Baked Beans Recipe
This easy Baked Beans recipe is hearty and thick with tender beans. Bring these to your next potluck or BBQ and everyone will agree that this is a great recipe! They are the perfect side dish to ham, burgers, hot dogs, and fit for an occasion like Easter, Fourth of July, or Christmas.
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BAKED BEAN RECIPE
Homemade baked beans are always a menu item essential to any BBQ or potluck. I have one recipe on this blog for easy baked beans and it’s my friend Heidi’s Famous Baked Beans.
They’re fabulous which is why I didn’t feel the need to ever look for another recipe. Everyone that makes them, loves them.
The only difference that is notable in this recipe from Heidi’s recipe is this recipe has beef in it. This recipe has a whopping pound and a half of savory beef which means it goes a long way and feeds a lot of people.
HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS
My sister who loves easy recipes, has a trick where she just buys canned baked beans and puts them in a slow cooker like she made them herself! Guess what? I can tell for sure they’re not from scratch and I’m sure most people can tell that they aren’t homemade. Gigs up sis.
WHY I LIKE THESE
This are the best baked beans recipe and are my favorite beans for feeding a crowd. They start with canned beans and have a spicy brown mustard instead of a yellow mustard or dry mustard.
The bacon cooks on top and a little bacon fat cooks into the beans giving them great flavor. These have a thick sauce made with ketchup and bbq sauce.
The sauce ingredients includes a savory flavor mixture of ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and spicy brown mustard.
The simple ingredients blend beautifully in the oven, simmering away for 45 minutes. Add this to your Fourth of July menu!
HOW TO MAKE BAKED BEANS
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First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
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Next, in a large skillet brown the ground beef. When beef is about halfway done add the onions and bell peppers. Sauté. Continue to cook until beef is done and the veggies are soft. Drain meat mixture.
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Add the pork and beans, barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar to the mixture. Stir. Simmer mixture for 5 minutes. Transfer the bean mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Add salt to taste.
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Finally, sprinkle the bacon pieces over the top of the casserole. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let dish sit for 10 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
HOW DO YOU MAKE BAKED BEANS IN A SLOW COOKER?
Make the recipe as directed then add them to a slow cooker at the end. Keep on low heat for 4-6 hours or until desired consistency.
WHAT SIDE SHOULD I BRING TO A POTLUCK?
Finally, if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me this question. These hearty Baked beans are probably the most requested side at any potluck or family reunion.
However, if you are looking a couple other savory side dish options, I would suggest these classic recipes like Broccoli Salad, Cowboy Caviar, Frito Corn Dip, or this Crunchy Pea Salad.
HOW DO I TRANSPORT THIS DISH?
I would suggest transferring them to a slow cooker or crock pot to keep them warm if you’re not eating them right away.
OTHER POTLUCK RECIPES
- Hawaiian Baked Bean Recipe
- Green Bean Casserole Recipe
- The Best Bean Dip
- Red Potato Salad
- Heavenly Green Beans
- Pizza Pasta Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Deviled Eggs
The Best Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
- 2 (16-oz cans) pork and beans
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6 to 8 slices bacon, cut into pieces and cooked
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan brown the ground beef. When beef is about halfway done add the onions and bell peppers. Continue to cook until beef is done and the veggies are soft. Drain meat mixture.
- Add the pork and beans, barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar to the mixture. Simmer mixture for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the bacon pieces over the top of the casserole. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let dish sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Great recipe! I plan to make it. Try adding a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies to it such as Rotel. I do that with many recipes including spaghetti, lasagna, chili, chicken vegetable soup, and hamburger stew. It adds to the flavor.
Thank you!
This my 2nd go at it. It may just be my go to recipe for confort and joy. It’s like a side with a protein punch.
Thank you!
That sounds like an easy,delicious recipe for baked beans,will definitely have to make it!
Hope you do!
Hi Christy, by any chance do you know how long I can safely store this baked bean dish in the fridge BEFORE it is baked? Thank you!
Ooh at least 3 days or so if not longer.
Do you drain the pork and beans?
