Best Baked Beans

When it comes to year-round American cuisine, baked beans could quite possibly be looked at as one of the most classic side dishes. They’re sweet, tangy, savory, and the best part, surprisingly easy to make. Not to mention, they’re a one-pot wonder! Throw in the fact that one batch feeds a small crowd and that most of the cooking is done unattended in the oven, and you have a winning dish that’ll be a staple for all your family gatherings for years to come. Here's everything I learned while perfecting this recipe that you should know to make it the best it can be:

How To Make Baked Beans

INGREDIENTS

• Bacon: To me, baked beans just aren’t complete without bacon. It adds that smoky, meaty flavor that makes this a perfect BBQ side. You can use apple or cherrywood smoked bacon, either will do.
• Yellow Onion & Red Bell Pepper: After cooking our bacon, we cook a chopped yellow onion and red bell pepper down. These veggies will amplify the flavor, and will add texture as well.
• Ketchup: Sweet ketchup adds a welcome richness to our baked beans.
• Molasses: The earthy sweetness of molasses builds upon all of our flavors here.
• Dijon Mustard & Apple Cider Vinegar: This is where we get that tangy flavor to balance out the sweet richness.
• Worcestershire: Just a tablespoon of Worcestershire adds a meaty savory-ness that amplifies our smoky bacon flavor.
• Beans: Everybody’s got their favorite bean. For a classic look and taste in this recipe, I went with navy beans. They’re the most common beans used in this dish, and chances are what you often think of when you think of baked beans. But if you have a preferred variety, any small or medium canned bean will work fine in this recipe.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

To start off our baked beans, we'll cook our bacon. Get out a large Dutch oven or oven-proof pot. Place your bacon in before turning on the heat. Then cook over medium heat until the bacon has browned and most of the fat has rendered.

Once your bacon is done, add in your onion and bell pepper, and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. You can add more seasonings, but we'll be adding plenty of flavor later, so I like to keep it simple here. Cook them down until they are softened and lightly fragrant—this should take around 5 minutes. Once they are cooked down, you can add your ketchup, molasses, mustard, brown sugar, water, vinegar, Worcestershire, and a bit more salt

Stir everything together, then bring everything to a gentle simmer. Once it reaches a simmer, remove it from the heat, and add in all your beans.

Now it's time to take this party to the oven. Transfer your pot to your pre-heated oven, and bake uncovered until your baked beans are slightly reduced and bubbly. When the top has browned, you know you're good to go. Before diving in, be patient and let your beans sit for at least 10 minutes. Then you can give them a stir and serve.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Make Ahead & Storage

If you want to prep these beans the night before your BBQ, assemble everything together up to step 4, then cover and refrigerate. The next day, simply bake and serve! We recommend waiting to bake your beans until you're ready to serve to achieve that delicious topping.

If you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3-5 days.