Southern style Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon in a thick, rich, glossy sauce with a perfect balance of sweet and a hint of tang. An essential side for a blow out BBQ or Southern feast – think pulled pork, barbecue chicken, sticky ribs, Fried Chicken, sweet juicy corn, coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni salad and cornbread. Swoooooon!!
Southern Baked Beans
Southern Baked Beans are like the bolder, brasher big sister of our Aussie baked beans. Whereas our beans are known as a breakfast staple, with its translucent, shiny tomato sauce, the Southern version is a a side dish that’s packed with big, bold southern flavours.
The sauce is glossy, it’s sweet, it’s savoury, and even though it’s “just” a side dish, no one could overlook it on a table laden with food!
Here it is pictured with a side of Coleslaw, Pulled Pork and crusty Artisan bread (it’s unbelievably quick and easy, no knead. Though….. cornbread would be much more on theme on this plate!)
What goes in Southern Baked Beans
You’ll find a lot of recipes are based around store bought canned baked beans – sauce and all. I really just prefer making it from scratch – you can control the flavour yourself, you know what goes in it, and all that usual jazz. 🙂
So here’s what you need to make these Southern Baked Beans.
Just a note on a few of the ingredients:
Beans – I usually make this with red kidney beans, just something I picked up from Ina Garten’s baked beans recipe. Flavour wise it doesn’t really make a difference what beans you use because the sauce flavour is so strong. So feel free to use navy beans (haricot) which is the more common type of beans used in Southern Baked Beans, pinto, cannellini or any other small to medium beans of choice;
Molasses – adds colour, gloss and flavour. Easy substitute: golden syrup!
Tomato passata – this is just plain, pure, pureed tomato. If you’re in the US, it’s sometimes labelled “tomato puree” instead. More information on tomato passata here.
How to make baked beans
It’s probably thoroughly not in the spirit of baked beans to NOT bake it! But it starts on the stove with the browning of the bacon, so I just find it easier to leave it on the stove.
But you can bake it if you prefer! It can also be slow cooked – directions included in the recipe.
I know baked beans are traditionally served as a side in the states, but in all honesty, the sauce of this Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon is so good, with such much kapow flavours, I’m happy to slurp it up just like this: in a big bowl with some corn bread to slop up all that sauce. (Try the muffin version too, they’re fabulous!)
Or even as breakfast. I promise there is a couple of pieces of (burnt) toast under that very generous serving of baked beans! Try it with a fried or poached egg, or even scrambled eggs!
Big Barbecue Feast!
And of course, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t suggest a load of dishes for a big barbecue feast. Here are some barbecue favourites that demand a side of baked beans!!
I know I keep going on and on about giant BBQ feasts, but of course baked beans are a brilliant side dish for normal meals too. 😂 It will keep in the fridge for days, so you can keep bringing it out over and over again… who can get sick of these baked beans?? – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon (Southern)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 150g/ 5 oz bacon , chopped
- 1 medium onion , finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced (or 1 1/2 tsp garlic paste)
- 3 x 400g / 14oz cans red kidney or other beans, drained and rinsed (Note 1)
- 3/4 cup ketchup (Note 2)
- 3/4 cup tomato passata / US tomato puree (Note 3)
- 1/4 cup molasses (Note 4)
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tsp mustard powder (or 1 tbsp Dijon or American mustard)
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3/4 tsp EACH salt & pepper , plus more to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil over high heat (can skip oil if bacon is super fatty). Add bacon and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes until onion and bacon are golden.
- Add remaining ingredients. Stir, bring to simmer, then place lid on.
- Then either turn down heat to medium low (simmering gently) and cook on the stove for 1 hour, stirring every now and then so the bottom doesn't catch. OR bake at 160°C/325°F for 60 minutes.
- SLOW COOKER option: Reduce water to 1/4 cup, transfer to slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on low.
- The sauce should be thickened (cook with lid off for a bit if not thick enough) and glossy. Adjust salt and pepper to taste at the end. See notes for serving suggestions!
Recipe Notes:
- 1 can = 1 3/4 cups beans once drained
- Recipe calls for 3 cans = 5 1/4 cups beans
- 1 cup dried beans = 2 3/4 cups cooked
- So you will need 2 cups dried beans (2 x 2.75 = 5 1/2 cups cooked beans)
Nutrition Information:
Originally published June 2017, updated June 2020 with fresh new photos, brand new video!
More bean recipes
Life of Dozer
In case you missed the Life of Dozer video on Monday – Dozer’s analysis of deconstructed Gado Gado at a glance:
And Life of Dozer from the original publication date:
First sunrise back in Sydney with Mr D after arriving home from my trip to Japan. 🙂 Even though his boarder reported no signs of separation anxiety or even a fleeting moment of forlornness that would indicate that he missed me in the slightest (😤), I was greeted with sufficient enthusiasm to think otherwise!
Cooked 2 cans of kidney beans with the same amount of other ingredients. Hubby then put everything in a cast iron pan and into the smoker for 3 hours. It came out Texas delicious.
So very good and easy to make. on the sweet side but not to bad, next time I won’t put so much molasses . Made in crockpot .
