Literally the best baked beans! Why? Besides the fact they are easy-using canned beans and adding extra goodness like bacon to it, they are a deep smokey flavorful side that will be the perfect addition to your meal.
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What are Baked Beans?
This dish is made with white beans cooked in a savory sweet tomato sauce in the oven until the beans soak up all the flavors and juices. It's a classic side dish for grilled meats and burgers.
These beans can be made from scratch but why do all that extra work when you can make baked beans with canned beans? We use canned beans to jump-start the recipe but add simple ingredients from your fridge and pantry for a semi-homemade side dish.
This recipe came down from my great-great grandma and she is 100% is famous for it. If you love beans you've got to try my Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans or Easy Refried Beans!
Why You Will Love This Canned Baked Beans Recipe
- Simple Recipe. This recipe for baked beans from canned beans requires minimal effort and relies on easy-to-find ingredients.
- Versatile Side Dish. These beans go with everything from Country-Style Ribs to Instant Pot Bone-In Chicken creating hearty and satisfying dishes the whole family loves.
- Homemade Flavor. No one will know these brown sugar baked beans all started with a can! They taste freshly made and totally home-cooked.
Ingredients
- Canned baked beans: The best canned baked beans to use are ones that you enjoy! I like to get the traditional flavor where the beans are in a tomato sauce. Since we're going to be adding more ingredients for flavor to them, it doesn't matter what brand you use!
- Bacon: Crisp bacon adds smokiness, salty flavors, and a meaty component to these beans.
- Brown sugar: The molasses in brown sugar adds more depth of flavor to your beans than granulated sugar. You can use light or dark brown sugar depending on your preference and what you have on hand.
- Dried mustard: This adds an earthy and savory flavor to the sauce.
- Tomato sauce: Intensifies the tomato flavor and adds a sauciness to the beans.
- Onion: Added for flavor.
- Jalapeno or bell pepper: We love jalapeno for a bit of heat but if you want your beans less spicy you can use a green bell pepper instead.
Variation
This easy baked beans recipe can be changed up to fit your tastes and dietary needs. Here are a few ideas for inspiration.
- Vegetarian baked beans. Skip the bacon and cook the onions and peppers in a bit of vegetable oil. If you want a similar smoky flavor you can add a half teaspoon of smoked paprika or a few dashes of liquid smoke.
- Baked beans with meat. Skip the bacon and add shredded beef or chopped ham to your beans. This is a great way to repurpose and use up leftovers.
- Change up the beans. You can swap out one can of the baked beans for another variety of beans such as black beans, kidney beans, or pinto beans.
How to Make Baked Beans
These oven-baked beans with bacon go together in just a few simple steps. Here's a look at the highlights.
- Step 1: Cook the chopped bacon in a pan until crispy. Once it's done, remove the bacon from the pan but keep a couple tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan. Add the onions and peppers to the pan and cook until soft.
- Step 2: Add the tomato sauce to the pot.
- Step 3: Add the canned beans, brown sugar, dried mustard, and cooked bacon.
- Step 4: Stir everything together and bake.
What to Eat with Baked Beans
These are a famous side dish for summer meals, potlucks, outdoor grilling and so much more. They really are a dish you can enjoy all year long.
Serve them up as a side dish for grilling favorites like these Grilled Steak Skewers and Smoked Pulled Pork.
Pair them with your favorite vegetable salads like this Watermelon and Cucumber Salad, Cucumber, Tomato Onion Salad, and Summer Corn Salad.
They go great with a dish of homemade Potato Salad and Cheesy Potato Wedges.
Expert Tips
- Storing Tip: Store any extras you have in an air-tight container or bag and place in the fridge. They will keep for 7-10 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove.
- Use a Dutch Oven. Cook the bacon and veggies in an oven-safe pan that you can put directly into the oven to bake the beans. This will save you some time on cleanup.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Homemade baked beans taste amazing and better after they've baked. This gives the flavors to marry and meld together in the heat of the oven. It creates a deep flavor that won't be matched by just stirring ingredients together, or opening up a can from the grocery store. TRUST ME.
Yes, of course! You can make the a day ahead, refrigerate in an airtight container, and the next day just reheat before serving. You can also make the earlier in the day and keep them warm in a crockpot or store and reheat them on the stove.
More Summer Side Dish Recipes
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Best Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 56 ounces pork & beans 2 large cans
- 1 lb bacon cut and fried
- 1 onion chopped small
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 8 ounces can tomato sauce
- 1-2 jalapeno diced
Instructions
- In fry pan start browning cut bacon. When bacon is almost brown add onion and jalapeño and saute until onions are translucent and jalapeños are soft.
- Drain excess grease from pan
- Stir all ingredients together.
- Bake at 350 for 1-1.5 hours
Notes
- Storing Tip: Store any extras you have in an air-tight container or bag and place in the fridge. They will keep for 7-10 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove.
- Use a Dutch Oven. Cook the bacon and veggies in an oven-safe pan that you can put directly into the oven to bake the beans. This will save you some time on cleanup.
Nutrition
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Iris says
DELICIOUS!! . . . Jum,Jum
Theresa greer says
😋
Clara says
These were amazing! making them ever holiday!