The one side dish that I always make sure to put on any cookout or potluck menu is my Mama’s Southern Baked Beans with Bacon. With only 10 minutes of prep time needed and their complex sweet and smoky flavors, these luscious beans just scream summer!
I’ve been making these baked beans for as long as I can remember, and this is the same way my mama made them when we were children in Southwest Georgia. The funny thing is, when I finally got around to doing this recipe for the blog, I realized I’d never even measured the ingredients. I’d simply been making it from memory my whole life.
That’s how most of the best recipes get passed down, you know. Nobody writes out a card or puts the information into an app. You just learn while watching your mama, and one day you start making it yourself.
This recipe starts with plain old canned pork and beans. Nothing fancy. They’ve been in American grocery stores since the 1880s and were one of the first convenience foods ever sold. Somewhere along the way, Southern cooks started using them to do what we do best, taking something plain and turning it into something special.
These aren’t sweet Boston baked beans. They’re smoky, sticky beans that show up at a cookout and take their place beside the pulled pork and the barbecued ribs where they somehow manage to take all the attention.
Recipe Snapshot: Southern Baked Beans with Bacon
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Servings: 10
Cuisine: Southern, Vintage
Cooking Method: Oven
Primary Ingredients: Canned pork & beans, onion, bell pepper, bacon
Skill Level: Easy
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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“If I ever meet y’all I will hug your neck! My recipe is a little different now but I grew up eating my baked beans just like this.“
— James
What Makes This Recipe Special
These baked beans start with plain canned pork and beans, not fancy “baked beans,” and that specific choice is essential to the outcome of the recipe. Pork and beans have a thinner, less sweet sauce, which means you can take control of the sweetness and the seasoning for yourself.
The other thing that sets these apart is the bacon. It’s laid on top in strips and cooks right along with the beans so that the fat renders and mixes into the sauce while also adding a lovely smoky flavor. Most recipes fry the bacon separately and add it at the end, losing every bit of that flavor in the process.
This is a recipe people remember fondly. It travels well to a covered dish supper, feeds a crowd, and is just as good as leftovers as it is hot from the oven.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on page 152 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
Ingredient Notes
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- Pork and beans — Buy the inexpensive cans labeled “pork and beans,” not the ones labeled “baked beans.” I reach for Van Camp’s every time.
- Bacon — Use a regular cut, not thick cut. Regular bacon renders down beautifully over the hour in the oven, where thick cut won’t fully cook in that time frame. Smithfield is always my #1 choice.
- Light corn syrup — My mama used corn syrup, and so do I. Karo is the brand I keep on hand. It sweetens and thickens without the deeper molasses note, so these beans don’t have that heavy taste. And no, this is not the same thing as high fructose corn syrup, so don’t let the name scare you away.
- Onion and green bell pepper — These two cook down with the sauce and give the beans so much flavor. Don’t skip them. They’re the subtle difference between bland and tasty beans.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- The corn syrup in the recipe can be substituted with molasses, brown sugar, cane syrup, or maple syrup.
- Try substituting the your favorite barbecue sauce for the ketchup. Be aware that it will significantly change the flavor profile, but if you do prefer sweeter baked beans, you may like it.
- For a bit of spiciness, add a teaspoon (or two!) of Tabasco sauce or a finely chopped jalapeno.
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How to Make Southern Baked Beans with Bacon
- STEP 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
STEP 2. Pour the lightly drained pork and beans into a shallow casserole dish or a 9×13 baking dish.
STEP 3. Chop the onion and bell pepper and add them to the dish, then add the ketchup, mustard, and corn syrup.
STEP 4. Stir everything together thoroughly so the onion, pepper, and seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the beans.
Pro Tip
Where the instructions say “lightly drained,” it just means to pour off the excess liquid from the can, definitely not to strain all the liquid out. You still want most of the sauce, just not so much that the beans won’t thicken up as they should.
STEP 5. Lay the bacon across the top, covering the surface of the beans evenly.
STEP 6. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the bacon is done and the liquid has thickened. The bacon should be nicely browned and slightly crispy on the edges.
Pro Tip
Here’s where my recipe differs from many. I place the raw bacon on top so that it cooks along with the beans. As the dish bakes, the bacon fat renders and enriches the sauce, while all that lovely porky flavor and smokiness infuses the beans. If you fry the bacon separately and add it at the end, you lose both the rendered fat and the smoky flavor because they never make it into the dish. Letting the bacon cook right into the beans is the whole point.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to use the inexpensive “pork and beans” for this recipe rather than the ones labeled as “baked beans” which already have extra sweeteners and seasonings added.
- To prep ahead, mix everything together the night before, except the bacon. Cover and refrigerate. When ready to cook, remove the dish from the oven to come to room temperature, add the bacon on top, and pop the dish into the oven.
- I don’t recommend cooking these beans in the crockpot because the bacon won’t cook correctly. It will remain pale and flabby, and nobody wants that on their plate!
