Mama’s Southern Baked Beans with Bacon
The one side dish that I always make sure to put on the menu for any cookout or potluck is my Mama’s Southern Baked Beans with Bacon. With only 10 minutes of prep time required, these luscious baked beans with their sweet, smoky flavor just scream summer!
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If you’re planning a cookout this summer, you absolutely must include this recipe. It’s the ultimate side dish to pair with hamburgers, barbecued ribs, pulled pork, or fried chicken!
When I started to write the recipe for this post and make the photos, I realized that was the first time I’d ever measured the ingredients. It’s just something that I’ve been making for as long as I can remember and I never wrote it down until now.
This is the way I remember my mama making them for us as children and they’re still just as good today as they were back then!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Only 10 minutes of prep time!
- Can be made ahead
- All ages love this recipe
- Easily portable for a covered dish or potluck
- Easy on the budget
About the Ingredients
- Pork and Beans (you’ll need inexpensive “pork and beans” for this recipe, not the ones labeled as “baked beans”; I recommend the Van Camp’s brand)
- Bacon (use a regular cut of bacon rather than thick cut)
- Corn Syrup (my favorite brand is Karo; you can substitute brown sugar, molasses or maple syrup if you prefer)
- Yellow mustard, ketchup, onion, and green bell pepper (you probably have these staples on hand)
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Baked Beans with Bacon
STEP 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
STEP 2. Pour the lightly drained beans into a 9×13 casserole dish or baking pan.
TIP: “Lightly drained” simply means to pour off any excess liquid in the can. You do want some liquid, just not an excessive amount.
STEP 3. Chop the onion and bell pepper and add to the baking dish.
STEP 4. Add the ketchup, mustard, and syrup.
STEP 5. Thoroughly mix everything together in the baking dish.
STEP 6. Cover the surface evenly with the bacon.
STEP 7. Cook for about 1 hour or until bacon is done and the liquid is thickened.
Tips
- Be sure to use the inexpensive “pork and beans” for this recipe rather than the ones labeled as “baked beans.”
- To prep ahead, mix everything together the night before except the bacon. Cover and refrigerate. When ready to cook, add the bacon on top and pop the dish into the oven.
- To cook in the crockpot, add all ingredients except the bacon into the slow cooker. Cook for 6-7 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high. Cook the bacon separately and crumble over the top before serving.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to five days; freeze well wrapped and covered for up to three months.
Variations/Substitutions
- The corn syrup in the recipe can be substituted with molasses, brown sugar, cane syrup, or maple syrup.
- Try substituting the ketchup with your favorite barbecue sauce.
- For a bit of spiciness, add a teaspoon (or two!) of Tabasco sauce or a finely chopped jalapeno.
- Use the leftovers to make a one-dish meal by adding cooked, crumbled ground beef, ground turkey, or pork sausage.
- Try a big spoonful of baked beans as a topping for a baked sweet potato.
FAQs
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 has a high amount of 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 Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Recipe
Mama’s 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 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.
- Chop the onion and bell pepper and add to the beans. Add the catsup, mustard and syrup.
- Thoroughly mix everything together in the baking dish.
- Cover the surface of the beans with the bacon.
- Cook for 1 hour or until bacon is done and beans are thickened.
Notes
- Be use to use the inexpensive “pork and beans” for this recipe rather than the ones labeled as “baked beans.
- To prep ahead, mix everything together the night before except the bacon. Cover and refrigerate. When ready to cook, add the bacon on top and pop the dish into the oven.
- To cook in the crockpot, add all ingredients except the bacon into the slow cooker. Cook for 6-7 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high. Cook the bacon separately and crumble over the top before serving.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to five days; freeze well wrapped and covered 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.
— This post was originally published on August 11, 2009. It has been updated with new photos and additional text.
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!!!!!