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!
This Baked Beans recipe is one of those recipes we have with so many of our family dinners and for potlucks and bbq’s. We also love easy summer recipes like my Classic Pasta Salad and Smoked Chicken Wings. This is one of my Side Dishes recipes I know you’ll 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! Don’t reach for a can of pre-seasoned and full of preservatives beans… whip up these easy and lip-smackingly delicious brown sugar and bacon baked beans instead! Your mouth will thank you.
Baked beans are such a classic dish, and I love how many varieties there are! 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! You get the savory flavor from the sautéed onions and peppers, sweetness from the brown sugar, and the smokiness from the molasses and of course, the bacon 🙂
I also like to season my bacon with a sprinkle of black pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, dried rosemary and brown sugar. 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. See my method for baking bacon below in the additional cooking tips section. Once bacon has cooled enough to handle, roughly chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Preheat oven to 325°F and set oven rack to lower-middle position.
- Cook onion and pepper. I like to use bacon grease to saute these in if I have it, but butter will work just as well. Just saute until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add beans, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and dry mustard. 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. Top evenly with partially cooked bacon.
- Bake 2-3 hours, until beans are desired consistency. 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. So I cook mine about 2.5 hours, sometimes up to 3. 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). 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 400°F. Immediately start a timer for 18-19 minutes.
No need to flip them or anything, just walk away until the timer beeps. 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. 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. You’ll also want to use 4 (15.5 oz each) cans of navy or pinto beans that have been drained and rinsed. 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 jalapeños instead of the green bell pepper. 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. Try adding 1/2 tsp of liquid smoke to the bean mixture. 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. Cook bacon all the way through to desired crispness, then set aside. Add all ingredients to slow cooker, stir and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours. If beans are too thin, remove lid and continue cooking (on HIGH now), until thickened to your liking. If your beans are too thick, stir in a little bit of water, as needed. Top beans with bacon before serving.
MAKING BAKED BEANS AHEAD OF TIME
You can make these beans a day or so ahead of time. 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. Then just add to baking dish, top with bacon and bake. 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 350°F 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 READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE 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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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.
Deb says
I’m really excited to try this recipe next week to serve to a large group of friends who are coming over for a BBQ. I hate to be such a dork… but which brand of pork and beans do you recommend? Does the cooking time change if I double the recipe? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
Not a dork at all! 🙂 I’ve used Campbells, Vandekamps, and even Bush’s. I’ve not doubled the recipe, so I can’t say for certain, so you might want to check them after 2 – 2 1/2 hours and see how they’re looking. I like my beans to be pretty thick, but others like theirs more liquid-y.
Kim says
These are very good! I didn’t sauté the veg and they were perfectly cooked after that long period in the oven. I also just laid pieces of raw bacon top.
Comer Ranaldi Sharon says
I made the Baked Bean recipe for my family on the 4 th of July. They loved them. I enjoyed the flavor and I used cannelloni beans.
Thank you for sharing.
2019
Sharon Mattingley Comer Ranaldi
Anchorage and Girdwood, Alaska
Amanda says
I’ve made this a few times now for BBQ parties and it is so good! And everyone seems to like it a lot!
Jennifer says
I am trying this recipe out soon. Those beans look delicious.
I couldn’t find dry mustard at the two grocery stores I visited (I have bought Colman’s in the past but a long time ago). I could only find ground mustard. Internet opinion is divided on whether these two are the same thing or can be substituted for each other. What do you think? Would it be better to use a prepared dijon mustard if I can’t find something like Colman’s?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve only used Colman’s, but this recipe is pretty forgiving, so I don’t think either option would be bad.
Denise Greene says
If you substitute the prepared mustard for dry, you can probably leave out the vinegar. If you’re going the other way, substituting dry for prepared, it’s usually recommended to add vinegar. 2 T of prepared is equivalent to 2 t of dry.
Cee says
Have been cooking and baking for over 60 years, and lately I’ve been looking for new versions of tried and true recipes. This one is a gem. Never knew that adding bell pepper to the beans would make such a taste difference. My husband said that they reminded him of the taste of the beans at our favorite BBQ restaurant. He was amazed. Can’t wait to share with family and friends.
Christina Smith says
Hi, I cannot wait to make this!
I am pre-making my Thanksgiving side dishes and freezing them because I have TWO Thanksgiving dinners to cook for.
What are your suggestions for making in advance and freezing to keep them from being watery or dried out????
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Christina! Wow, two dinners, go you 😀 If you scroll back up in the post a bit, I covered how to freeze these baked beans, in a heading titled “Freezing”.