How to Serve
These beans belong at any cookout, potluck, or just your Tuesday night supper right alongside the main event. They’re made for slow cooked barbecued ribs, pulled pork, hamburgers, or Southern fried chicken.
Round out the table with the rest of the cookout classics. I almost always serve them with classic Southern potato salad or macaroni salad and a bowl coleslaw. A skillet of old-fashioned cornbread is never a bad idea.
Turn the leftovers into a meal by stirring in cooked, crumbled ground beef, ground turkey, or pork sausage, and you’ve got a one-dish supper.
Top a baked sweet potato with a big spoonful of these beans for one of my favorite little lunches.
How to Store
Store leftover baked beans covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. They reheat well on the stovetop or in the microwave, and honestly, they’re just as good cold straight from the bowl.
These beans freeze well, too. Wrap and cover them well, and they’ll keep in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Questions About Southern Baked Beans
The typical beans used for baked bean recipes are white beans, also called navy beans, white pea beans, Yankee beans, or Boston beans.
Although this recipe contains bacon, which does have a high fat content, beans themselves are very good for you. They’re quite high in both fiber and protein.
British baked beans are typically cooked in a tomato sauce, and the recipe includes no pork. They’re often served over toasted bread. American baked beans, often closely associated with New England, do include pork along with a sweetener such as brown sugar or molasses.
More Recipes You’ll Like
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Recipe
Southern Baked Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 60 ounces pork and beans, lightly drained 4-15 ounce cans, or 2-28 ounce cans (recommend: Van Camp's brand)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- ¼ cup light corn syrup (recommend: Karo brand)
- 12 ounces bacon about 3/4 pound
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Pour the lightly drained baked beans into a shallow casserole dish.60 ounces pork and beans, lightly drained
- Chop the onion and bell pepper and add to the beans. Add the catsup, mustard and syrup.1 medium onion, 1 medium green bell pepper, ⅓ cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, ¼ cup light corn syrup
- Thoroughly mix everything together in the baking dish.
- Cover the surface of the beans with the bacon.12 ounces bacon
- Cook for 1 hour or until bacon is done and beans are thickened.
Notes
- Use inexpensive “pork and beans,” not “baked beans.” The lighter sauce lets you control the sweetness and seasoning.
- “Lightly drained” means pouring off only the excess liquid from the can.
- Lay the bacon on top raw rather than pre-frying it. The fat renders into the sauce, and the smoky flavor cooks into the beans.
- The cooking time is only a guide. Cook until the bacon is done and the liquid has thickened, which may take a few minutes longer depending on how much liquid you left in the beans.
- To prep ahead, mix everything except the bacon the night before and refrigerate. Bring to room temp, add the bacon and bake when ready.
- Store covered in the refrigerator up to five days, or freeze well wrapped for up to three months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
If I ever meet y’all I will hug your neck! That’s the only brand of pork and beans I eat. My recipe is a little different now but I grew up eating my baked beans just like this. And continued for a long time. Thank y’all for sending me your recipes. I’m an old codger and enjoy hearing from you. Thank y’all!!
You’re very welcome! That’s my favorite brand, too, and this is my favorite way to serve them. Yum.
Very similar to my recipe except I use BBQ sauce and maple syrup. I add browned ground beef too. I’ll have to remember to add the onions and peppers now that my picky eaters are moved out.
This is how my mother makes her baked beans except she partially cooks the onion, bell pepper and bacon together before putting it together with the bacon on the top and uses brown sugar instead of syrup. She also doesn’t measure, just goes by how it looks. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
That sounds good, too! I love these baked beans.
Thanks for a simple recipe I love it not to much work.
You’re welcome, Shirley. I love it, too!
This is like the recipe my mother gave me. Cooked this for 7/4 outing–no leftovers! I use brown sugar, blackstrap molasses, and dried mustard. I may add some ketchup next time.
Hi Lana! This looks delicious and I’ll definitely make this at our next cook out. I have a question though, do cover the beans with aluminum foil while baking?
No, don’t cover them. Leaving them uncovered lets the bacon cook and crisp up on the edges.
Sounds incredibly delicious! I’ll going to make this for sure, so tasty and flavorful! Great indeed!!!
I always microwave the Bacon for about a minute, then blot, then put on top. This way you won’t have all that Bacon grease on top.
Fun layout. So summery picnic. These beans + those ribs = heaven.
i know i might be sounding stupid when i ask this, but do you bake or cook the casserole in the slow cooker?
Hi Jean,
You bake the beans in the oven at 375 for about 1 hour.
Looks great. You’re right – nobody in our family has ever measured anything while cooking, unless one is in the scientific realm, i. e., baking.
Anyway, what could be wrong about anything topped with bacon?
Thanks!
Miss P
I use van camp’s beans too. ;-) Looks fantastic. Love the bacon on top. hehe…
This looks incredible. I love Baked Beans!!!!!