The Best Baked Beans Ever is an easy make ahead side dish loaded with barbecue sauce, brown sugar, dry mustard and strips of crispy bacon. That makes it a perfect summer potluck or neighborhood cookout pick for feeding a crowd, since the flavors deepen as the beans sit and thicken.
The key step is partially cooking the bacon before laying it on top, because that renders enough fat to saute the onion and pepper in. Baking the strips on the surface for two hours then crisps them while the beans thicken underneath.
Most baked bean recipes stir bacon into the pot, but this version lays half-cooked strips across the top so they crisp in the oven. Building the base in those drippings gives every spoonful a smoky depth that starts from the bottom up.
The Best Baked Beans Ever
Course: Side DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy18
servings25
minutes2
hours245
kcalA crowd-sized baked bean dish that starts with three cans of pork and beans loaded with barbecue sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and dry mustard. Onion and green pepper get sauteed in bacon drippings, then everything bakes under strips of bacon until thick and bubbly.
Ingredients
8 slices bacon, halved
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
3 (28-oz.) cans pork and beans
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Directions
- Heat the oven:Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Cook the bacon:Fry the bacon in a large, deep saute pan until partially cooked and about 1/4 cup of drippings have rendered. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.
- Saute the vegetables:Add the onion and pepper to the drippings in the pan and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Combine the beans:Add the pork and beans and remaining ingredients to the pan and bring to a simmer. If the pan is not large enough, transfer to a large bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Bake: Pour the flavored beans into a greased 13-by-9-inch ovenproof pan. Top with the bacon strips, then bake until the beans are bubbly and the sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.
FAQs
Should I drain the cans of pork and beans before adding them?
The recipe calls for three 28-ounce cans of pork and beans, and you should not drain them before adding. All that saucy liquid inside the cans helps the beans stay moist during the long bake time. Draining would leave the dish too dry and thick by the time the two hours in the oven are finished.
What kind of bacon works best for this recipe?
Thick-cut bacon works best because the slices hold their shape during the full two hours of baking without burning or crumbling apart. Regular bacon tends to shrink and crisp too fast, which leaves thin, brittle pieces on top. Peppered thick-cut bacon adds even more flavor if you can find it at the store.
What type of barbecue sauce should I use?
A classic sweet and smoky barbecue sauce works best because it blends naturally with the brown sugar and vinegar already in the recipe. Sauces that are heavy on vinegar or mustard can overpower the balance and make the beans taste too sharp. Staying with a milder sauce lets the bacon and brown sugar do most of the flavor work.
Can I make these baked beans the night before?
You can assemble the beans the night before and store the dish covered in the refrigerator without the bacon on top. Adding the bacon just before baking keeps it from getting soggy and lets it crisp properly in the oven. Reheating leftovers works well in a 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes or in the microwave for smaller portions.
How can I make these baked beans spicier?
Chopped fresh jalapeno mixed with the onion and green pepper during the saute step adds steady heat throughout the dish. Keeping the seeds in makes it spicier, while removing them gives a milder warmth that builds slowly. A few dashes of hot sauce after baking also works if you want to adjust the kick at the table.
