Best Southern Baked Beans Recipe! (2024)

This Southern Baked Beans Recipe makes the best baked beans! It’s a perfect side dish for so many meals and a family favorite recipe for years! So savory, scrumptious, and easy to make!

If you’re looking for a simple yet delicious recipe that’s perfect for any meal, baked beans are the way to go! We love it with hamburgers, grilled chicken, ribs, and more! This classic dish is a crowd-pleaser that’s easy to make and can be customized to your taste.

Best Southern Baked Beans Recipe! (1)

How to Make Baked Beans Recipe

Rich, smokey, and so delicious, my recipe comes together quickly and then bakes slowly so that all those flavors just meld perfectly together!

Ingredients

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.

Best Southern Baked Beans Recipe! (2)
  • Beans – Use canned navy beans or soaked dried beans.
  • Bacon – My recipe included diced bacon in the baked beans and then strips of bacon on top of the beans.
  • Garlic – Use 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced, or substitute with 1 teaspoon of Stone House Seasoning.
  • Onion – Dice and include 1/2 of a medium sweet onion. If you do not care for onions, omit them. You can also use 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder instead of fresh onion if you prefer.
  • Worcestershire sauce – Use Coconut Aminos if sensitive to soy.
  • Unsulphured molasses – Adds a deep, smokey flavor to the cooked beans.
  • Dark brown sugar – Dark brown sugar contains more molasses than light brown sugar. I prefer the richness of dark brown sugar in my baked beans, but you can use either. You’ll use brown sugar mixed in the recipe and a little sprinkled on top. You can also use brown coconut sugar as a replacement for brown sugar for a lower glycemic option.
  • Ketchup – Use 1/4 cup of ketchup in this recipe
  • Yellow mustard – I have found that yellow mustard helps to round out the flavor in the baked beans.
Best Southern Baked Beans Recipe! (3)

Oven-Baked Beans

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • While the oven preheats, pour your navy beans into a medium stockpot set over medium heat.
  • In a medium skillet, add diced bacon, onion, and garlic. Cook until the bacon is crisp and the onion is tender. Then, remove from the heat and add to the navy beans. Add Worcestershire sauce, molasses, brown sugar, ketchup, and yellow mustard and stir to combine well. Pour into the deep dish you plan to serve from or leave in a stockpot. Finally, top with the optional (but highly recommended!) bacon and sprinkle the top with brown sugar.
  • Place into the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Increase temperature to 425º F for 10 minutes to crisp bacon. Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Slow Cooker Baked Beans

  • Add your navy beans to the slow cooker and set aside.
  • In a medium skillet, cook your diced bacon, onion, and garlic until the bacon is crisp and the onion and garlic are tender. Add to the slow cooker. Add Worcestershire sauce, molasses, dark brown sugar, ketchup, and mustard. Stir to combine well.
  • Cook on a low setting for 6-7 hours or on a high setting for 3-4 hours. If your baked beans are not as thick as you would like, remove the lid to the slow cooker about 30 to 45 minutes before serving and allow them to continue cooking until thickened. If too thick, you can stir in water a few tablespoons at a time until it reaches the desired thickness.

Optional: top with baked bacon strips before serving.

Storage Tips

To make ahead. Cook and allow to cool. Wrap well or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To freeze. Cook and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat and serve.

So, here’s my Southern Baked Beans recipe. Get ready to make it often!

Best Southern Baked Beans Recipe! (4)

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Southern Baked Beans Recipe

Southern Baked Beans Recipe – This recipe makes the perfect side dish for so many meals! These easy baked beans are a family favorite!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 (16-ounce cans) navy beans
  • 3 strips bacon, diced
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ medium sweet onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

For the Top of Baked Beans (optional):

  • 2 slices bacon, halved
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325º F.

  • Pour navy beans into medium stockpot.

  • In a medium skillet, add diced bacon, onion, and garlic. Cook until bacon is crisp and onion is tender. Remove from heat and add to navy beans.

  • Add Worcestershire sauce, molasses, brown sugar, ketchup, and yellow mustard. Stir to combine well. Pour into deep dish you plan to serve from or leave in stockpot. Top with bacon and sprinkle top with brown sugar.

  • Place in oven and bake 45 minutes. Increase temperature to 425º F for 10 minutes to crisp bacon. Remove from oven and allow to rest about 5 minutes before serving.

Slow Cooker Baked Beans

  • Add navy beans to a slow cooker.

  • Cook bacon, onion, and garlic in a medium skillet until the bacon is crisp and the onion and garlic are tender. Add to the navy beans in the slow cooker.

  • Add Worcestershire sauce, molasses, brown sugar, ketchup, and yellow mustard. Stir to combine well.

  • Cook on LOW setting for 6 to 7 hours or HIGH setting for 3 to 4 hours. If the baked beans are too thin, remove the lid to the slow cooker for the last 30 to 45 minutes of cook time until the beans have thickened to desired consistency. If too thick, stir in water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Top with optional baked bacon for serving.

Notes

Make-Ahead:
Store baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Freezer Friendly:
Allow the baked beans to cool. Store in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3 months. To reheat, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat in a 350ºF oven for 15 – 20 minutes until heated throughout.

Vegetarian/ Vegan:
To make these baked beans vegetarian and vegan friendly, simply omit the bacon from the recipe as well as the optional topping.

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 184mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Best Southern Baked Beans Recipe! (5)

From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2013.

