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.
Bee says
My neighbor brought over your baked beans to share. Honestly, they are the best beans I have ever had! And so easy to make! I’m taking them to the potluck on Father’s day. I know they’ll be a hit.
Janel says
Can I make these the night before, stick them in the fridge and slow cook them the next day?
Sarah Olson says
Yes, though beware, some have had their slow cooker crack from the cold ceramic being heated up.
Josie says
I love all of your recipes and they are so point on and full of flavor!! Thank you for sharing them!! You are awesome. And p.s. I am once again making your super awesome baked beans in a crockpot from Bush canned beans! They are always a hit and I have gotten asked for the recipe on many occasions! Maybe someday when I retire and have nothing better to do. I will try it with dried beans. But meanwhile the canned beans work fantastic!! Thanks again!!
Sarah Olson says
I’m so glad you like this and thank you for the kind comment.
Mish says
Thank you for sharing your recipe. That was very kind of you. Like you said, canned or scratch beans is personal preference. Thanks
Martha says
Canned baked beans? Are you kidding?
Sarah Olson says
FYI most baked beans you eat at potlucks are from a can. 🙂 you can make always make them from scratch if you prefer.
Unique says
Can you use regular canned beans instead?
Sarah Olson says
You would have to doctor them up much more.
Mary says
Great recipe. Thankyou
Jane coffman says
Hi there, I’m not much of a cook but need to make some baked beans. I found this recipe and it sounds wonderful. I was just curious…do you have to fry the bacon halfway or can you just put it in the crockpot raw. Will the bacon cook thru if put in the crockpot totally raw? I want the flavor of bacon but would rather take it out before serving. Thank you
Sarah Olson says
If you add uncooked bacon to the beans they just get a greasy flavor instead of a browned bacon flavor.
Jane coffman says
Ok..thanks so much
Lori says
I was just wondering what type of BBQ sauce. I always use Sweet Baby Rays Honey Chipotle. Would that be too spicy?
Sarah Olson says
That may be on the spicy side. I usually use original sweet baby rays.
Shelly says
So good and easy! I had several people ask for the recipe
Steve says
Great recipe! I don’t cook much, however this is a family favorite that everybody likes.
Marie says
I get so many compliments about these baked beans. Love them!!
Betsy Ramos says
This recipe is a keeper! I was looking for just the right recipe that didn’t involve cooking overnight in the oven the old-fashioned way (like I used to do) with a long list of ingredients. I printed this recipe back when the ingredients stated 1 TBSP of brown sugar instead of 2. In my opinion, 1 is enough. These beans have a sweet taste that is just right. I used 1 medium onion and I subbed the bacon for diced pancetta.
Sarah Olson says
Thanks! I will change it back to one, and people can add another if they want after they taste.
GrammyC says
I had to up the brown sugar to two tbsp. We like our baked beans on the sweeter side.