Jen says
I came across this recipe searching for baked beans with bacon and it was AMAZING! My mom who always makes the beans for family gatherings actually tried this after I made it and said I am going to start bringing the beans from now on! Made just how it states and everyone rants and raves about hoe great the beans are! LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Mary says
I made this yesterday for a cookout we hosted, and it was absolutely amazing – best baked beans I’ve ever had, and the guests kept coming back for more! Will be making this over and over!
Merilyn says
These are he best baked beans ever! Everyone loves the sweetness of these beans! They were a big hit. It’s the 4th of July and I’m making them for our block party.
Thanks for the recipe!
Alex & Cherie says
Excellent beans, the kind where they disappear. I had to use prepared Mustard (being Buffalo, we use Weber’s Horseradish Mustard).
But this was just bang on goodness.
Scott says
This recipe has really good flavor, but I cooked them too long and the beans were thicker than I like. I baked them for 2.5 hours. Next time, i will bake them for 1.5 or 2 hours at the most.
Ashley says
I make these all the time. They are fantastic! Thank you for the recipe!
Elizabeth Smutz says
Tried this for a family BBQ & it was a hit, everyone kept complimenting! Easy recipe to follow if making larger portions ( did 3/54oz), the bacon is a little time consuming ( you can cook strips in oven for larger portions) . If short on time, chop the veggies the night before & premake the sauce only & combine the day of. Found out family prefers beans more saucy than what recipe calls for, so cooked 30-45 min less. Will definitely keep this recipe with the family!
Pat Procyshen says
Could this be done in a slaw cooker instead of traditional oven? How long would it have to cook that way (overnight? ). Thinking about taking it to a potluck as a way to keep it warm…
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested this recipe in a slow cooker so I couldn’t say for certain.
Lisa Rodgers says
I have mad Baked Beans for years… they were “good” nothing special. But these were amazing!! They tasted like what my Grandma used to make!! I think the secret is the Apple Cider Vinegar!
Charsei says
These were really good! My boyfriend’s nephew who said he doesn’t like baked beans said they were delicious. I think next time, I’ll cook the beans for a while first to firm them up, then put the bacon on top later, because the bacon just sunk in, and I think it’d be even better if it sat on top and gave it a little crunch
Lisa Y says
I discovered that these are actually better if cooked ahead, refrigerated, and reheated!! They were good the same day I made them, but even better the next!! Adding this recipe to my collection!
Hayley says
This recipe sounds amazing! I have a quick question and I apologize if it is a dumb one but I’m new to cooking so bear with me. I’m hosting my very first big Thanksgiving dinner for my family this year. Would these beans still taste good if I made them a day before and reheated them the next day?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Hayley 🙂 No such thing as a dumb question! I’ve never actually made them the day before then reheated, but I think it would be okay. I would probably bake them the day before a little less than usual. As the beans cook, they cook down the sauce thickens, so I would watch the beans around the 2 hour mark, and pull them out when they’re still slightly “looser” than you’d like. Cool them completely, cover and refrigerate. On Thanksgiving day, get the beans out of the refrigerator about 45 minutes before you want to start reheating them, so the pan can come to room temperature. Bake at 350, with the pan covered in foil, so the bacon doesn’t get burnt. Bake about 30-40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly throughout 🙂
Hayley says
Thank you!
Mrs. Norma Thomas-Herr says
Yes..We find that making Baked Beans the day before and reheating makes a big difference in the taste of the above Baked Bean recipe….And, I always make mine in the biggest Crock Pot on the market….let it rest overnight, reheat the next day, take to the party or outdoor BBQ hot, plug in on low and my beans are the hit of the party!!!
Norma Thomas-Herr, Wauseon, Ohio
Amanda says
I need to make this for 200. How much of each do I need
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never tested this recipe on that kind of scale… it’s 25x the recipe. So you’re going to have to multiple all the ingredients by 25, and you’re going to need a lot of pans.
Phil Goodrich says
Excellent recipe. Made it for the second time. First go was 3 days ago. Took it to a small potluck, Amazing how 6 people almost finished it. A couple of observations.
First time, I used two 28 oz cans of VanCamp,s pork and beans. I also had the oven at 350. After an hour and 45 minutes, the beans had a drier texture. Still moist and delicious, but no “loose” sauce. It all stays in place.
This time I used four 15 oz cans of Van Camp’s, so a little more volume. After two and a quarter hours the beans are juicier. Also delicious, but a spoon is required to fully appreciate. I’m going to shoot for something in the middle.
Lastly. 10 slices of bacon? Whose slices? That would be a pound and a half of some types. Turns out that there are 19 slices in a pound Hormel Black Label, so half a pound it is.