Description
A sticky, savory, sweet, and smoky baked bean recipe that balances bacon fat with brown sugar. This set-it-and-forget-it side dish is perfect for cookouts and tastes even better the next day.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cans (15 oz each) Navy beans or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- Optional: 1 diced jalapeño
- Optional: 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Drain and rinse the canned beans thoroughly in a colander.
- Place bacon in a cold large skillet or Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until crispy, rendering the fat. Remove bacon, crumble it, and reserve the fat in the pan.
- Add diced onion to the bacon fat in the skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until translucent and soft.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained beans, sautéed onions, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and black pepper. Stir well to coat.
- Transfer the bean mixture to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the edges are bubbling.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to set.
Notes
The beans taste better the next day as flavors meld. For a vegetarian version, omit bacon and add 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp liquid smoke. If sauce is too thin, bake longer uncovered. If too thick, add a splash of water.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 8
Keywords: baked beans, labor day recipe, bacon beans, bbq side dish, easy baked beans, slow cooker beans, vegetarian baked beans