Bacon Baked Beans

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These bacon baked beans have the perfect blend of savory and sweet flavors that meld together in the slow cooker all day long! Perfectly soft, meaty, and saucy – these beans are going to be your new favorite side dish!

a white bowl full of bacon baked beans topped with chives

Why You’ll Love This Bacon Baked Beans Recipe

Let’s talk about beans! I love them in all their forms: black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, and even refried beans. But these bacon baked beans are out of this world!

Beans are great because they pack hefty doses of protein and fiber, which is incredible for a balanced diet. Plus, you can eat them with pretty much anything! When you find something as cheap, versatile, and delicious as beans, you simply cannot let them go. 

This recipe is wildly simple. Just pull out your slow cooker, fry up your bacon, and then pop everything in the pot. Forget it for a few hours and then come back to the best beans of your life. You’ll be shoveling them down by the spoonful!

What to Serve with Baked Beans

Baked beans are such a great side dish! Serve them with these sausage and veggie kabobs or beer can chicken. A classic burger is another great meal to complement beans – you could even put the beans ON your burger!

If you’re interested in comfort food, nothing beats mac and cheese and cornbread muffins!

And finally, you can’t forget about somethin’ sweet. Try this strawberry rhubarb pudding cake, chocolate chip cookie bars, or a classic tres leches cake

Key Ingredients

The two most important ingredients in this recipe are the bacon (fried and crumbled!) and northern beans (or navy). Those two are the “meat” of the recipe, if you will. 

Everything else is the flavoring that’ll take these baked beans to the next level! Throw it all in the slow cooker and watch (and smell and taste) the magic unfold. 

  • Chicken stock – or veggie stock
  • Onion – diced
  • Garlic – minced
  • Ketchup 
  • Bbq sauce
  • Brown sugar 
  • Mustard
  • Molasses 
  • Bourbon – optional

Note: You can always omit the bacon and use vegetable stock to make these beans vegetarian!

How to Make Baked Beans with Bacon

You’re going to love how easy this is! Gather all of your ingredients and throw them in a large slow cooker. Cover the lid, and let everything cook for about 6 hours (or until the beans are soft and have changed from white to amber). 

The sauce will thicken after the beans have cooled a little, so trust the process!

an overhead shot of baked beans in a white bowl with a spoon sticking out of it, and chives garnishing the top

FAQs

Should you cook bacon before adding to beans?

Yes, fry up your bacon for a bit until it’s a little crispy and then you can add it to your slow cooker with the beans.

What can I add to baked beans to make them taste better?

Add bacon, of course! It gives your baked beans texture, flavor, and a fattiness that’ll have you coming back for second helpings. You can also sauté up (or caramelize) onions to add to your beans and include a dash of maple syrup for a hint of sweetness. 

Will my beans get mushy in the slow cooker?

No, they’ll be the perfect texture! Cook them low and slow for the best baked beans of your life!

More Bean Recipes To Try

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Bacon Baked Beans

Course: Side, Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacon baked beans, baked beans, slow cooker baked beans
These bacon baked beans have the perfect blend of savory and sweet flavors that meld together in the slow cooker all day long! Perfectly soft, meaty, and saucy – these beans are going to be your new favorite side dish!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Countryside Cravings
Print Recipe Save Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 15.5 oz cans northern beans, drained
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup bbq sauce
  • 1/3-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • 3 tablespoons molasses
  • 6 slices thick cut bacon fried and crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon optional

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a large slow cooker. Cover with lid and cook on high for about 6 hours or until beans are soft and have changed from white to amber. Sauce with thicken after beans have cooled a little.

Notes

Note: To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the bacon and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. 
Storage: Once your beans cool, store them in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. 
Recipe adapted from The Cozy Apron

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