Categorized as:All Recipes, Bean Recipes, By Cooking Style, By Special Diets, Camping, Cooking, Egg-Free Recipes, Essentials, Father’s Day Recipes, Freezer Friendly Recipes, Game Day Recipes, Holiday and Occasion Recipes, July 4th Recipes, Make-ahead Recipes, Mother’s Day Recipes, Recipes, Side Dish Recipes, Simple Recipes, Slow Cooker Recipes, Southern Favorites

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Best Southern Baked Beans Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to Bush's baked beans to make them better? ›

How to make Canned Baked Beans Taste Homemade:
  1. Canned Baked Beans: Use an “original” or simply-flavored style of canned baked beans. ...
  2. Bacon: Use your favorite brand but here, too, avoid flavored bacon.
  3. Mustard: I like spicy brown mustard for this baked beans recipe, but Dijon mustard or yellow mustard will also work.
Jul 1, 2020

What does adding vinegar to baked beans do? ›

Adding vinegar during the cooking step would lower the pH and hinder the process. So when the beans are done, add the cider vinegar to complete the classic tangy, sweet-and-savory taste of baked beans.

How can I make my beans more flavorful? ›

Those aromatics in the pot will revolutionize the beans' final flavor. The aromatics I tend to use are onions, carrots, garlic, and celery, and then heartier, woodsy herbs, like rosemary, sage, and thyme, which marry beautifully with the earthy-sweet flavor of beans.

What is the secret to soft baked beans? ›

If the beans are too dry, add some hot water—or leftover bean-cooking water, if you still have some—until they're just saucy enough.

How do you elevate baked beans? ›

A few ideas:
  1. Rinse the beans.
  2. Spice (cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder) and warm them up.
  3. Mix with other ingredients (add vegetables, cooked rice, pasta, or use them as a filling for wraps or tacos)
  4. Mix with your own sauce (onion+bell pepper+carrot+canned tomatoes)
Aug 3, 2023

Should I add anything to Bush's baked beans? ›

Some advice I got:
  1. When you heat up the beans, don't be afraid to add condiments. ...
  2. Grated cheese like cheddar is a welcome addition, sprinkle it on the beans once they're hot so it melts.
  3. While some like a thicker country-style or sourdough bread, most seem to think that a sandwich-style bread is better.
Aug 10, 2023

Why do you add baking soda to baked beans? ›

Baking soda creates an alkaline environment which reduces soaking and cooking time and preserves the beans' skin.

What can I put in beans to prevent gas? ›

Sprinkle in some baking soda

As it turns out, baking soda significantly decreases the levels of raffinose, the gas-causing sugar present in beans. When should you add baking soda to beans? It works best with just a pinch (about 1/16 of a teaspoon) sprinkled into dried beans while they soak in water before cooking.

Does putting baking soda in beans reduce gas? ›

Bottom Line. If beans make you uncomfortably gassy, sprinkle a little baking soda into their soaking water. It will reduce the volume of gas produced by the legumes, plus, they will cook quicker. If you're even shorter on time, you may want to try some of our favorite recipes to make with a can of black beans.

Why do restaurant beans taste better? ›

While lard has been replaced with vegetable oil or shortening in many households, the distinct richness and velvety texture it imparts to a skillet of refried beans is hard to beat. The closest substitute for lard is bacon grease, which is another form of rendered pork fat that's arguably even more flavorful.

How do you enhance the flavor of canned baked beans? ›

Maple syrup, molasses, ketchup, vinegar, mustard—basically throw every sweet, salty, tangy condiment you've got at those canned baked beans and you know they're going to taste delicious.

How to make canned beans taste like restaurant? ›

I like to sprinkle in some taco seasoning, but you could add whatever spices you like — garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder are all good calls. Then, you mash the beans up directly in the pan and add just a little bit of vinegar at the end to really make the beans sing.

How do you make Bush's baked beans thicker? ›

Simply add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 1 cup of water or to the liquid from the baked beans (scoop it out into a separate bowl and let it cool first) and mix. Once the starch is thoroughly incorporated, pour the slurry into the baked beans dish and stir.

Why are my baked beans so runny? ›

If you've just pulled your baked beans out of the oven or gazed beneath your trusty slow cooker's lid and noticed a bit too much liquid inside, don't panic. It's normal that even after the baked beans are supposed to be done cooking, they will continue to absorb some liquid.

Why baked beans should be limited? ›

High in Sugar

Baked beans typically contain one or more sweeteners, such as sugar or maple syrup. A 1/2-cup (130-gram) serving of baked beans — canned or homemade — includes an average of 3 teaspoons (12 grams) of added sugars. This is 20% of the daily limit for a 2,000-calorie diet ( 1 , 8 , 18 ).

How do you make store bought beans taste better? ›

You can add crushed whole seeds (coriander, cumin, fennel, mustard, etc.), woodsy herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage), red pepper flakes, crushed garlic cloves, and of course salt and pepper.

What to pair with Bush's baked beans? ›

Pair with: Jalapeño and lime to add heat and zest; bacon, shredded pork or ham for some salty savory flavors. Try them: In a one-pan iron skillet meal with a biscuit topping. Sautée with onions and a dash of salsa and serve with cornbread crumbled on top.

What makes Bush's baked beans so good? ›

The beans that are met with smiles at any gathering. Bush's® Original Baked Beans are a Secret Family Recipe of navy beans slow-cooked with specially cured bacon, fine brown sugar and our signature blend of spices.

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