There is just the right amount of sweet and salty in the Best Baked Beans Ever. This recipe for baked beans with bacon will make any BBQ or party more fun.
There is one dish that will always be served at a cookout at my house in the spring or summer. Come hungry for a scoop (or seven) of The Best Baked Beans recipe EVER, rain or shine.
Since I was a kid, I’ve eaten these beans. We used to call them “Judy’s Baked Beans” (don’t ask me who Judy was or is!), and we still make them every spring and summer.
So, these delicious baked beans with the right amount of sweet and savory tastes are a must-have for any summer party, potluck, birthday, or BBQ. They are easy to put together and then baked slowly for several hours. When they come out of the oven, they are boiling and have a caramelized top that looks like lacquer.
Believe me when I say that this is the best baked beans you’ll ever taste.
Why this baked bean recipe is great
After just one bite, you’ll know why these baked beans are called “Best Ever.” They’re great as a side dish for any outdoor gathering!
This summer side dish has both savory and sweet ingredients. It has smoked sausage and bacon, which are savory, and crushed pineapple and brown sugar, which are sweet.
Canned beans: For this simple baked bean recipe, you don’t have to boil and cook dried beans from scratch; the base is made of canned beans. You could call them baked beans in a can that have been kicked up.
Pour and bake: all you have to do is put some common foods into a baking dish and bake them. Nobody needs to do any extra cooking. You can make the whole dish ahead of time if you want to.
Things You’ll Need
Most of the things you need for this simple baked beans recipe are already in your fridge or pantry. A few times a year, I buy a case of Bush’s Baked Beans from Costco. That way, we always have a can of beans ready to be changed up for this recipe. You’ll also need these things:
These oven baked beans start with baked beans from a can. Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans are my best because they have a little less sugar than other kinds. However, you can use any flavor you like. The ones I talked about from Costco are “original” taste.
Kielbasa is added to the cooked bean mix to make it taste like “franks and beans.” These are my favorite parts of the recipe. I like the pork kielbasa made by Johnsonville.
Crushed pineapple: it melts into the baked beans and makes them naturally sweet. Make sure the pineapple you buy is packed in its own juices, not heavy syrup.
Onion: gives the baked beans a rich, warm taste.
Brown sugar has molasses in it, which makes it sweet and changes the taste of other foods.
Adding steak sauce and yellow mustard to the brown sugar and crushed pineapple makes it more spicy and tangy. When you need to save time, Worcestershire sauce can be used instead of steak sauce.
Bacon: Sliced bacon goes on top of the beans and adds taste to every bite as they bake. Surprisingly, the bacon doesn’t make the baked beans taste very bacon-y; it just makes the dish taste better overall. It works best if you use center cut bacon instead of normal or thick-cut bacon.
Putting ketchup on top of the bacon makes it brown in the oven while the beans bake slowly. The caramelized ketchup not only makes the top look beautiful, but it also gives the food a spicy, sour taste.
How to Make Ahead, Store, and Freeze Food
I really like how easy this baked beans recipe is. You can make it ahead of time and then reheat it or freeze it.
How to prepare ahead of time: You can put together the beans up to three days before you bake them. Wrap it in metal foil and put it in the fridge. After putting the dish in the oven, let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes.
How to store: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then put foil over the baking dish or put them in a jar with a lid that keeps air out and put it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Use the microwave to reheat individual servings.
To freeze, put the beans together until they are ready to bake, then cover them with saran wrap and then foil. You can store them in the freezer for up to three months. Let the beans sit on the counter for 30 minutes before baking as usual after letting them thaw all the way in the fridge. I like to put the baked beans together and freeze them in throwaway aluminum pans.
Okay, let’s get you a bowl of these baked beans that are the best ever!
How to Make the Best Beans Bake
First, drain the beans from the can.
Start with baked beans from a can. Again, Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans are my top choice because they have a little less sugar than other kinds.
First, open the cans and pour off the liquid that’s on top of each one. This will keep the baked beans from getting too runny.
Step 2: Mix the items together.
Put the beans in a big bowl or right into the baking pan. Then, add the diced kielbasa, the pineapple that has been crushed and drained, the onion that has been minced, the brown sugar, the steak sauce, and the mustard. Give everything a good stir to mix.
Step 3: Put ketchup and bacon slices on top
Put the mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or two smaller baking dishes. Then, lay bacon slices on top of the mixture. It’s best to use bacon that has been cut down the middle. It’s not possible for thick-cut bacon to be fully cooked. Most of the time, a 9×13-inch pan needs 3/4 to the whole pack of center-cut bacon.
Lastly, use the back of a spoon to spread ketchup over the bacon.
Step 4: Bake and let it cool down
Cover the beans and bake them at 250 degrees for two to two and a half hours, or until the bacon is very caramelized and the beans are boiling. If you want the bacon to get really crispy, you can grill it near the end.
Wait 15 to 30 minutes for the beans to thicken up before taking them out and eating them. You won’t be able to eat the beans if you try to do so before they have solidified.
Really, this picture makes me so happy just looking at it. I feel like these baked beans scream “summer!” I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does in the spring and summer.
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