Baked Beans
If you want everybody raving about your food at the next cookout or family gathering this is the recipe you need. Smoky crispy bacon, seasoned ground beef, caramelized onions and peppers all cooked together and baked low and slow into the most flavorful pot of baked beans you have ever had. This is the side dish that steals the show every single time.
What makes this recipe stand out is the layers. You are building flavor from the bacon fat up and every ingredient that goes into that cast iron adds something to the final pot. By the time these come out of the oven the whole thing has come together into something that is deeply rich, smoky and absolutely incredible.
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Whether you’re just learning to cook or looking to level up, I’m here to make it easy and delicious.
Baked Beans
Difficulty: Easy6-8 People
15
minutes45
minutes (Total 1 hour)Smoky crispy bacon, seasoned ground beef, caramelized onions and peppers all cooked together and baked low and slow
Ingredients
Beans
- Original Baked Beans - 2 (28 Oz) Cans
- Chopped Bacon - 1/2 Lb
- Ground Beef - 1 Lb
- Onion - Half (Chopped)
- Green Bell Pepper - 1 Whole (Chopped)
- Garlic - 3 Cloves (Minced)
Seasoning
- Salt - 1 Tsp (For Beef) + 1/2 Tsp (For Beans)
- Pepper - 1 Tsp (For Beef) + 1/2 Tsp (For Beans)
- Garlic Powder - 1 Tsp (For Beef) + 1/2 Tsp (For Beans)
- Onion Powder - 1 Tsp (For Beef) + 1/2 Tsp (For Beans)
Sauce and Add-Ins
- Soy Sauce - 1 Tbsp
- Worcestershire Sauce - 1 Tbsp
- Brown Sugar - 1/4 Cup
- Sweet Relish - 2 Tbsp
- Barbecue Sauce - 2 Tbsp
- Mustard - 2 Tbsp
Method
Prep:
Chop your onion, bell pepper and garlic and set everything aside before you start cooking.
Cooking:
Add the chopped bacon to a cast iron skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly to ensure even cooking, until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon and set it aside, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.
Add the chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic to the bacon fat and cook until translucent and softened.
Add the ground beef and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Cook until fully browned and strain the grease.
Go in with the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Add both cans of original baked beans and stir everything together.
Season the beans with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and stir in the brown sugar. Add back the crispy bacon along with the sweet relish, barbecue sauce and mustard. Stir until everything is fully combined.
Baking:
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Take them out, give them a good stir and admire how good they look.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
-Do not discard the bacon fat after removing the bacon. That fat is pure flavor and cooking the onions, peppers and garlic in it builds a base for the beans that you cannot replicate any other way. Every layer of this recipe matters.
-Cooking the bacon until truly crispy is important. You want it to hold up after being added back into the beans and baked. Bacon that is not fully crispy will go soft and lose its texture by the time the dish comes out of the oven.
-Straining the grease from the ground beef before adding the beans keeps the dish from getting too greasy. The bacon fat you already have in there is more than enough fat for the flavor you need.
-The combination of sweet relish, barbecue sauce, brown sugar and mustard is what gives these beans that classic cookout flavor. Do not skip any of them. Each one plays a role in building the sweet, smoky and tangy balance that makes this recipe so good.
-These beans are even better the next day after everything has had more time to sit and the flavors have fully developed. If you are making them for a gathering consider making them the day before and reheating in the oven at 325 degrees
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS:
-My homemade honey butter cornbread is the perfect pairing for these beans. The sweet buttery cornbread and the smoky savory beans together is an absolutely unbeatable combination. Check out the recipe on the blog.
-Grilled ribs or chicken fresh off the grill turn this into the full cookout spread that everyone will be talking about.
-A simple coleslaw on the side adds a cool creamy contrast that balances out the richness of the beans perfectly.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Can I make this without the ground beef?
Yes. You can skip the ground beef and just use the bacon if you want a simpler version. The beans will still be incredibly flavorful from the bacon fat, seasoning and sauce. You can also substitute with ground turkey if you want a lighter option.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely and honestly these taste even better the next day. Make them completely, let them cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 325 degrees covered with foil or on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water to loosen them up.
Can I cook these on the stovetop instead of baking?
Yes. After combining everything let the beans simmer on low heat on the stovetop for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened and everything has come together. The bake gives you a slightly deeper flavor but the stovetop version works great too.
What type of barbecue sauce should I use?
Any barbecue sauce you enjoy works here. A smoky or sweet barbecue sauce both pair really well with the other flavors in this recipe. I would avoid anything too thin or vinegar heavy since you want the sauce to add body and sweetness to the beans rather than acidity.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water stirring occasionally, or covered in the oven at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes. These reheat really well and the flavor only gets better over time.
