Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (2024)

Home » BBQ Recipes » Best Baked Beans (with bacon)

Published: · Modified: by Arlene Mobley · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to Recipe

This is the best baked beans with bacon recipe you will ever make. It is the all time favorite and most requested bbq side dish recipe I make to serve with ribs, chicken or beef.

Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (1)

These baked beans are easy to make because they start out with canned pork and beans.

This best rib side dish recipe is so easy to make, has only 7 ingredients and two of them are condiments AND you only need to dirty the a spoon and the baking pan you will be baking the baked beans in.

Once you mix the canned beans with the perfect combination of ketchup, mustard and brown sugar you end up a big pan of the best old fashioned southern baked beans you will ever taste.

I have been making these bbq baked beans for over 30 years ever since a family friend shared her baked bean recipe with me.

It is the best bbq side dish recipe there is.

This recipe was originally published on Jun 27, 2017 but has been updated June 21, 2021 with new photos and info.

I make it the mostly over the summer months when we have a big backyard family bbq's and will be making it for the 4th of July.

Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (2)

Ingredients to make the recipe

Scroll below to the printable recipe card where you will find the ingredient amounts.

  • canned pork and beans
  • dark brown sugar
  • hot dogs, sliced into circles
  • finely diced onion
  • ketchup
  • yellow mustard
  • quality bacon
Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (3)

Step by step instructions

Follow my easy step by step instructions to make this southern summer side dish recipe.

Step 1: Pour the canned beans into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (4)

Step 2: Add the brown sugar to the pan with the beans. Mix well breaking up the clumps of brown sugar. Mix until the brown sugar dissolves.

Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (5)

Step 3: Add the diced onions, hot dog pieces, ketchup and mustard to the pan. Mix well to evenly combine the ingredients.

Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (6)

Step 4: Arrange the bacon slices over the beans.

Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (7)

Use the entire pack of bacon and cover the entire top of the beans.

Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (8)


Arrange bacon slices across the top of the beans.

Step 5: Bake the beans in a preheated 350 F. degree oven for 2½ to 3 hours or until the bacon is browned and crispy.

The best-baked beans recipe is cooked in the oven low and slow. Depending on your oven, of course, check frequently.

This recipe makes enough baked beans to serve a crowd.

Recipe FAQS

How long to cook baked beans?

This southern style baked beans recipe should be done in about 3 hours. You can lower the oven temp and cook them even longer if needed.

What kind of canned beans for baked beans?

I prefer VanCamps canned pork and beans to make baked beans but you can use any brand of canned pork and beans you have on hand.

What kind of beans are pork and beans made from?

Most canned pork and beans are made with Navy beans, sometimes also referred to as pea beans, or small white beans.

Expert Recipe Tips

  • Place the 9 x 13 inch baking pan on a cookie sheet to prevent spills when moving the pan to and from the oven.
  • Which canned pork and beans?:I prefer VanCamps pork and beans. The beans taste good and are high quality.
  • Bacon: Bacon brands can vary in quality. Buy the best you can afford.
  • Brown sugar: I always use dark brown sugar because it is made with molasses and add just enough flavor.
  • Onions: Please do not be tempted to leave out the onions.
Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (9)

More BBQ side dish recipes

  • Old Fashioned Potato Salad Recipe
  • How To Make a Homemade Coleslaw
  • Creamy Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese (with Velveeta)
  • Sour Cream Cheddar Pasta Salad

Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (14)

Best Baked Beans Recipe

Arlene Mobley - Flour On My Face

A family favorite Baked Beans recipe that will feed a crowd or just the family with plenty of leftovers for the next day. This is the best baked beans recipe you will ever taste. Perfect barbecue side dish recipe served with ribs, chicken or beef. Delicious homemade baked beans with canned beans and bacon.

5 from 5 votes

Rate this Recipe

Print Recipe Pin RecipeSave Recipe

Click here to add your own private recipe notes.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 16 Servings

Calories 458 kcal

Ingredients

  • 106 oz. canned Pork and Beans ((two 53 ounce cans of VanCamps Pork and Beans))
  • 2 ½ cups of dark brown sugar
  • 5 whole beef hot dogs (sliced into circles)
  • 1 cup of diced onion (finely diced)
  • 4 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 16 oz. ounce package regular cut bacon

Follow Flour On My Face on Pinterest

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients, except the bacon to a large 9 x 13 baking pan

  • Stir well to combine.

  • Arrange bacon slices across the top of the beans.

  • Bake in a 350-degree oven for 2 ½ hours or until the bacon is browned and slightly crispy.

