Sweet and tangy Homemade Bacon Baked Beans, slow baked with bacon are perfect for your next barbecue or cookout!
Homemade Bacon Baked Beans
I usually only consider things "homemade" if they're made totally from scratch, everything raw and no cans. My grandma makes everything from scratch, including her own pasta, so I often find myself feeling like a homemade cheater. But with these Homemade Bacon Baked Beans, that's the way it's going to be. Making dry beans is a real pain, in my humble opinion. There's the soaking and the cooking, neither of which I have the patience for, but then you also have to go in and make the actual recipe.
So I am, in fact, still considering the Homemade Bacon Baked Beans "homemade," even though the recipe calls for cans of Pork 'n Beans. And they are delicious. Tangy but sweet, and slowly baked with lots of bacon. Make sure you give them a bit to set after baking so the sauce will thicken. They'll be a huge hit at your next barbecue or cookout!
Homemade Bacon Baked Beans Recipe
Homemade Bacon Baked Beans
Ingredients
To Cook Navy Beans
- 1½ cups dry navy beans soaked overnight (see notes for canned beans)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
Bacon Baked Beans
- 4 slices thick cut bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
Soak Beans
- Place beans in a bowl, and pour enough water over them to cover and rise 1-inch about the beans.
- Cover container and soak beans for 8 to 12 hours. (See notes for quick soaking instructions)
Cook Beans
- After soaking, drain the beans.
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat olive oil.
- Add ½ onion to the pot, and saute until tender.
- Place soaked beans in the pot with sauteed onions. Cover with 2-3 inches of cool water.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer for 25 mins. Then add salt.
- Continue to simmer for another 35 mins or until done to your liking.
- When done, drain beans well.
Assemble and Bake Beans
- Preheat oven to 300℉.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add bacon, and begin cooking.
- When bacon is about halfway cooked, add onions. Continue cooking until bacon is cooked through and slightly crisp and onions are tender and translucent.
- Add garlic and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Drain excess grease.
- If your skillet is large enough and oven-safe, you can continue the recipe in the skillet. Otherwise, use a 2-quart or larger oven-safe casserole dish.
- To skillet or baking dish, add all remaining ingredients for sauce. Whisk to combine.
- Add beans and bacon-onion mixture to the dish. Stir gently to combine and fully coat beans.
- Cover and bake covered for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, uncover and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.
Notes
- Quick soak
- Instant Pot
- Canned Beans
Nutrition
Did you like this Homemade Bacon Baked Beans Recipe? Find more on my Salads & Side Dishes and Dinner Ideas boards on Pinterest!
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Nanci says
Hi do you drain the beans before adding them to the pot
Michelle says
Nope, not for this recipe. I usually only note in recipes if you DO need to drain and/or rinse. 🙂