These Slow Cooker Baked Beans are cooked to perfection with brown sugar, barbecue sauce, bacon, and a few other basic ingredients. This is my classic recipe for crockpot baked beans that I make over and over.
If I’m not making these homemade baked beans, I make Hawaiian baked beans or land your man baked beans.
Why this crock pot baked beans recipe works
Baked beans are one of the most popular side dishes, especially when there’s a bbq or potluck on the agenda. Instead of settling with canned beans, enhance the flavor with the best baked bean recipe like this. All you need are just a few pantry staples that you most likely already have on hand.
This recipe also works because of the short prep time and cooking time. It’s a great recipe that can easily be tweaked to get the perfect flavor you’re looking for. Get ready to give canned baked beans an entirely new burst of taste!
Recipe Ingredients
- Bush’s Baked Beans – I use the homestyle or original variety. I prefer not to use any flavored varieties such as maple or onion for they can be overpowering.
- Bacon – cook the bacon halfway (not completely done and crisp) doing this will give the beans a browned flavor but also allow the bacon to release some of its juices into the beans.
- Barbecue – Use your favorite bbq sauce here. I like a plain barbecue sauce for this recipe.
- Brown sugar – I only add one tablespoon of light brown sugar so the beans aren’t too sweet. (You can use dark brown sugar, works well too!). Double the brown sugar if you like sweeter baked beans.
- Yellow Mustard – Adds a contrast to the sweetness in this recipe.
- Sweet Yellow Onion – Just one cup of diced will do.
- Worcestershire Sauce – this is the secret ingredient! Adds a little tang to the beans.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Slice the raw bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook bacon on the stovetop in a skillet until HALFWAY browned, drain. Add to the crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
Step Two – Place the slow cooker lid onto the pot. Cook on LOW for 5 hours or HIGH for 3.5 hours. If your slow cooker cooks hot, be sure to stir these once or twice at the end of the cooking time. Serve and enjoy!
What to serve with Crockpot Baked Beans?
- Slow cooked baked beans always pair well with delicious barbecued foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken.
- They also pair well with other meals like baked pork chops or baked chicken.
- Many baked beans dish recipes can also be served as a meal of its own, especially if it’s packed with meat and veggies.
- When it comes to serving them, they are best to serve warm and either directly from the slow cooker or poured into a serving bowl. If you choose to keep them in the slow cooker, you’ll want to keep stirring occasionally.
Recipe FAQS
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained, 1 lb. ground sausage, browned and drained, 1-2 cups diced ham, or 8 ounces turkey bacon, sliced, cooked halfway and drained. You can also use precooked diced bacon.
Use 2 tablespoons of one of the following: Honey, White sugar, coconut sugar, or pure maple syrup.
If you choose to use pork and beans instead of baked beans in this recipe I would double the brown sugar and barbecue sauce in this recipe for they are less sweet than baked beans.
You can play around with flavors by adding dijon mustard, a little bit of bacon grease, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. However you jazz these beans up you will end up with the best baked beans!
Leftover slow cooker beans can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 1 week.
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Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. bacon (half of a 16 oz. package)
- 56 oz. Homestyle Bush's Baked Beans
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Instructions:
- Slice the raw bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook on the stove top in a skillet until HALFWAY browned, drain. Add to the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on LOW for 5 hours or HIGH for 3.5 hours.
- Stir, serve and enjoy!
- Note – If your slow cooker cooks hot, be sure to stir these once or twice at the end of the cooking time. Mine had no problem, but often on thick and sweet recipes they tend to stick on the edges.
How to Video:
Sarah’s Notes:
- white sugar
- maple syrup
- honey
- 1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
- 1 lb. ground sausage, browned and drained
- 1-2 cups diced ham
- 8 ounces turkey bacon, sliced, cooked halfway and drained
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Brandy says
I had these at my mom’s house and they were the best baked beans I’ve ever had. They were so good I had to make them again. I followed the recipe to a T and they came out just as good.
Cynthia says
Do I need the meat? Can I just cook the beans?
Sarah Olson says
Yes, you can skip the meat.
Tiffany says
Some of these comments!!! Oh my, I don’t know how you bloggers handle them…..I guess some people need to take the time to get on here and complain. That is nice of you to have an outlet for them…♀️. Anyway, my question is do you need to drain the beans first?
Sarah Olson says
Thank you :), no you do not need to drain them.
Emily says
How many does this recipe serve? Thank you!
Sarah Olson says
About 10, as a side dish.
Richard Sanford says
Can’t believe you use canned beans..Not original
Sarah Olson says
This is how I make them.
Karen says
My family loves my beans fixed this way. Been doing it for over 40 years. Try it, you may be surprised!
Helen Goldie says
I am unable to buy Bush beans never heard of them what other beans can I use?
Sarah Olson says
Any baked beans in the same size of can.
Karen turner says
Recipe for black beans please?as asked by Bonnie Smith?
Sharon says
I use molasses. I like thick beans sauce not runny.
Tina says
What bab sauce would you use here ,Please what kind do you use in this .
Sarah Olson says
I use bullseye original or sweet baby rays.
Connie says
We love beans at our house and I will be making this and not so long in crock pot due to beans already cooked !
Jenni says
Do you use Dijon mustard or American Yellow mustard?
Sarah Olson says
Yellow mustard
Judith says
I make a very similar recipe, however I don’t simmer them for hours as the beans are already cooked . I cooked the bacon and onions and simply , add the beans with the other ingredients and heat . They are wonderful . I do simmer them for hours when I am using dried beans .
bonnie smith says
do you have a recipe for black beans
Deb says
Who cares what you do? Review this recipe. You can post your own recipe somewhere else. When I read reviews, I want to hear what people think of THIS recipe.
Suzanne says
Well that was rude! All comments are welcome!