain on a paper towel. Once cooled, roughly chop into semi-bite sized pieces.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and set rack to the lower-middle rack position.
- In a deep skillet, heat about 2 Tbsp of bacon grease (or butter) over MED heat. Add diced onion and green pepper and saute about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine well. Let mixture simmer for a minute or so.
- While the mixture is simmering, grease a 13x9 baking dish, or other 3 quart dish or pot.
- Pour beans into the prepared baking dish and lay cooked bacon on top of the beans.
- Bake for 2-3 hours, depending on your desired consistency.
- Let the beans stand for 5 minutes before serving.
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Chef Tips
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Shannon says
I used a large can (114 oz) of pork and beans because I am making the recipe tonight for a crowd. After simmering, I put the beans in the baking pan with a slotted spoon because it looked very liquidy. After transferring the beans, it looks like I have about 3 cups of liquid leftover. I want to add some of that to the pan but I’m afraid that it will end up too liquidy when I’m done baking them if I add it all. What do you think?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Shannon, did you double the other ingredients as well? If so, and you’ll be baking for the full 2-3 hours, the liquid cooks down substantially and becomes the sweet/savory sauce.
Carla Scarpaci says
instead of putting in the oven can I do it in microwave?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Carla, I wouldn’t advise that, as it would need a very long cook time, and microwaves are notorious for having hot spots.
Roger says
Hi! Your picture for this recipe looks fabulous. Can you tell me the herb/garnish you topped it off with? Parsley? Cilantro? TIA!!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Roger ๐ Thank you!! It’s some minced fresh parsley ๐
Dee says
Great recipe!
Jessie says
Can I put these in a crockpot?ย
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Jessie, I’ve never tried, so I can’t say for certain
Sarah Kerrigan says
This baked bean recipe is Delicious!!! ย I made it for a neighborhood cookout, doubled the recipe and it was a bit hit. The pan was scraped! ย Everyone loved it.ย
Rosemary says
Doย
Julie L says
Hi. I canโt find anything that says to drain the pork and beans before you put them in the skillet. Do I drain them or not? Thank you! ๐
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Julie ๐ Nope, don’t drain them, as that liquid combines with the other ingredients and bakes down into a glorious sauce.
Yolanda Johnson says
Hi, I’m going to try this recipe for our Memorial Holiday at work. I have one question, do I cover them?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Yolanda ๐ Nope, bake them uncovered so the bacon can get nice and crispy.
Kelli says
These were great. Everyone loved them. I made them in the crockpot and used regular navy beans and they were delicious. Perfect with ribs and coleslaw.ย
Tracy says
At what setting and how long did you cook it for in the crock pot? ย
Susan willey says
Amandaย
These beans are super delicious. Made then tonight
Thankyou so much, Sue
Pam J says
YUM! Made these for a birthday party and put them in the crockpot. Worked perfectly and they were so good!
ROBERT BARGERON says
Great Recipe, I have read it several times and do not see how many servings this makes
Could you Please Advise Thanks
The Chunky Chef says
Approximately 8 servings, but depending on how hungry people are, that will change. It makes a 9×13″ pan, so however many of your guests you think that would feed ๐
Terri R Guerrero says
It looks like the bacon has been cut up in your baked bean and bacon recipe. However, the recipe states to lay the bacon on top in casserole dish. Can I chop up and cook in beans and get the same result?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Terri… I cut up the bacon into pieces, but still lay in on the top of the beans before baking. This allows it to get nice and crispy as the beans cook. If you stir the bacon into the beans it will be soft and mushy.
Butch Luedke says
I made these baked beans for our Thanksgiving meal. It was an easy to follow simple recipe and it was the best baked beans I’ve had in many years , they tasted like the ones in the basement of the little Portland Wisconsin Lutheran Church. Grandma would be proud of me.
kristen says
Hi how are you? I was just wondering how much of the seasonings do you use for the bacon? Have a great day
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Kristen ๐ The chili powder, pepper, brown sugar and dried rosemary are totally optional, in fact, most times I make these beans I don’t season my bacon with anything other than maybe a sprinkle of black pepper. If you wanted to use the seasonings though, I don’t measure them, just give the bacon strips a light sprinkling.
Sherry Peck says
We made these in a hurry for a youth/ adult pool party at church…. no onions or green pepper in my frig but made them anyway…. also had no vinegar and no dry mustard so just added a sm T of mustard…. layered cooked bacon on top and only baked 45 min because they were hot off the stove when I put them in the baking dish….. they cleaned them out and ate EVERY BEAN!!! I also doubled the recipe…. a real hit for us from now on!!!!!
Sheri Fleetwood says
I’m looking to dress up a can of bushs baked beans… is that what this recipe calls for or just plain beans?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Sheri ๐ As stated in the recipe, it called for a can of pork and beans, but in the wording of the post, I mentioned that it will work with flavored baked beans, just use slightly less of the molasses and brown sugar.
Sarah says
Hi Amanda! These look amazing. One question, when you bake them do you cover them or leave them uncovered?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Sarah ๐ Leave them uncovered so they can cook down to a thick consistency ๐
Diane Kaczorowski says
Can you use turkey bacon on this. Friends have meat allergy
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Diane ๐ I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure it would work just fine