This recipe is very similar to a recipe passed down from my in-laws. The only difference is add a packet of dry Onion soup mix, and then 1/2cup of brown sugar, instead of 1/4cup. 1 15oz can of light Kidney beans. The kidney beans if I have they go in or 3 cans Baked beans and onions. I always double the recipe up at parties because these are truly the best with onion soup mix added.
Great tips! I’ll have to try that.
would you still add the onion and the onion soup mix?
When you sprinkle the bacon pieces on the top / are they cooked or raw? I know it’s cooking in the oven for 45 minutes so I’m thinking your putting on raw but just wanted to ask!
Yes, they are cooked!
The directions say cooked. Please advise. Raw or cooked?
It says in the recipe cooked.
I am not much into baked beans casseroles, but had 28 ounce can of Bush Barbecue Beans I had to use up from the pantry. I used all ingredients, but cut back on the some of the sweet ingredients and used chipotle mustard and salt and pepper. Wow, very impressed with this recipe. I know like a baked bean casserole. Thanks for the easy fast, comfort dish recipe. I only used 1 lb of beef and was perfect for our liking. If I make for a bigger group though, I will add the other 1/2 lb.
Thank you Dawn!
Why do you do a pound and a half and not 1 or go ahead and do 2? I can easily do a pound and a half but it sounds odd. What do you do with half a pound lol?
It’s not that uncommon? My store sells 20 ounces/
Only change I made was to cook bacon hamburger and onions together, also used the cheepest beans with tomato sauce.
Better the next day.
Thanks for the receipt.
You are welcome!
My family loves this recipe and my go to for bringing a side dish when it goes with the menu at someones party and everyone always loves it!
I’m so glad you love it!
Good heavens, when I’m looking for a baked bean recipe I don’t expect it to use as its base cans of store bought baked beans! Jeepers. And then to that over-prepared over-processed crap you’re adding bbq sauce and ketchup. I consider much of the benefit of making things myself is having control over the sugar/salt/chemicals. This recipe is crazy.
There are other recipes out there to your liking. No need to be a rude fuddy dud. Just keep strolling and find what you like. I’ve made this recipe for a crowd and it works just fine and is very tasty. Your negativity isn’t welcome here!
Thank you Nadia!
Sorry you’re not a fan but many are. Feel free to look elsewhere.
The button should say “Post *positive* comment”. There is no indication that only positive comments are allowed. In an era when 2/3 of Americans are overweight, I think my comments were germane.
There is no problem in stating that you don’t like a recipe, however, there is no need to be rude.
If you consider those comments to be rude you’d best avoid the comment section of almost any major website. My comments were a light snack.
Get a real problem Bob ble Head….
😆😆😆
Shut the fuck up Bob
Bob’s comment may have been a bit brusque but that sort of language is completely uncalled for.
Bob you are a POS loser. Nobody cares what you think. These beans are awesome.
What kind of barbecue sauce do you prefer?
Love Sweet Baby Rays!
I agree!
Do you drain the beans?
Ok I made these for a birthday party last night and everyone and I mean everyone
Thought they were fabulous! I followed it to a tee except I added a smidge of allspice.
Not sure if it made any difference. I think they would have been fabulous without it.
I’ve made lots of bean recipes and this is the only one in my 65 years I’ve had compliments on. Thank you for sharing this!
So happy hearing that.
You don’t need to drain the beans!
This might sound like a dumb question but do you know how to double the ingredients for about 20 people I would really appreciate it thank you
It serves about 12 so I would probably double it.
I’m worried that only 2 cans of beans isn’t enough.
I thought so too—— so now I’m going to buy another can and drain it before outing it in. I skipped the ground beef but may try it at a later date
It is I promise.
For 20-30 people I double the recipe. I would use 5 cans of baked beans and 2 lbs of beef. 1cup brown sugar and double the rest. Add a packet of onion soup mix too.
That just is the icing on the cake. Seriously. 5 years ago we entered it in a baked beans contest. We took 1st place with the recipe. I’m glad this recipe is on here.
What size can of beans? Please and thank you.
