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    Home » Recipes » Southern Style Recipes » Southern Baked Beans

    Southern Baked Beans

    Published: Jun 16, 2020 · Modified: Mar 11, 2024 by Jessica Robinson · This post may contain affiliate links

    10.3K shares
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    Southern Baked beans are thick and delicious with flavors of sweet, savory, with a touch of spice. This baked beans recipe takes minutes to throw the ingredients together, slow cooks in the oven and can be prepped ahead of time. Bring a pan of these baked beans to the picnic and everyone will love you!

    Every barbecue, outdoor cookout or summer meal needs a loaded paper plate with a big scoop of baked beans with bacon and potato salad in order make it complete. They are the perfect side dish for brown sugar glazed ham, sausage and peppers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs and barbecue chicken.

    Baked beans topped with crispy bacon in white rectangle baking dish, wooden spoon in right of dish.

    Easy homemade baked beans are made with brown sugar, ketchup, molasses, mustard, spices, and topped with crispy bacon. This is our favorite baked beans recipe for holiday dinners, barbecues and backyard picnics.

    This is the perfect way to improve canned beans. My mom used to say, “doctoring up canned baked beans.” Everyone will think you made them from scratch!

    Why this recipe works

    • Ease and budget friendly – Simple to make with canned pork & beans along with other easy to find ingredients. A budget friendly side dish for all occasions.
    • Simple ingredients – Uses ingredients readily available at your local grocery store.
    • Make ahead – Can be prepped ahead of time and slow cooked in the oven.
    • Perfect side dish (crowd pleaser) – Great dish for a BBQ, potluck, backyard cookout or family holiday gathering.

    What you’ll need

    • Canned Pork & Beans – Choose whatever brand you prefer. We love the store-brand of our local grocery store.
    • Ketchup – Adds some great tomato flavor to this dish.
    • Brown Sugar – Adds some sweetness to these baked beans.
    • Molasses – An old-fashioned sweetener that adds a great depth of flavor. We also love molasses in Molasses cookies and homemade BBQ Sauce.
    • Bacon – Be sure to cook it partially, as it will never crisp up properly if you just put raw bacon on top of the baked beans. We sprinkle bacon slices with maple sugar before baking it in the oven.
    Baked beans in white rectangle baking dish, wooden spoon on right.

    We love easy summer recipes like Homemade Barbecue Sauce, Bacon Cheeseburgers, BBQ Pulled Pork, Homemade Coleslaw, Tuna Pasta Salad, and BBQ Pork Ribs. This baked beans recipe is the classic side dish for any potluck gathering!

    Baked beans in white rectangle baking dish, wooden spoon on right side of pan.

    Unlike my Grandfather’s Boston Baked Beans Recipe, these baked beans take little time to make! So they are perfect if you are in a hurry and want simple to make baked beans.

    Baked beans in small crocks on wooden cutting board.

    How to make Baked Beans

    Making these baked beans takes no time at all! Prepared within minutes and they slow cook in the oven for 2 hours.

    • Cook the bacon – Place the sheet pan with bacon into the preheated oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
    • Preheat the oven – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Prepare ingredients in baking pan – In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, add the brown sugar, ketchup, molasses, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Use a large spoon or rubber spatula to stir everything together.
    • Pour in canned beans – Pour in the pork and beans into the baking dish and combine with a spoon.
    • Top with bacon and bake – Bake for about 2 hours or until bubbly up around edges.
    Crocks of baked beans on wooden cutting board.

    I topped these beans with maple coated bacon. It’s super simple to make. You want to be sure and top baked beans with cooked bacon! Because raw bacon will never crisp up on the beans.

    white rectangle baking dish with baked beans topped with crispy bacon, wooden spoon in right side of dish

    How to cook bacon in the oven

    Step 1: Just line a half sheet pan with parchment paper (makes for easier cleanup!)

    Step 2: Overlap bacon slices slightly on a sheet pan. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated maple sugar.

    Step 3: Cook in a preheated 425 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy. Remove from sheet pan with tongs and let drain fat on a plate lined with paper towels.

    baked beans in small cream color crocks, sitting on wooden cutting board

    More side dishes for BBQ, picnics, or potlucks

    • Potato Salad
    • Strawberry Lemonade
    • Raspberry Iced Tea
    • Summer Sangria
    • Watermelon Sangria
    • White Wine Sangria

    Did you make one of my recipes? Please take a moment to leave a star rating. Also, if you are on Pinterest, please feel free to leave a comment there! Follow A Farmgirl’s Kitchen on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST and YouTube and subscribe my mailing list for ALL the latest recipes!

