Best Ever Baked Beans
Smoky, spicy, and sweet, these baked beans with bacon are a hit every single time! They're the best side dish for BBQs, parties, and holidays like Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Watch the video below to see how I make this in my kitchen!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded and diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup blackstrap molasses
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 (15-ounce) cans baked beans
Instructions
- Crisp the bacon. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Add the bacon to a Dutch oven (or deep saute pan) over medium-high heat and cook until crispy.
- Saute the veggies. Add the onion and bell pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, paprika, and stir for another minute.
- Add more flavor. Add the maple syrup, molasses, vinegar, ketchup, and mustard. Stir for another minute.
- Add the baked beans. Stir in the baked beans (with all liquid from the can), bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Taste the baked beans and add salt and pepper, if needed. Tip: Different cans of beans have different amounts of salt and pepper already added, so season to your liking.
- Bake. Cover the Dutch oven and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, to allow the flavors to meld. Remove the lid and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the sauce has reduced and thickened to your liking. And remember that it will continue to thicken as it cools. Let cool slightly before serving.
Video
Notes
- While you can use honey in this recipe as an alternative sweetener (if you don't have maple syrup), I do believe it's best with maple syrup.
- This recipe veers more to the sweet and smoky side versus spicy. If you'd like to add more heat, sprinkle in some chili powder or chipotle powder in step 2. You could also dice in a jalapeno pepper and add it with the onion.
- Here's a link for Amy's organic baked beans (which is what I'm using for this recipe), and Bush's baked beans.
Nutrition
Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 1254IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg