Southern Baked Beans are an irresistible side dish that will elevate your dinner game. This great recipe is a family friendly favorite that bursting with flavor and straight out of my grandma’s recipe box.
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Why this Southern Baked Bean Recipe is a Keeper
Discover what makes our molasses baked beans stand out from the crowd. From its ease of preparation to its irresistible family friendly appeal, we’ll uncover the magic that sets this recipe apart and leaves us craving it time and time again.
- Easy Prep: Our baked beans recipe require minimal preparation, making it an excellent choice for those busy evenings when you want a hearty side dish.
- Easy Ingredients: With just a handful of common ingredients, you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips. No need for a lengthy grocery list
- Family Friendly: The rich, sweet, and savory flavors of the beans, combined with the simplicity of the dish, make it a go-to option for family dinners. Perfect for your next cookout. Baked beans are the perfect summer side dish. We have used this recipe for years as it is the perfect side dish.
If you’re looking for more inspired recipes, try these Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans, Instant Pot Baked Beans and Restaurant Style Black Beans.
What are some ways to thicken the sauce in Southern baked beans if it’s too runny?
Simply simmering the baked beans without a lid will allow some of the liquid to evaporate, naturally thickening the sauce. Keep an eye on it and remove it from heat when it reaches your desired consistency.
Ingredient Notes for the Best Southern Baked Beans
You can make this perfect side with many variations if you wish. It is a good recipe for large get togethers.
- Canned Beans: Cans of beans are the star of this recipe. Their creamy texture and rich taste are essential for achieving the perfect result.
- Molasses: Molasses gives this dish its signature sweet and sticky sauce. Along with the brown sugar. You can opt for light or dark molasses depending on your preference.
- Slice of Bacon: Bacon add such flavor. Make sure the bacon is crisp for this easy recipe for homemade beans.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions to Make Homemade Baked Beans
Baked beans are like a memory. You always have your favorite baked beans for family get togethers. A classic Southern-style baked beans recipe made with brown sugar topped with bacon is always a winner.
- Pineapple: If you want to add a fruity twist to your baked beans, toss in some pineapple bits. They’ll add a delightful hint of sweetness and tropical flair.
- Spicy: If you prefer a bit of heat, spice up your beans with jalapeno slices or a dash of hot sauce.
- Make: You will love this recipe because you can make in a skillet, baking dish or a crock pot. Try adding hamburger for a baked beans with ground beef.
- Sauce: Try bbq sauce or Worcestershire sauce for your southern bean recipe.
- Sugar: You can use some sugar substitute light brown sugar for delicious beans.
- Vegetarian: You can make vegetarian baked beans if you like. Use a vegan bacon and other ingredients to add flavor.
Pro Tip to Make this Recipe
A splash of vinegar adds a touch of acidity that helps to balance the sweetness of the brown sugar.
How to Make Southern Baked Beans with Bacon
You can make these baked beans in advance and reheat by cooking on low heat.
These are the basic steps for making the best baked beans recipe. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1: Prep
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Then, get a large oven safe pot handy.
2: Cook Onion
Next pour some oil in the pot and heat it on the stove over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes.
3: Add Remaining Ingredients
Then add the canned baked beans, molasses, ketchup, and brown sugar into the pot with the onion. Next, stir to combine all ingredients together.
4. Bake the Southern Baked Beans
Then sprinkle chopped pieces of bacon on top of the bean mixture. After adding the bacon, place the pot in the preheated oven and finally bake the beans uncovered for one hour. You can decorate the top with strips of bacon on top.
Best Southern Baked Beans Recipe FAQs
The most common beans are navy beans. They are used in commercially canned pork and beans.
Of course, you can make this southern style beans with red kidney beans, pinto beans, lima beans, butter beans or even dried beans.
Truly it is easy to reheat the leftover beans on the stove top, in the microwave or even in the oven if you prefer.
You can store these baked beans with molasses in an airtight container for up to five days.
Expert Tips to Make Baked Beans with Brown Sugar and Crispy Bacon
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- Tang: Add a tangy kick to your beans by incorporating a touch of Dijon mustard, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, or barbecue sauce into the recipe.
- Add Bourbon: For an extra twist, add a splash of bourbon to your Southern Baked beans. It’ll impart a subtle, smoky flavor that compliments the sweetness of the molasses.
- Different Meat: Experiment with alternative meats such as ground beef or sausage for a delicious twist on this classic Southern dish.
- Fry Bacon: Cook the bacon fresh and save the bacon grease to sauté the vegetables in. Then crumble bacon for the delicious recipe.
What to Serve with Southern-Style Baked Beans Recipe
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Southern Baked Beans
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Ingredients
- 1 Onion, large, diced
- 2 teaspoons Vegetable oil
- 59.2 ounces Pork and beans, 14.8 oz each Pork and Beans (I use 4 of Campbell’s)
- ⅓ cup Molasses
- ½ cup Ketchup
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 6 Bacon, strips, diced
- 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large oven safe pot, heat vegetable oil. When hot, add onion and saute for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
- Add beans, molasses, ketchup and brown sugar; Stir to combine.
- Add diced bacon pieces on top.
- Bake for 1 hour.
Christina’s Notes
- Add tang: Mustard such as dijon, Apple Cider Vinegar, or bbq sauce.
- Bacon: Crisp bacon crumbled on top adds even more flavor.
- Variation tip: Replace the bacon with spicy sausage.
- Alternate cooking method tip: Make these baked beans in the slow cooker or the instant pot the beans come out wonderful and full of tenderness.. To save oven space.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Delightful post
Thanks
Perfect beans recipe. I did add a small amount (1 1/2 T) of prepared mustard for some tang to balance the molasses & brown sugar as suggested. Leftovers were heated, mashed a bit and served as corn chip dip, delicious. Thank you.
Make the molasses baked when we have large gatherings of family/friends and it’s always a hit. THE BEST
Glad you like it!
Do you cover when baking?
No there is no need to cover the beans.
Have you made this recipe using dry beans in the instant pot?
I have not made them in the instant pot but I know that you definitely can.
Im making this recipe for the first time but I have made baked beans before from dried beans and in the instant pot. I put the dry beans in a bowl with boiling water and soak them for 24 hours then I drain them in the colander in the sink, run water on them then I boil them for an hour or so til they are nice and soft then I proceed to make the baked beans with all the other indgredients as directed. This is the only way to do it via instant pot and to ensure the beans get soft. If you have a pressure cooker, you can soak them and cook them for 20 minutes in the pressure cooker. Hope this helps.
These really do taste just like my grandma’s….Thank you!