    5 from 5 votes
    baked beans topped with crispy bacon in white rectangle baking dish, wooden spoon in right
    Print Rate this Recipe

    Easy Baked Beans

    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time2 hours hrs
    Total Time2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
    These Easy Baked Beans are perfect flavors of sweet, savory, with a touch of spice. Semi-homemade baked beans topped with maple coated bacon.
    Course: Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Southern
    Servings: 8 people
    Calories: 526kcal
    Author: Jessica Robinson

    Ingredients

    Maple Bacon

    • 1 pound bacon
    • 1 tablespoon granulated maple sugar

    Baked Beans

    • 3 (28-ounce) cans pork and beans
    • ¾ cup ketchup
    • ⅔ cup brown sugar
    • ½ cup molasses
    • 2-3 tablespoons prepared mustard (stone ground or yellow mustard)
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • salt and black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    Maple Bacon

    • Line a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place the bacon slices closely together, overlapping slightly on the sheet pan.
    • Sprinkle the uncooked bacon evenly with granulated maple sugar.
    • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
    • Place the sheet pan with bacon into the preheated oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until crispy.
    • Using tongs, remove the bacon and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

    Baked Beans

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    • In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, add the brown sugar, ketchup, molasses, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Use a large spoon or rubber spatula to stir everything together.
    • Pour the pork and beans into the baking dish and stir everything together to combine.
    • Lay the cooked bacon on the top of the beans. Lay it whole or cut into pieces if you desire.
    • Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 2 hours, or until thick.
    • Let the beans cool slightly before serving.

    Recipe Notes

    Want to spice up these semi-homemade baked beans?
    Add ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion and 1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
    Remember that ALL ovens are different– for accuracy add an oven thermometer to your oven to properly monitor the temperature.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 526kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 1118mg | Potassium: 886mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @AFarmgirlsKitchen or tag #afarmgirlskitchen!

    Disclosure: As an Affiliate Marketer, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click a product affiliate link on A Farmgirl’s Kitchen and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you!  I own every cooking product I recommend and love how they perform.

    « Watermelon Sangria
    Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken »

    Comments

    1. Sharon Yarde says

      June 29, 2024 at 6:13 pm

      5 stars
      The best baked beans recipe I have ever found!

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        July 02, 2024 at 8:10 pm

        Thank you so much for letting me know!

        Reply
    2. Terri Stokes says

      May 27, 2024 at 10:44 am

      I just cut this recipe in half – wonder how long I should cook it for? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        May 27, 2024 at 3:23 pm

        Until it’s thickened a bit and warm all the way through

        Reply
    3. Jessica McGhghy says

      September 25, 2021 at 4:51 pm

      This is the best baked bean recipe I’ve ever made! You should have seen my father-in-law’s eyes light up when he took a couple bites. Definitely a winner! I’m making it right now for a church function.

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        September 25, 2021 at 5:37 pm

        So happy to hear everyone enjoyed the baked beans! Thanks for taking the time to write!

        Reply
    4. Carey Stanley says

      July 12, 2021 at 11:50 am

      5 stars
      I make this same recipe but add a small can of pineapple tidbits. Everyone loves it.

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        July 12, 2021 at 12:22 pm

        I actually do the SAME thing. It’s absolutely delicious!

        Reply
    5. Chelsea says

      April 27, 2021 at 12:12 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, these beans look so good! I always love taking a premade ingredient and stepping it up a few knotches! I’m going to make these for a barbecue this summer. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    6. Sandy says

      December 23, 2020 at 9:05 am

      Do you drain the cans of beans?

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        December 23, 2020 at 1:43 pm

        Sandy,
        No need to drain the cans of beans!

        Reply
    7. Annon says

      December 06, 2020 at 12:01 pm

      The heat/ time for the bacon caused mine to be black and I was unable to eat it. I even reduced the time to 19min but it was black by then.

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        December 06, 2020 at 12:03 pm

        Annon,
        Every oven is different. Some oven temperatures are off. It’s very important to have an oven thermometer in your oven and monitor anything you are cooking or baking.

        Reply
    8. Lisa Hatfield says

      June 16, 2020 at 9:18 pm

      5 stars
      OH MY GOODNESs!! This recipe is amazing!!!!! Thank you Jessica for another winning side dish for potlucks. How could any dish not be amazing with a pound of bacon?

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        June 17, 2020 at 10:40 am

        Thanks so much Lisa!

        Reply
        • Bernadette says

          March 22, 2024 at 3:51 pm

          5 stars
          Totally yum! Only bean recipe I use!

          Reply
          • Jessica Robinson says

            March 22, 2024 at 4:43 pm

            thank you so much!

            Reply

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    Jessica Robinson from A Farmgirl's Kitchen

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    I am a home cook who creates wholesome family meals, homemade pies, baked goods and preserves foods using easy to find ingredients. All of my recipes use simple and readily available ingredients.

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