What year/time did they put hamburger in bake beans? Just had them this past weekend 6-30-2019. Very odd to me but they were taste. The person who made them can’t get out of her 1970’s life so I kind of think that’s when it might have been introduced. Never had those kind of beans when I was a kid in the 70’s. But I’m going to try your recipe. Will send comment after I make them.
Let me know?!
This was incredible – my family LOVES it in every way!
So glad you agree!
Can you cook on high in the crockpot instead of doing in the oven?
Absolutely although the bacon gets a little crispy in the oven on top which I like.
I was thinking of doing mine in the crockpot also, just for the purpose of saving time, but I’m sure if you maybe cooked the bacon ahead of time on the stove it may work also. Just an idea. I’m making mine tonight so I will let you know how the bacon works out.
Christy, can you give me a suggestion as to how long i should cook in the crockpot? I would pre cook my ground beef. So probably just long enough to let the other ingredients blend together. This will be eaten the next day.
Yeah so I would say on low for about 3-4 hours.
I just wanted baked beans to go with our smoked hamburgers and potato salad.. Your recipe sounded yummy – so I tried it – without the ground beef. We thought it was a winner! I will for sure make it again, when we want baked beans.
So glad you loved it Suzanne!
Thanks, Suzanne! I am making baked beans to go with hot dogs and hamburgers and was wondering if I could make this recipe without the hamburger. I’m going to try it tonight because it sounds sooooo yummy. I will let you know how it goes. 🙂
I made these the other day and they are delicious! Everyone loved them. The only change I made was I only used one pound of ground beef and I put them in the crock pot for 4 hours.
Thanks for the recipe!
Beans out of a can are not homemade beans.
Just wondering, do you drain the pork and beans?
I love baked beans! It is a must for all grilling all summer long!
I agree! And these are the best!
Was wondering what kind of BBQ sauce, and spicy brown Mustad is best to use. Hoping to try soon. Thank you
Honestly it’s totally up to you. I use Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce and mustard from my deli.
These baked beans were a huge hit with my family. We love how hearty they are with the ground beef added in!
Thanks Milisa!
These baked beans are amazing… a perfect side dish recipe1
Thank you!
Baked beans are always a must-have for our family cookouts. So delicious!
Thanks Jamie!
I made these to go along side my burgers and it was the perfect side dish. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Kristen!
Theo’s bqq beans its been 15 years the last one I had them and I tried the Recipe I dont have no words for it just the best thx for w everything
Awww thanks!
any idea on how to do this recipe in the crock pot?
THIS WAS GREAT!!! I took it to a family barbecue and every loved it! I am now officially the baked beans bringer for our family get togethers.
AWESOME!!!! So glad I could help.
I see you said that these can be cooked in the crockpot for 4 hours. Is this on high or low?
On low!
Made this for a family reunion. It was so good that I’m pretty sure I’m no longer the black sheep of the family!
Thank for you for an amazing recipe.
Haha that’s hilarious.
Delicious!! Made this yesterday to take to a 4th of July cookout. Everyone loved it!! I used onion powder instead of an onion and left out the pepper also. Will definitely make this again.
So glad you loved it!
Can I make these in the crockpot? And for how long?
You definitely need to brown the meat ahead of time but then you can cook it for 4 hours in a crockpot.
I rarely write reviews online but felt compelled on this one. The recipe came out delicious. Only had one pound of venison burger on hand and used bacon fat to sauté. Didn’t drain the cooked liquid but half drained the beans (1 can Pork n Beans/1 can Tri-blend beans). We don’t eat a lot of sweetened foods, so this was a treat. Definitely a go to for any picnic or potluck.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as we did.
This is ABSOLUTELY delicious! I use a sweet and spicey sausage instead of the ground beef and it’s such an added touch to an already amazing recipe.
I bet it was so good!
I’ve made these several times. always a hit. I hate baked beans but I love these. Sometimes I’ll just do one pound of hamburger in them and add more bacon in the beans as well as what goes on top. If I’m feeling some other type of beans i’ll switch one or both cans for another flavor like the homestyle bush’s. These are the only baked beans i’ll make.
Great tips. Thank you Chelsi!
Is there a better combination on this green earth than beans and bacon?
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I don’t think so!
