Darn Good Baked Beans
These baked beans will be the hit of the back yard BBQ or just a weeknight burger or hot dog night. Sweet and tangy sauce doctors up plain ole' pork and beans into something memorable.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Here's What You Need
- 4 @ 15 ounce cans pork and beans - or 2 @ 28oz cans
- 3 slices smoked bacon - sliced into 1" pieces (3 Tablespoons bacon grease)
- 2 cups yellow onion - chopped-about 1 med-large onion
- 1 ½ cups green pepper - chopped-about 1 medium pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic - minced-about 3 cloves
- 15 ounces water - See Notes
Fixins'
- ½ cup brown sugar - light or dark
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- Pinch kosher salt
Here's What You Do
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- In an oven-safe heavy Dutch oven with a lid, fry the bacon over medium heat until almost crispy and plenty of fat has been rendered. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Make sure to leave the bacon grease in the Dutch oven.
- Continuing on medium heat, sauté the yellow onions and bell peppers in the bacon grease until starting to caramelize. Don't rush this step, it will take about 20 minutes. See NOTES.
- Add the garlic and stir until aromatic, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the beans and mix well. Increase the heat until it comes to a simmer for a few minutes.
- While it's simmering, fill one of the cans with water. Pour the water from can to can to capture all the juice. Set aside. See NOTES.
- Add the Fixins' and combine completely. Add about ½ can of the water and increase the heat to bring it to a boil, set the remaining water aside. Cook on a slow simmer for about 5 minutes. Add back some or all of the bacon.
- Place in a 300 degree oven, covered for about three hours total. Stir every hour or so making sure to scrape the beans off the side and bottom, Add more water from the reserved can depending on how thick you like your beans.
Notes
Check out my article, Darn Good Baked Beans, for step-by-step instructions with photos and lots of Hints and Tips (FAQs). If you are short on time, there are tips to follow that save time.
Caramelizing the onions is an important flavor-building step. Keep the heat at medium and stir regularly, making sure the onions don't burn.
When you stir the beans periodically, add as much water as you need to reach your preferred thickness.
Leftover Baked Beans can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and in the freezer for up to two months. Make sure the beans cool down before refrigerating or freezing. Store them in an airtight container for best quality. Thaw in the fridge overnight if frozen. Reheat in the microwave, on top of the stove, or in the oven (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 10 to 20 minutes or until heated all the way through.
Nutrition
Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 784mg | Potassium: 592mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 127IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 3mg
