Cracker Barrel Bacon Baked Beans Recipe

Cracker Barrel Bacon Baked Beans Recipe is a smoky American side dish featuring pinto beans, black beans, and sweet molasses. This hearty bake uses salty bacon, yellow mustard, and brown sugar to create a thick, savoury sauce that pairs with any grilled meat.

If you do nothing else, make sure you drain the grease from your onions and bacon before they hit the pot. I forgot once and ended up with a slick of oil on top that ruined the texture. That extra minute with the kitchen roll makes the difference between a clean, glossy sauce and a greasy mess.

The molasses is doing more work than you’d think in this recipe. Without it, the beans just taste sweet like syrup, but that dark treacle adds a depth that balances the salty bacon. This is the dish I always bring to a barbecue because the pot always comes back scraped clean.

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Cracker Barrel Bacon Baked Beans Recipe Ingredients

The Bean Base

• 1.5kg (3.3lb) pork and beans (about two large tins)
• 425g (15oz) tin black beans
• 425g (15oz) tin pinto beans

The Flavouring

• 225g (8oz) bacon, diced
• 150g (5oz) onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 25g (1oz) brown sugar
• 1 tbsp molasses

The Topping

• 115g (4oz) bacon, diced

How To Make Cracker Barrel Bacon Baked Beans Recipe

1. Heat the oven: Set the rack in the middle and preheat to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4). Make sure the oven is fully up to temperature before the beans go in so they start bubbling straight away.
2. Cook onions and bacon: Fry the chopped onion and the 225g (8oz) of bacon in a large skillet over a medium heat for about 8 minutes. You need the onions to be soft and see-through and the bacon cooked but not snapping crisp. Drain the mixture thoroughly on kitchen roll to get rid of the excess fat.
3. Prep the beans: Rinse and drain the black beans and pinto beans in a colander under cold water. Do not rinse the pork and beans because the thick tomato-based sauce they come in is the foundation of your bake. Pour all the beans into a large oven-safe Dutch oven or heavy casserole tin.
4. Combine the ingredients: Stir the cooked onion and bacon, yellow mustard, brown sugar, and molasses into the bean mixture. Mix gently with a wooden spoon until the colour is even and the sugar has dissolved into the sauce.
5. Bake the beans: Cover the pot tightly with a lid or a double layer of aluminium foil and bake for 1 hour. You’ll know it’s ready when the sauce is thick, dark, and bubbling at the edges.
6. Crisp the topping: Fry the remaining 115g (4oz) of bacon in a clean pan while the beans are in the oven until it’s very crunchy. Set this aside on a plate lined with kitchen roll so it stays crisp.
7. Finish the dish: Remove the pot from the oven and take off the lid. Scatter the crunchy bacon bits over the top just before you carry it to the table.

Recipe Tips

• Check your tin sizes. Most standard tins in the UK are 400g, so you’ll need to adjust your math slightly to get the ratios right. If you end up with slightly more beans, just add an extra teaspoon of mustard to keep the flavour sharp.
• Don’t skip the rinse. Rinsing the pinto and black beans removes the metallic-tasting canning liquid and excess salt. It lets the flavour of the molasses and bacon shine through instead of tasting like a tin.
• Prepare this a day early. These beans actually taste better the next day after the flavours have had time to settle and the sauce has thickened. Keep them in the fridge and just warm them through on the hob or in the oven.
• Use a heavy pot. A cast-iron Dutch oven is best because it holds the heat evenly and prevents the sugar in the sauce from burning at the bottom. If you use a thin tin, check the beans halfway through to make sure they aren’t sticking.
• Switch the bacon. If you want a deeper smoke, use thick-cut smoked back bacon instead of streaky. Just make sure to dice it small so you get a bit of salt in every single spoonful.

What To Serve With Cracker Barrel Bacon Baked Beans

This heavy side dish needs something charred to balance the sweetness. It works well alongside grilled chicken thighs, smoked brisket, or thick pork sausages.

If you’re doing a full spread, add a fresh green salad or some buttery corn on the cob. The beans are quite rich, so a simple coleslaw with a vinegar-based dressing helps cut through the molasses.

How To Store Cracker Barrel Bacon Baked Beans

• Fridge: Wait for the pot to cool completely before moving the beans into an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh and tasty for up to four days. The sauce will thicken significantly as it sits, so don’t be surprised if it looks solid when cold.
• Reheat: The best way to reheat these is in a saucepan over a medium-low heat on the hob. Add a splash of water or beef stock to loosen the sauce back to its original consistency. You can use a microwave for two minutes, but the bacon on top will lose its crunch.
• Freeze: You can freeze these beans in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating. The beans might be slightly softer after freezing, but the flavour remains excellent.

Cracker Barrel Bacon Baked Beans Recipe Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 345kcal
• Protein: 14g
• Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 46g
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 890mg

Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Cracker Barrel Loaded Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
• Cracker Barrel Ham and Egg Casserole Recipe
• Cracker Barrel Pumpkin Custard N’ Ginger Snaps Recipe