Just ok for us. Not going to give up on them just yet. It seems to have all the right ingredients but something was off. I think adding some white vinegar will make these taste normal.
Found your recipe when searching for last-minute potluck ideas. They smell amazing! My wife’s coworkers are going to love these. Thank you!
Completely awesome, best beans I have ever eaten!
Oh thank you!
These sound & look delicious. I’ll be making these next Saturday night for my pastor’s surprise 80th birthday gathering! Can’t wait to eat them! 😊
Hope you love them!
Ok to use a foil pan?
Absolutely!
I tried these beans for Father’s Day and they were delicious! I plan on making them for my daughter’s first birthday party as well. Can I prep these the night before and cook them the next day?
Absolutely! Just leave the bacon out so it doesn’t get soggy.
Made these for Memorial Day BBQ and now 4th of July bbq. Sooo good!!
Thank you! They’re one of my faves.
Your baked beans sauce seems very nice. This type of baked beans can be preseve and frozen like other baked beans were, can’t it?
Yes!
Do you need to drain the cans of pork and beans beforehand or use the liquid in the cans as well?
I use the whole can liquid and all.
Made these tonight for hubby and I they truly are the best baked beans, had left overs put them in freezer for another dinner maybe with a tossed salad. Very hardy thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome!
These are amazing! I’m making them today for what is probably the 5th time since I found the recipe towards the end of last year. Any time we have a family get-together now, my family requests that I make them.
Thank you! I love hearing that!
I must say this sauce is really delish. I didn’t intend to make baked beans. I put the beans on to cook and forgot them and took a nap. When I woke up and went into the kitchen I remembered the beans. There wasn’t a drop of water in the pot. So I ran and got on Pinterest. Found this recipe and made the sauce and it turned out great. Just enough sauce to cover the beans. All I did was heat them up and they’re ready to eat! Taste great!
Haha. What a story! Glad I could help!
Can you cook this in a crockpot also ?
You could. You would have to brown the beef first though and then cook the bacon separately and add right before serving otherwise you’ll have soggy bacon.
These beans were sooooo good! Just remember to cook the bacon pieces before you sprinkle them on top of the beans, and the liquid will thicken right up when you uncover the dish for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. Just follow the recipe, easy and delicious! My new go to baked beans! Thanks a bunch!
Oh yes one more thing, when the ground beef and veggies were done cooking together I drained the excess grease, and then continued the recipe as written. Turned out perfect! Thanks again!
Thanks Lori for all of your feedback!
This may be a silly question, as I’ve never made baked beans before, but do you drain the meat and veggie mixture before adding the pork and beans? Thanks!!
Yes Megan you definitely drain the meat and veggies before moving on to the rest of the steps! I’ve made this mistake several times cooking other things, and they were just a big greasy mess! i always drain the grease unless the recipe specifically says not to lol.
Yes, you should drain the meat. I usually use pretty lean meat so I don’t have to drain it but if you have a fattier beef you will definitely want to drain it.
Thanks! I made these beans and they were delicious!! Definitely a keeper!!
So good to hear!!
Hi there! I want to make this delicious looking recipe for my 4th of July cookout and I was wondering about how many people this would feed?
Great question! About 12 servings.
Thank you so much, looking forward to making this for the 4th!!
Do you think these would freeze well? And if I did freeze them, I’m assuming it would be before baking,, right? And then add the bacon in after they are thawed and just before baking? Thank you! I can’t wait to try these!
Yes, I would freeze before baking. And like you said add the bacon after thawed.
I made this yesterday for a late mothers day dinner for my family and it was a HUGE hit! Suggestion.. I would use less brown sugar bc it’s really sweet AND I found that the more bacon the better ☺️
I agree more bacon is always better!
Omg! I made these for a BBQ and they were the best baked beans I have ever had. I highly recommend!
Yay!!! Love hearing that.
To make these even better, instead of using hamburger I used jimmy dean hot sausage. Yummy
That would add a ton of flavor, I love sausage.
So this is basically canned beans with some added ingredients
As supposed to…? They’re good. Don’t knock it til you try it.
Why post a rating when you haven’t tried the recipe?
