Baked Beans

The best Baked Beans recipe is loaded with sweet and smokey flavor and baked saucy or thick, depending on your preference. They’re easy to make (even make in advance!) and a great side dish to feed a crowd.

Looking for more BBQ side dishes? Try my Baked Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad, Cucumber Onion Salad or Jalapeño Cornbread.

Why I love this recipe:

• Delicious – These easy baked beans are packed full of flavor and so good! You will never just heat up a can of beans again!
• Easy – Only 15 minutes of prep and then it goes in the oven. Perfect side dish!
• Large Gathering – This recipe makes a 9×13 pan, so it’s perfect to take to a potluck or party; or just freeze the rest for later! It’s also a great one to make a day or two ahead of time.

How to make Baked Beans:

Cook Bacon: Add bacon to a large pot on medium heat and cook, stirring often until crisp. Remove to a plate.

Sauté Veggies: Remove only some of the bacon grease then add onion and saute for 4 minutes. Add bell pepper and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

Combine Ingredients: Add remaining ingredients and bacon to the pot and stir to combine. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Bake: Pour homemade baked beans into a 9×13 baking pan and bake, covered with foil, for one hour (or up to 2 hours, if you want them thicker). Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving, for the sauce to thicken as it cools.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Prepare the beans up until the baking step. Refrigerate in a covered container for 3-4 days, depending on the freshness of ingredients used. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake as instructed.

To Freeze: These baked beans from scratch can be frozen in an air-tight freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in refrigerator before baking.

Recipe Variations:

• Saucy Baked Beans: Cook for recommended 1 hour.
• Thick Baked Beans: Add an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour onto the cook time.
• Sweetness: I like my beans on the sweeter side, but if you don’t, you can cut down the brown sugar to ⅓ cup.
• Instant Pot Baked Beans: Try my instant pot recipe that uses dry beans.
• Slow Cooker Baked Beans: Cook bacon and sauté onion in a skillet on the stove. Add all ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

Serve With:

• BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Steak or Chicken Kabobs
• Instant Pot Ribs or Slow Cooker Ribs
• Sloppy Joes
• Tuna Melt
• Classic Juicy Hamburger Recipe
• Turkey Burgers
• Easy Grilled Chicken Burgers
• Meatloaf
• French Dip Sandwiches
• Air Fryer Baked Potato

Recipe

5 from 47 votes

Baked Beans

The best Baked Beans recipe has fresh ingredients, lots of flavor, and is loaded with bacon! This is easy to make, and is a great side to feed a crowd!

Print Pin Review

Author Lauren Allen

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 306

Cost 10

Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 1 hour hr

Cool 15 minutes mins

Total 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

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Equipment

• 9×13 metal baking dish

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 10 slices bacon , chopped
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion , finely chopped
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper , finely chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic , minced
• ▢ 15 oz can red kidney beans , drained and rinsed
• ▢ 15 oz can navy , drained and rinsed
• ▢ 15 oz can pinto beans , drained and rinsed
• ▢ 15 oz can baked beans , undrained
• ▢ 2/3 cup ketchup
• ▢ 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• ▢ 8 oz tomato sauce
• ▢ 1/4 cup molasses
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon hot sauce , or more, to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon liquid smoke , optional for smoky flavor
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper , or more, to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Add bacon to a large pot. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring often until crisp. Remove to a plate. Remove only some of the excess grease. Add onion to pan and sauté for 4 minutes. Add bell pepper and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bacon to stir to combine. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.
• Pour mixture into a 9×13 baking pan and bake, covered with foil, for one hour (or up to 2 hours, if you want them thicker consistency). Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving, for the sauce to thicken as it cools.
• Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

For Saucy Baked Beans: Cook for recommended 1 hour.

For Thick Baked Beans: Add an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour onto the cook time.

Sweetness level: I like my beans on the sweeter side, but if you don’t, you can cut down the brown sugar to ⅓ cup.

Instant Pot Baked Beans: Try my instant pot recipe that uses dry beans.

To Make Ahead: Prepare the beans up until the baking step. Refrigerate in a covered container for 3-4 days, depending on the freshness of ingredients used. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake as instructed.

To Freeze: Baked beans can be frozen in an air-tight freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in refrigerator before baking.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Cook bacon and sauté onion. Add all ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 11gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 871mgPotassium: 701mgFiber: 8gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 471IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 3mg

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