  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Video

Recipe Expert Tips

  • All canned beans are not equal. Some have way more liquid than beans. If you use a very runny can of pork and beans the baked beans will be very runny. Pour a small amount of the liquid out of the can before adding the bean to the baking pan. Save it in case you need it later.
  • Do not omit the onion.
  • You can adjust the brown sugar, slightly.
  • Use a spoon to scoop off the excess grease that might come to the top of the baking pan, if needed.
  • Place the 9 x 13 inch baking pan on a cookie sheet to prevent spills when moving the pan to and from the oven.
  • Which canned pork and beans?:I prefer VanCamps pork and beans. The beans taste good and are high quality.
  • Bacon: Bacon brands can vary in quality. Buy the best you can afford.
  • Brown sugar: I always use dark brown sugar because it is made with molasses and add just enough flavor.
  • Onions: Please do not be tempted to leave out the onions.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 458kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 14gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 1034mgPotassium: 712mgFiber: 11gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 31IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 134mgIron: 4mg

Tried this recipe?Share a picture on Instagram and tag @flouronmyface2

Need a perfect BBQ potatoes side dish recipe? Another family favorite BBQ side dish recipe is my skillet Garlic Potatoes recipe.

Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (15)

Love the Best Baked Beans recipe? Check out my BBQ Recipe page

More BBQ Recipes

  • Iced Tea Recipes
  • Sides For Smoked Chicken
  • Potato Sides For Ribs
  • Simple Sides For Ribs

About Arlene Mobley

Arlene Mobley author of Flour On My Face-a Food & Lifestyle website helping busy families get dinner on the table by serving easy recipes every week.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laurie

    I plan on making this in a large stock pot for a part of 80 - 90 people. Do you think it will be ok if I just cut up the bacon and put it in with the beans as opposed to placing it on top? Any other recommendations?

    Reply

    • Laurie

      Also... any make ahead recommendations?

      Reply

    • Arlene Mobley

      Laurie

      Sorry I didn't see this comment before the holiday. How did your beans turn out? I bet they were delicious either way. I like to place the bacon slices on top so they get nice and browned but you could also cook it in the beans. It just won't brown.

      Reply

      • Laurie

        I actually haven't made them yet. They're for a party on 12/16. Should I consider frying the bacon before adding it to the beans? Also... have you ever made them in advance and reheated them?

        Thanks for your response!

      • Arlene Mobley

        Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (20)
        Hi Laurie

        You could fry the bacon. It would have a better texture. I have not made these in advance but I am sure it would be fine if you did mix up the ingredients a day or two ahead. I would hold off on adding the bacon and onion until the day you cook them though. The reason I say the onion also is because the onion flavor might overwhelm the flavor of the beans if they are mixed in for a long period of time before you cook them. With the bacon if you decide not to fry it wait until the day you plan to cook the beans. The raw bacon might get an off color. If you decided to fry the bacon then it should be fine if you mix it in ahead of time.

  2. Sam

    As a child, my mom couldn't even sneak onion POWDER past me (separate meatloaf coming up!). I doubt that any self-respecting onion hater would let this slide. lol

    Reply

    • Arlene Mobley

      LOL Sam I have a family member who if she sees the onion she will not eat whatever it is. I can sneak it by her pretty good as long as she doesn't see it. The brown sugar and slight mustard flavor does a great job of masking the onion flavor in this baked beans recipe.

      Reply

  3. Anna

    Do you drain the beans? I dumped it all in like you said and it was overflowing my 9x13 pan.

    Reply

    • Arlene Mobley

      Anna

      No you don't drain the beans. I've never had this happen but some brands of beans have more liquid. Did you use the Van de Kamp bean brand I mentioned in the recipe?

      Reply

  4. Hope

    I usually make my baked beans with ground beef. But this look delicious!

    Reply

    • Arlene Mobley

      Thank you Hope!

      Reply

      • Leslie

        Can you make this in the crockpot

      • Arlene Mobley

        Leslie

        I've never tried it in the crock pot.

  5. Debbie

    I like to use molasses in my beans. Can I substitute for the ketchup?

    Reply

    • Arlene Mobley

      Debbie

      You could leave out the ketchup but it will alter the flavor a bit. Why not leave it and just add the molasses?

      Reply

  6. Jennie

    When serving, does the bacon break up easily or come out in long strips?

    Reply

    • Arlene Mobley

      Jenna Tha bacon pieces hold their shape and can easily be cut with a serving spoon. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the recipe!

      Reply

  7. debbie

    my mom always made her baked beans this way, instead of hot dogs she used the little
    smoked sausages, but she said the key to the beans being so good, was cooking,them slow
    and for at least two hours

    Reply

    • Arlene Mobley

      Debbie

      Your mom was a smart cookie! Low and slow is the way to make the best baked beans~ thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  8. Miz Helen

    Your Baked Beans are just fabulous and make me wish picnic time was here right now. Hope you have a very special weekend and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

    • Arlene Mobley

      Miz Helen thsnk you so much. Have a great Easter!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Best Baked Beans recipe for your summer barbecue (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to baked beans to make them taste better? ›

Here's what we dress them up with:
  1. Bacon.
  2. Onion.
  3. Maple syrup.
  4. Spicy mustard.
  5. Beef sausage.
  6. Molasses.
  7. Ketchup.
  8. Cider vinegar.
Jun 20, 2023

What's the difference between Boston baked beans and regular baked beans? ›

What is the difference between Boston baked beans and baked beans? The main difference between baked beans and Boston baked beans comes down to the use of molasses. Boston baked beans bake in a sauce typically made with molasses while traditional baked beans cook in brown sugar and corn syrup.