I used this recipe base to make my own version of baked beans because I liked the majority of the ingredients used! Just no ketchup or Worcestershire sauce because I need to buy some. I tired great northern beans last time and they turned out great. Making some now with navy beans and adding bell pepper and celery to it. I know they’ll be great!
Hi Nagi.
Planning to make this for the family but my wife is a pescatarian. What would you recommend substituting the bacon for? Was considering using anchovies? Thanks
Hi Sharief, anchovies would be a great sub for that salty umami flavour! N x
First time ever making or trying home made baked beans. They are awesome. Made with the cornbread muffins. They are awesome. Every recipe on here is a winner. I’ve never come across a flop or something that has even tasted remotely bad. 10/10
Was hunting around for a good camping dinner to feed 12 people and these beans with the pork, slaw and bread will be the perfect all rounder for kids and adults. Bonus is it can all be cooked before we leave.
Another excellent recipe Nagi! Thoughts on adding a bit of liquid smoke, or finishing in a smoker instead of stove top or oven?
Oh dear Deborah green….
don’t comment unless you have tried the recipe, no one needs your negativity.
Thanks so much for the support Jo 🙂 – I accept all forms of feedback but it’s not really helpful if someone comments without even trying the recipe!
Can you can this? Would you pressure cook or water bath?
I haven’t tried sorry Diana, I’d love to know though! N x
Made this for dinner and it was wonderful! I tweaked it a little bit since the lid for my pot didnt totally seal. The water evaporated too fast. I may try baking this instead next time. What do you think, Nagi?
Thanks for all the amazing recipes you freely share to everyone in the world 🙂
This recipe is SO GOOD I could scream it from the mountaintops!!! Ahhhhh! I’m literally waiting for it to be done in my oven rn. But I haven’t been able to resist from sneaking licks of the sauce. OMG! I feel like I will make this sauce again and use it for a glazed pork or chicken or literally anything it’s SO GOOD! I made some substitutions- didn’t have molasses so I used the same amount of brown sugar and a teaspoon of honey as Nagi recommended. I also didn’t have the purée tomatoes so I used an equal amount of Ragu original chunky Bolognese sauce and a tablespoon of tomato paste. I also had to make three portions of the sauce because I used raw dry kidney beans instead of cooked/canned kidney beans. It seems like the beans will take hours to be tender, it’s already been two hours and the outer bit of the beans has softened so I’m guessing it may take another two hours for the whole thing to be done. Regardless the sauce is SO good. I literally cannot say that enough. SO GOOD! Thank you for giving me another go-to recipe Nagi, you’re a star.
Hi Nagi, another good recipe. I do not drain or rinse the canned red kidney beans because the sauce has a great flavour the enriches the dish.
Hi Nagi, These beans were amazing the first time we made them in the pressure cooker but can’t find any instructions on using a pressure cooker in the recipe now….am I missing something? Thanks for all the great recipes, we yet to have one that misses the mark!
Nagi, this was sensational! I made this recipe, plus your cornbread and everyday cabbage salad for dinner today. It was so good, but now I’ve eaten too much and need to go put on my stretchy pants lol
I know this problem all too well 😂
oh dear, I was looking for a baked bean recipe from scratch and this looks like SOUP – more liquid than beans – ugh! NOT going to try it. But I was hoping “from scratch” meant starting with dry beans …..
If you read the recipe through Deborah Green, you will see that Nagi does provide instructions for using dried beans if you rather over canned ones. The canned beans shorten the length of cooking/prep time you do but not the quality of the outcome. The recipe is from scratch. Why bother commenting if you havnt even made them? These are delicious and are a great hit with everyone I have served them to.
It’s definitely not a soup Deborah. See the other great reviews of what people think of this recipe. N x
OK, I just found the dry bean instructions at the bottom…. but the finished product still looks like soup, like drinking a thick solution of mollasses and tomato puree with a few beans in it …. nope …..
Oh for Pete’s sake. If there’s not enough beans for you just USE MORE BEANS. It’s not rocket science.
can I keep it in freezer for weeks.
100% Marian!! N x
Really like you said! Easy and delicious. Thanks so much for this recipe.
OMG, this is my new favourite. I am loving the smoky southern flavours, and it’s so easy to make. 10/10
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Janine! N x
Nagi, what can one sub in for those who don’t want to eat pork products?
Hi Madga, it’s the bacon that gives this that smokey edge – I’m sure it would work well with turkey bacon too! N x
Planning a southern style Sunday dinner tommorrow and thought I’d make these ahead to save time.. I’ll never make that mistake again.. I’ll be lucky to have any left by lunchtime tommorrow! I. Can’t. Stop. Eating. Them! Seriously absolutely delicious, with a perfect cayenne hum.. Will go perfectly with my cornbread and southern fried chicken which is marinating in buttermilk as I write this… Yet another fabulous recipe Nagi! I’m getting so much praise but it’s really all thanks to you xx
Nice heat and sauciness (is that a word??).
Had the beans with smoked beef brisket and your corn salad, very southern!
Sounds divine Judy!! N x