Baked Beans Recipe – sweet, tangy, & easy!

Popular at picnics and potlucks, this baked beans recipe is sweet and tangy, and just watch those beans disappear. Everyone loves them!

Homemade baked beans are just the greatest!  I’m a big fan of all things baked beans (yes, even canned) but really nothing beats homemade. These baked beans are the perfect combination of sweet and tangy and I could eat the whole pan but that might be a potentially bad situation.

Bring these baked beans to your next family party, reunion, potluck, or picnic. I guarantee you won’t be bringing any home with you. Everyone will be asking for your recipe. They go great with grilled burgers, hot dogs and sloppy Joes.

One thing I really like about these beans is that they aren’t super runny. Sometimes you almost need a bowl for your beans or the juice runs all over your plate. This recipe makes a thicker, more sticky baked bean casserole that stays put on your plate. That is, until you shovel them into your mouth.

For a really traditional picnic, serve baked beans with homemade creamy potato salad and classic coleslaw. These mini patriotic fruit tarts are perfect for Memorial Day or Fourth of July celebrations and they’re super simple and festive.

P.S. Love traditional dishes like baked beans? Try homemade meatloaf, tuna casserole, or cheesy potatoes. For dessert, Texas sheet cake is a traditional favorite.

About these baked beans

These beans are easy to make. It shouldn’t take you more than fifteen minutes to prepare them. However, they do need to bake awhile, two hours, more or less. Don’t worry about timing things exactly. Baked beans are pretty easy going.

Here’s a quick rundown of the recipe with a few extra tips and ideas.

As always, you’ll find the complete printable recipe with complete instructions, measurements, and nutrition information near the end of this post.

What You’ll Need

• Canned beans: A large jar of great Northern beans, along with over-sized butter beans, gives a nice textural contrast. If you’d prefer to use all great Northern beans, that’s totally fine too. Whatever type you use, make sure to rinse and drain them.
• Onion: Lots of chopped onion go into these beans. They’ll cook down so don’t worry about finding chunks of onion in the beans. Any type of onion works, but we love a sweet onion.
• Bacon: Bacon adds a nice smoky salty flavor to the beans. Keep reading for variations.
• Ketchup: A good amount of ketchup adds tomato tanginess and gives the beans a nice saucy consistency. We like to choose a variety without high-fructose corn syrup, but pick your favorite.
• Dark Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar can be substituted, too. Adjust the amount according to how sweet you like baked beans.
• Molasses: You’ll find that molasses adds so much flavor to beans. Don’t skip the molasses!
• Dijon Mustard: Really, any type of mustard is fine. Even dried mustard would work for this recipe.
• White Vinegar: Vinegar contributes to the tanginess of the beans. Other types of vinegar are fine, too, especially cider vinegar. Avoid balsamic vinegar.

How to make baked beans

Basically, there are two easy steps to prepare the beans for baking. Mix the beans, diced bacon, and chopped onion in a large baking dish. There’s no need to cook the bacon first.

Next, mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or large measuring cup: ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, mustard and vinegar.

Pour the sauce over the beans, bacon, and onions.

Stir until everything is good and mixed up.

Bake the beans in your oven. Give them a stir halfway through the cooking time. If the beans seem like they’re getting dry, cover them with foil. Sometimes, I cover the beans with foil for the first hour, and then bake them uncovered for the last hour. It’s up to you. It kind of depends on how saucy you like your beans. 

FAQs

Make It Your Own

• Make vegetarian baked beans by omitting the bacon.
• If you’re not a fan of bacon but still want meaty beans, try ground beef, turkey, or sausage. Brown before adding it to the beans. Link sausages can be added as well, or even hot dogs. Some people like to place the bacon strips on top of the beans instead of mixing it in.
• Substitute different types of canned beans. If you’d rather start with dry beans, cook them as directed on the package before proceeding with this recipe. An Instant Pot works great for cooking dried beans quickly.
• Looking for a new twist? Try frijoles borrachos (drunken beans) with a southwestern flair.

Make-Ahead Ideas

While the beans really don’t take too long to put together, if you want to get a jump on things, get them ready to bake up to a day ahead and refrigerate in a covered container.

If you’re using a glass baking dish, let it come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes so that it doesn’t break when you place it in your hot oven.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Store leftover baked beans in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If they seem a little drier, add a bit of water or broth before reheating. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until heated through.

More bean recipes

Baked beans aren’t the only way to eat beans. I try to incorporate beans into my menu whenever I can. They are really good for you! Try:

• Instant Pot Black Bean Soup (no need to soak beans)
• Bean and Bacon Soup (canned or dry beans) — similar to the canned version but lots better!
• Air Fryer Chickpeas — a crispy snack
• Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Blackberries & Candied Pepitas
• Moroccan Stew with Butternut Squash and Chickpeas
• 7 Layer Dip Recipe THE BEST!
• Black Bean Dip Recipe — also a great sandwich spread!
• Ground Turkey Soup with Beans & Spinach (20 minutes!) — one of my most requested recipes!
• 15 Bean Soup
• Vegetarian Tacos with Delicata Squash and Black Beans