Baked Beans with Bacon
Easy homemade baked beans recipe using canned beans, with brown sugar and bacon on top, baked long and slow in the oven. The quintessential summer BBQ side dish!
Let me start off by saying baked beans are my husband's all time favorite side dish, he'll even crumble potato chips on top if he can, or I let him! I never make them from scratch but with summer grilling season upon us, I decided to dust off my super easy baked beans recipe.
I'd say these are semi-homemade, mostly from scratch except I use canned pork and beans as the base. You know the ones I'm talking about. Just need to doctor them up with a few ingredients and bake 'em. Super easy.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PORK AND BEANS AND BAKED BEANS
HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY SIDE DISH
- Start by dumping one can of pork and beans into bottom of a greased casserole.
- Sprinkle with some chopped onion and then with brown sugar/dry mustard mixture.
- Top with another can of pork and beans. Sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture, bacon pieces and catsup over top. Bake long and slow in the oven, 2½ hours at 325º
No need to stir during baking, just let them do their thing. The beans will thicken, bubble and brown and your kitchen will smell glorious. I let them rest a bit and then stir to combine everything. Delish.
RECIPE NOTES AND TIPS
- Start with canned pork and beans as your base, spooning off excess liquid at the top of the can. That's just what I do, you don't need all that extra liquid.
- If you want to be adventurous, try using pork belly instead of bacon. I have and love it! Cubed sous vide pork belly I got at Costco, it was delicious and very similar to bacon, practically melts in your mouth!
- Don't rush things, let them cook for a long time in a slow oven. Just leave them alone, they will do their thing.
- No need to stir during baking, let the bacon brown on top. Stir to combine when done.
- Let them rest, thicken and cool down. I actually like them best barely warm, room temp even.
Did I mention that Meathead puts crushed potato chips on his baked beans? Yep, a childhood thing he's never outgrown and his six brothers still razz him about it. Regardless, and yes, I think that's weird, these easy baked beans need to make an appearance more often in our house. Yours, too!! Enjoy, Kelly
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Baked Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 (28-ounce) cans pork and beans spoon off excess liquid from top
- ½ medium sweet onion, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard I like Colman's
- 6-8 slices (about ½ pound) thick cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces or pork belly!
- ½ cup catsup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º and grease a large 2½ to 3 quart casserole dish with bacon fat, just rub some bacon pieces around the dish.
- Empty one can of pork and beans (excess liquid skimmed off) into bottom of casserole dish. Combine brown sugar and mustard in small bowl. Sprinkle half the brown sugar/mustard mixture over beans. Scatter chopped onions over beans and brown sugar mixture.
- Empty second can of pork and beans over top. Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture. Scatter bacon pieces evenly over top, followed by catsup.
- Bake in slow oven (325º) for 2½ hours. Stir to combine and let rest at least 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Start with canned pork and beans as your base, spooning off excess liquid at the top of the can. That’s just what I do, you don’t need all that extra liquid.
- If you want to be adventurous, try using pork belly instead of bacon. I have and love it! Cubed sous vide pork belly I got at Costco, it was delicious and very similar to bacon, practically melts in your mouth!
- Don’t rush things, let them cook for a long time in a slow oven. Just leave them alone, they will do their thing.
- No need to stir during baking, let the bacon brown on top. Stir to combine when done.
- Let them rest, thicken and cool down. I actually like them best barely warm, room temp even.
Nutrition
I’ve tried so many baked bean recipes over the years until I found this one and now this recipe is the only one I continually make. I love the depth of flavor and how thick and yummy they are. I’m so glad my search for the perfect baked beans is finally over!
Hi Kelley. Thanks for letting me know. It's by far my husband's favorite side dish, and it's so easy!
This is pretty much my mother’s recipe but way too much brown sugar. I did it with this much because it looked like Mother’s but it was way too sweet. I’m trying it tomorrow with 1/3 cup brown sugar. Dried onion flakes work well too.
This is a fabulous recipe and the same as my mother’s recipe from the 1960s, which she called “Flavor Baked Beans.” Her recipe doesn’t call for onion, which I think would be a good addition. It’s in the oven right now, and the sweet smell is transporting me to back my childhood.
Is that 2 cans of the 28 oz or total of 28 oz (2 cans of 14 oz)?
Hi Dena. It's two cans of the 28-ounce size.
do you cover them while they are cooking?
Nope, I don't cover them. They get nice and caramelized on the top and thicken nicely uncovered. Just stir when finished cooking.
Do you think I need to cook the bacon first if using a crock pot?
Hi Bonnie. I’ve never done them in a slow cooker so I’m not sure. I don’t think it would hurt to cook the bacon first or you cook maybe mix it in the beans before cooking.
@Kelly, I would not ever cook the bacon. You need it to release all its flavor directly into the beans, whatever the cooking method.
If I’m doubling the recipe, should I double the baking time as well?
I have uncooked pork belly strips, would that work in this recipe and if so should I lay all the strips on top or put some in the middle? Thanks!
Yes, cut up into pieces like bacon and scatter across the top as per directions.
These beans are to die for! Made them for a gathering and everyone went nuts. So easy to make. But I made them in my slow cooker, and baked the bacon first. Let them cook on low for 6 hours.
Glad you liked them and the slow cooker worked so well!
Is the bacon or pork belly pre-cooked?
No. But the pork belly I bought was sous vide, already cooked. The recipe calls for uncooked bacon.
My husband is sooooo picky, and he said to never change my baked bean recipe. Thanks!!
I don't think my husband has met a baked bean he didn't like, lol! He loves this recipe, too.
I scoop my baked beans up with potato chips. Don’t knock it until you try it!!! Gonna make these beans this week!
Haha, my husband likes crunchy things on his food!
@Billie Nichols, Could also use nacho chips!
Can these be frozen? It's just 2 of us. I guess I could halve the recipe.
Yes, you can freeze baked beans.
Mercedes Beans