Can you put Bush's baked beans on the grill? ›

The direct heat side is great for cooking hotdogs, hamburgers, or other popular summertime quick-grilling meats. The indirect heat side allows you to slowly cook items such as delicious baked beans – providing time for the smoky flavor to come through, without the harsh, direct heat that could cause the beans to burn.

What can I add to beans to make them nicer? ›

As for herbs, woody types like thyme, sage, and rosemary, are also great — add those in with the beans and water. I always add bay leaves at this stage, too, since they bring that herbaceous can't-put-your-finger-on-it flavor.

How do you pimp up baked beans? ›

Firstly, lets kick off with how to upgrade your current beans on toast game. One idea is to add marmite (trust me, it's lovely if you like marmite). You can also spice up you're your baked beans by adding a teaspoon of your favourite spice, for example smoked paprika, cumin or chilli powder if your feeling adventurous.

How do you enhance the flavor of canned baked beans? ›

A few ideas:
  1. Rinse the beans.
  2. Spice (cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder) and warm them up.
  3. Mix with other ingredients (add vegetables, cooked rice, pasta, or use them as a filling for wraps or tacos)
  4. Mix with your own sauce (onion+bell pepper+carrot+canned tomatoes)
Aug 3, 2023

Why do you put vinegar in baked beans? ›

Cider vinegar added at the end balances the flavor profile. It's important not to add vinegar until the end so as to maintain the mixture's pH balance throughout the cooking process.

What makes Bush's baked beans so good? ›

Our Homestyle Baked Beans are deliciously tomato-based—which makes them a bit tangier than the original—with brown sugar, bold spices and a specially cured bacon.

What beans does Bush's baked beans use? ›

Bush's® Original Baked Beans are a Secret Family Recipe of navy beans slow-cooked with specially cured bacon, fine brown sugar and our signature blend of spices.

What can I add to Bush's baked beans to make them better? ›

How to make Canned Baked Beans Taste Homemade:
  1. Canned Baked Beans: Use an “original” or simply-flavored style of canned baked beans. ...
  2. Bacon: Use your favorite brand but here, too, avoid flavored bacon.
  3. Mustard: I like spicy brown mustard for this baked beans recipe, but Dijon mustard or yellow mustard will also work.
Jul 1, 2020

Why is there white stuff in my bush's baked beans? ›

If you're worried about the white stuff on top, it's fat that cooked out of the bacon & rose to the top as it cooled.

What is the white stuff in the can of Bush's baked beans? ›

But the saponins in beans are harmless, so while that foam might be a bit shocking when you spot it, just keep rinsing until it is all gone and carry on with your recipe. It's all natural. Ready for an easy dinner that starts with a can of beans?

Why put mustard in baked beans? ›

Onion: a diced onion adds savory spice to the baked bean mixture. Brown sugar: brown sugar adds sweetness and depth of flavor thanks to the molasses inside. Steak sauce and yellow mustard: steak sauce and mustard add savory flavor and tang to balance out the sweetness of the pineapple and brown sugar.

What are the best spices to put in beans? ›

Toss drained/rinsed/dried beans with a bit of olive oil (or avocado oil) and your favorite seasonings. You can add crushed whole seeds (coriander, cumin, fennel, mustard, etc.), woodsy herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage), red pepper flakes, crushed garlic cloves, and of course salt and pepper.

What do you eat with baked beans? ›

Usually baked beans are considered a side dish, most commonly served to accompany some kind of sausage. Other main dishes that baked beans go well with include scrambled eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches. Other side dishes that go well with baked beans include corn on the cob and cole slaw.

Why do my baked beans taste bland? ›

Undercooking your beans

Overcooking can detract from the eating experience, leaving your beans bland and lifeless. Undercooking beans, on the other hand, can put yourself at risk of food-borne illness. This is especially true for red beans like kidney beans.

What can I add to baked beans to prevent gas? ›

The one tried and true method she taught me to reduce the gassy effect of beans, is this: add a tiny amount of baking soda to the pot half an hour or so before you're ready to serve them to “release” the gasses from them. Be set to stir down the violent reaction. This works no matter how you've seasoned them.

What tastes good with baked beans? ›

Usually baked beans are considered a side dish, most commonly served to accompany some kind of sausage. Other main dishes that baked beans go well with include scrambled eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches. Other side dishes that go well with baked beans include corn on the cob and cole slaw.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Catherine Tremblay

Last Updated:

Views: 6030

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Catherine Tremblay

Birthday: 1999-09-23

Address: Suite 461 73643 Sherril Loaf, Dickinsonland, AZ 47941-2379

Phone: +2678139151039

Job: International Administration Supervisor

Hobby: Dowsing, Snowboarding, Rowing, Beekeeping, Calligraphy, Shooting, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Catherine Tremblay, I am a precious, perfect, tasty, enthusiastic, inexpensive, vast, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.