Description
Baked beans recipe that’s smoky, sweet, and easy to make! Perfect for BBQs, potlucks, or weeknight dinners. Try this crowd-pleaser today!
Ingredients
- Bacon: Crispy, savory, and smoky—this is the game-changer that takes these beans to the next level.
- Green Pepper: Adds a fresh, slightly sweet crunch when cooked down. Dice it small for even cooking.
- White Onion: Adds the right dose of flavor, and if you have yellow onions available, it would work.
- Pork and Beans: The ultimate shortcut! Grab a couple of cans, open them up, and you’re good to go.
- Ketchup: Such a perfect balance of sweetness and pungency! It brings an interesting dimension to the sweet-sour taste of the sauce.
- Brown Sugar: Sweet, rich, and the perfect partner to the bacon’s smokiness.
- Worcestershire Sauce: A savory powerhouse with just a hint of sweetness. It ties all the flavors together beautifully.
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a skillet, heat the bacon over medium heat until it is crispy and golden. With the help of a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-covered plate; keep a bit of its grease aside, saving liquid gold in your pot! - Sauté the Green Pepper and Onion:
Basically, heat up a skillet with a bit off bacon grease. Sprinkle bell pepper and onion over low heat, about 3–5 minutes or until soft & tender. An enchanting aroma will have already filled your kitchen by this time. - Combine Everything:
In a large mixing bowl, mix cooked pieces of bacon with sautéed pieces of vegetables, cans of pork and beans, ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Make sure that your ingredients are mixed precisely so that you can taste a burst of flavor from every single spoonful. - Transfer to a Baking Dish:
Pour the bean mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Cover the dish using either a lid or an aluminum foil to lock all the savoury goodness inside. - Bake to Perfection:
Position the bean pot in the middle of the heated oven, and let bake for about 1 hour. While this time lapses, not only does the sauce thicken but the beans soak up all that flavor, and you get a wonderful aroma in your living area.
Notes
- Adjust sweetness or smokiness to your taste by adding more brown sugar or liquid smoke.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day after the flavors deepen.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon and use vegetable broth.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: baked beans recipe, homemade baked beans, easy baked beans, best baked beans, smoky baked beans, baked beans side dish, BBQ side dish