🙂
Well yes you are correct but I don’t get your point? It’s a recipe not a magazine article about canned beans in COSMO.
just made them they didn’t get thick at all and the bacon didn’t seem to get crispy (I left it in for over 5 min more) but they taste soooo good
Shoot. Wonder why it didn’t thicken up?
Can you make it and leave out the hamburger if you want them as a side dish and don’t want too much meat?
I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say for sure. I’m sure you could.
I bought all ingredients yesterday to make tonight. But I myself love Bush baked beans. So I bought that brand, and the vegetarians ones not the ones with pork, since the recipe already contains ground beef and bacon. Also, I will wait until the foil is removed and there is only 10 minutes left to bake in oven, to add the bacon. I love my bacon really crispy, and I guess that if I put it earlier some of the crispyness will go away. Don’t you think? Also, you should put your recipe in FOOD52.com. There is now a contest for “Your Best Recipe with Beans.” Check it out.
https://food52.com/blog/12207-our-latest-contest-your-best-recipe-with-beans
Really an excellent dish. I love it. I ate it with white rice.
This sounds really tasty. In Soith Africa we don’t get tins of pork and beans. Surely I could make the same dish with extra smoked bacon and plain old tinned baked beans. Any thoughts? Thank You
Sure! I don’t see why not?
Do you think I could make these ahead of time, refrigerate and pop them in the oven when it’s time to make them? Would I need a longer cooking time?
Jenny, I don’t see why not. You could even freeze it, I think. But i would maybe put the bacons last minute. See my prior comment.
Maybe 5 minutes longer. Like said in the comments, I wouldn’t add the bacon until right before baking.
just wondering do you cook the bacon first??
Yes, you should cook the bacon first. =)
Yes. Definitely cook the bacon first nice and crispy.
My aunt used to make this recipe for July 4th get-togethers all the time! I love these beans… I have this recipe hand-written out, but I’m going to pin it! Thank you!
Great! Thanks for sharing the recipes of your very own Baked Beans. I tried it yesterday together with my friends and they really loved it. This is timely since I’m going to organize another wedding event and I will definitely include this in the list of menu.
Well I am a fan of baked beans. These look like winning recipe to me. I suspect they taste like a winning recipe. Of course as you know they are perfect for summer barbies, but wow with fresh bread and a salad what a great comfort fall and winter dish too.
I love baked beans – these sound great!
Baked beans make the best side dish for summer barbecues. I could probably eat that whole dish myself!
This sounds so yummy but I’d like to try it in a slow cooker as it’s sooo hot hot now.Do you think this will adapt well?
Yes! I definitely think you could do it in the slow cooker.
I e made these a bunch in the crock pot. Everyone always loves them!
Ooh yum!
When you used the crock pot what temp did you use and about how long did it take?
Please, if you use the crock pot please cook them on a very low temperature. If they are cooked too hot they will get mushy…..you’ll end up with a look of re-fried beans!! =(
The only baked beans I’ve ever had are those from the Heinz can. These look SO much better haha! No comparison. I love the bacon bits 🙂
There is no comparison!
Baked beans are such a staple at all cookouts, I can’t wait to try these!
Wow! Although I am not a fan of baked beans, I can say that I would love to try these. They seem to be delicious. Thanks for sharing from 3girls1apple.com
I wasn’t either but these are good.
These look and sound fabulous. The only thing they are missing is a little crushed pineapple! Try it, you’ll love it. Thanks for the recipe!
Ooh. I’ll have to try that.
Im pinning this to make next time we cook out! These look a billion times better than the canned ones that I serve!
Oh my these look delicious, and great timing! I am always searching for good baked beans to take to cookouts, and always end up with canned (shhhhh). I’ll definitely try these this year!
You call Heidi’s Baked Beans ‘meatless’, with pork and bacon in it? 😉
No Ina, these aren’t the vegetarian beans, which are named Heidi’s Baked Beans. This recipe for beans WITH meat is a different recipe than the vegetarian one, thus has a completely different name. They are Best Baked Beans. Hope that clears things up for you!
Thanks Ana!
All lovely recipes. Thanks so much. Happy 4th to you and your family.
Thank you Liz!