Homemade Baked Beans
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Homemade baked beans are super easy to make, use real ingredients, and taste so much better than store-bought. This recipe was developed to be made ahead of time, so you can enjoy it on your next camping trip, BBQ, or as a quick weeknight side.
We love baked beans! Sweet, tangy, and smoky, they’re a versatile side dish for any time of day.
For breakfast, they’re delightful on toast with a fried egg; for lunch, they’re great nestled in a grilled cheese sandwich; and for dinner, they’re the perfect pairing for anything coming off the grill.
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Of course, the simplest option is just to grab a store-bought can. We’ve done this plenty over the years, and the convenience is undeniable. However, once you’ve tasted homemade baked beans, it’s impossible to go back. There’s a night and day difference in flavor and texture. Our recipe is bursting with flavor: deep pork flavor, sweet brown sugar, smoky paprika, and zingy apple cider vinegar. Store-bought beans just feel dull, muted, and mushy in comparison.
We’ve developed this recipe to be made ahead of time, using minimal prep work and common ingredients. It can be made on a busy weeknight, stored in the fridge, and be ready for your next weekend outing or BBQ! Upgrade your beans from an afterthought side dish to the star of the show with our homemade baked beans recipe!
Ingredients
- Navy Beans: Baked beans traditionally use small, creamy white beans (navy beans). However, in a pinch, slightly larger Great Northern beans or even pinto beans could work.
- Bacon: Pork & beans is an incredible flavor combination that amplifies the flavors of both. We love to use Black Forest bacon (find it at Trader Joe’s), which has a touch of sugar added to it. Omit to make this recipe vegan.
- Onion & Bell Peppers: Onions add a nice aromatic addition to these baked beans. We prefer the slightly sweeter flavor of red bell peppers (vs. green bell peppers), although either would work.
- Ketchup & Mustard: These ingredients are probably already in your refrigerator.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and a dark, robust color to the beans without using molasses (it contains a small amount).
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds the bright zing that cuts through the sweet and savory flavor profile.
- Smoked Paprika: We use smoked paprika to give these beans a rich, smoky flavor, like they were made over a campfire.
How to Make Homemade Baked Beans —Step by Step
Preheat oven to 325°F. In an oven-safe pot with a lid, cook the bacon on medium-low heat on the stovetop, flipping and repositioning as needed.
Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and bell pepper.
Once most of the bacon fat has rendered and the bacon is getting crispy, remove it from the pot and set it aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
Add the chopped onion and red pepper to the pot. Toss gently to coat with the rendered bacon fat. The onions will release water as they sauté, naturally deglazing the pot. Help the process by using a spatula to scrape up any brown bits left behind from the bacon and incorporate them into the mix.
While the onions and peppers cook, finely chop the cooled bacon. Once the onions are translucent and the peppers are soft, add the canned beans (plus the liquid), chopped bacon, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, smoked paprika, and salt. Stir to ensure everything is fully incorporated. Cover the pot, place it in the oven at 325°F, and bake for 1 hour.
Remove it and enjoy immediately, or let it cool completely. Transfer to a resealable container and refrigerate.
Make it Ahead
Since much of this recipe involves passive bake time, it’s well-suited to be made ahead. It can be made alongside a busy weeknight meal and be ready for you to take along on your weekend camping trip or BBQ.
Storage
This baked bean recipe is designed to be reheated later. They’re extra saucy and slightly underbaked, so they maintain their texture when cooked again.
Before transferring to a resealable container, let the beans cool, uncovered, in the pot first. If you transfer them hot and seal them up, they might overcook.
Baked beans last about five days when properly refrigerated.
Variations
Beans: Navy, Great Northern, pinto, and small red beans would work, albeit with slightly different sizes and textures. You can also do a multi-bean medley. We’d steer clear of larger beans like cannellini or kidney beans, which are just a little too hefty and starchy for this dish.
Make it vegetarian/vegan: To make the recipe vegan, leave out the bacon and consider using mushrooms. Chop, sauté in oil until brown & crispy, remove, and lightly toss with additional smoked paprika and salt.
Spice it up: Bell peppers are the entry point, but you can work your way up the spice scale that matches your personal preference. Anaheim, poblano, and jalapeño, respectively, offer an ascending level of spice. Diced smoked chipotle chiles in adobo would also be a great direction for these beans.
Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- ½ cup onion
- ¼ cup red bell pepper
- 2 (15 oz.) cans Navy beans
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In an oven-safe pot with a lid, cook the bacon on medium-low heat on the stovetop, flipping as needed.4 slices bacon
- Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and bell pepper.½ cup onion, ¼ cup red bell pepper
- Once most of the fat has rendered and the bacon is getting crispy, remove it from the pot and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add the chopped onion and bell pepper to the pot and sauté, using a spatula to scrape up any brown bits left behind from the bacon and incorporate them into the mix.
- While the onions and peppers cook, finely chop the cooled bacon. Once the onions are translucent and the peppers are soft, add the canned beans (plus the liquid), chopped bacon, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, smoked paprika, and salt. Stir to ensure everything is fully incorporated.2 (15 oz.) cans Navy beans, ¼ cup ketchup, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt
- Cover the pot, place it in the oven at 325°F, and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove and enjoy immediately, or let it cool completely and transfer to a resealable container to refrigerate.