Southern Baked Beans have a touch of sweetness from brown sugar and lots of flavor from bacon, onion, peppers, and seasonings. My version is an old-fashioned classic that uses mostly pantry ingredients like pork n’ beans and molasses.
I like to make the beans a little spicy with some cayenne pepper, but you can dial that back if you like less heat. These baked beans take about 10 minutes to stir together, then 2 hours to bake.
There’s one dish you can take to almost any potluck and it will be in fashion, and that’s these Southern Baked Beans with Bacon. Whether the main dish is Pulled Pork or Roast Chicken, or even a conglomeration of vegetable dishes, baked beans work with almost everything.
Baked beans are filling and, for the most part, fairly nutritious — although the bacon and brown sugar probably detract from that a bit!
I like my baked beans to have a little bit of heat and a little sweetness, pretty much the same way I like barbecue sauce and almost any savory dish, even roasted vegetables. Doesn’t everything taste better with a little cayenne and brown sugar?
Testing results for Southern baked beans
- I like things to be easy, so I don’t even saute the onions and peppers. I toss everything into the pot and bake them. By the time the beans are done, the vegetables are tender.
- I don’t cook the bacon first because I want all the bacon grease to get down into the beans. If you want to crisp the bacon a little bit, you can stick the pot under the broiler for a few minutes once the beans are done, but I usually don’t even bother doing that.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients:
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Pork n’ Beans: My family has always used plain old pork n’beans to make baked beans (and my easy chili recipe). I prefer Campbell’s brand, but they are sometimes hard to find, so any brand will do.
Molasses: Don’t skip this one. The molasses adds a traditional sweet touch that’s not overpowering.
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Southern Baked Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 28-ounce cans pork n' beans, drained
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
- ½ green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups ketchup
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Combine all ingredients except bacon in a large bowl and stir gently until well mixed. Place in a lightly greased large Dutch oven or a lightly greased large baking dish, top with bacon pieces, and bake for 2 hours. At this point, you can broil for a few minutes to crisp the bacon edges or just stir the bacon into the beans.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Store baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Southern Baked Beans can be made ahead of time, even a couple of days before you need them. Baked beans keep for several days in the refrigerator and can be frozen for longer storage. I often make a big batch and freeze it in quart-sized bags for simple suppers at home.
You can make these baked beans in the slow cooker if you prefer, or you can bake them in the oven.
You can freeze baked beans, and they will turn out just fine. Allow the beans to cool before freezing. I usually remove them from the pot and place them in another container, let them cool for a bit, then refrigerate the beans until cold.
I freeze them in smaller portion sizes either in my food saver bags or freezer containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat slowly on the stove. I freeze them in smaller portion sizes, either in my FoodSaver bags or freezer containers.
