Homemade Baked Beans (using canned beans)

This easy Homemade Baked Beans recipe produces a sweet, tangy, and meaty side dish. They're perfect for tailgating or backyard cookouts. The best part is that these baked beans are made using canned beans.

Here are some delicious drinks you can make to wash it down: Southern Sweet Tea, Strawberry Ginger Lemonade, Meyers Lemon Sweet Tea, or Blueberry Vodka Lemonade. 

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Anytime I go to a cookout, I'm looking for a couple of things, drinks and food! I'm always looking forward to seeing if anyone has the heart to make a pan of baked beans because even though they're straightforward to make, most people struggle with adding flavor to them.

I'm glad that's not you! You have me, and I'm going to show you how to prepare baked beans that are so good you'll be using burger buns to make a baked bean sandwich.

Let's dive into how to make the perfect pot of homemade baked beans.

What's The Difference Between British Baked Beans and Southern Baked Beans?

The British introduced baked beans to America. Boston baked beans, anyone? Their version is made with a thinner tomato sauce, no sugar, and without any meat.

The Southern version is made with meat, often pork, bacon, or ground beef, and features brown sugar or molasses, along with a sweet sauce similar to barbecue sauce.

Key Ingredients

Here are the star ingredients you'll need for these incredible Southern baked beans.

Bacon

I love using beef bacon in my baked beans. The grease's smoky flavor is amazing, and the crispy, crunchy bacon bits take these beans to the next level.

Canned Baked Beans

I do not eat pork, so I used canned vegetarian baked beans.

Dark Brown Sugar

I love to use dark brown sugar because the molasses flavor infuses throughout these beans.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar adds the perfect sweet and tangy flavor.

Worcestershire Sauce

My rule is anytime meat is involved, add a little bit of Worcestershire sauce.

Sugar-Free Ketchup

I know you weren't expecting that, but we already have plenty of sugar, so there's no need to add more.

How to Make Homemade Baked Beans From Scratch

Baked beans should be one of those recipes you can make with your eyes closed, especially since we're using canned beans to do 80% of the heavy lifting. Our job is to doctor up store-bought baked beans to the point that everybody who eats them thinks it took hours to make them, not under an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a 5-quart pot over medium heat, add oil, and cook the bacon for 3 minutes.

Stir in the onions, bell pepper, and jalapeno, and cook for 5 minutes, or until translucent.

Add the garlic, chili powder, dry mustard, kosher salt, and cayenne, stirring once or twice.

Add the baked beans, dark brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, and ketchup, and stir to combine.

Pour into a 9 x 13 casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until the beans are bubbling. Cool for 10 minutes before serving hot.

How to Store Leftover Baked Beans

Baked beans are best served immediately. However, you can bake them a day in advance. They will remain fresh for 7 days in the fridge.

Store the cooled baked beans in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.

Reheat the beans in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.

Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips & Tricks

Here are a few things to keep in mind while you whip up these fantastic baked beans.

• Feel free to use any bacon you have at home instead of beef bacon.
• Godshall's and Wellshire Farms make the best beef bacon.
• Feel free to use 1 pound of ground beef or turkey instead of bacon.
• You can use regular canned baked beans instead of vegetarian ones.
• Omit the jalapenos or remove the white vein and seeds to remove the heat.
• You can use light brown sugar as a substitute for dark brown sugar.
• You can use tomato sauce as an alternative to ketchup.
• Feel free to use yellow mustard instead of dry mustard.
• Try baking the beans in a large cast-iron skillet. This makes it a one-pot dish and lends itself to a great presentation.

FAQs

Here are the top questions readers have about making baked beans from scratch.

What beans are baked beans?

Baked beans are made with northern navy beans or great northern beans.

How long do you cook baked beans?

If you're making baked beans from raw navy beans, it can take up to 3 hours—two hours to tenderize the beans and another hour to make them into baked beans.
It takes only 40 minutes to cook in the oven if you're using canned baked beans.

Can I cook baked beans in a crock pot?

Yes, follow the recipe and cook in a crock pot on low for 3-4 hours. The same rules apply to a slow cooker.

How do you cook canned baked beans?

The best way to cook canned baked beans is in the oven. Bake them in a 400°F oven in a 9x13 casserole dish for approximately 40 minutes.

How do you spice up beans from a can?

The best spices to use for mouthwatering baked beans are salt, black pepper, chili powder, dry mustard, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and apple cider vinegar.

What is the secret to making canned baked beans taste homemade?

The best way to make canned baked beans taste homemade is to doctor them up with sautéed onions, green bell pepper, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar, then bake them in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes. The recipe below will help you make some fantastic baked beans.

Are canned beans cooked?

Yes, canned beans are cooked and seasoned before being canned.

More Side Dish Recipes

Here are a few more recipes that you can add to your spread to please your guests.

• Collard Green Coleslaw
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
• Southern Green Beans
• Smothered Okra and Tomatoes
• Corn Maque Choux
• Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding
• Chocolate Banana Pudding
• Pound Cake Trifle

Before You Begin

Here are my steps for getting organized before I start anything.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F before pulling the ingredients out.

Step 2: Measure your ingredients into individual bowls.

Step 3:  Follow this foolproof recipe to make the best-baked bean recipe you've ever tasted.

My recipe is just what you need if you’re in the mood for some delicious homemade baked beans. This dish is perfect for a potluck or summer barbecue and always gets rave reviews from guests. Be sure to leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how your batch turns out!

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📖 Recipe

Homemade Baked Beans (using canned beans)

Kenneth Temple

This easy Homemade Baked Beans recipe produces a sweet, tangy, and meaty side dish. They're perfect for tailgating or backyard cookouts.

4.22 from 28 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings 8 persons

Calories 316 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 tablespoons avocado oil
• 3 slices beef bacon chopped
• 1 medium onion chopped medium
• 1 green bell pepper diced medium
• 1 jalapeno chopped small
• 3 garlic cloves chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 56 oz vegetarian baked beans 2 cans
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup sugar-free ketchup

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat a 5-quart pot over medium heat, add oil, and bacon cook for 3 minutes. Stir in onions, bell pepper, and jalapeno, and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic, stirring once or twice. Add the chili powder, dry mustard, kosher salt, cayenne, baked beans, dark brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, worcestershire, and ketchup, and stir to combine.
• Pour in a 9 x 13 casserole dish, and bake for 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving hot.

Video

Notes

Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks

Here are a few things to keep in mind while you whip up these fantastic baked beans.

• • Feel free to use any bacon you have at home instead of beef bacon.
  • Godshall's and Wellshire Farms make the best beef bacon.
  • Feel free to use 1 pound of ground beef or turkey instead of bacon.
  • You can use regular canned baked beans instead of vegetarian.
  • Omit the jalapenos or remove the white vein and seeds to remove the heat.
  • You can use light brown sugar as a substitute for dark brown sugar.
  • Instead of sugar-free ketchup, use regular ketchup or tomato sauce.
  • Feel free to use yellow mustard instead of dry mustard.
  • Try baking the beans in a large cast-iron skillet. This makes it a one-pot dish and lends itself to a great presentation.

Make Ahead & Storage

Baked beans are best served immediately. However, you can bake them a day in advance. They will remain fresh for 7 days in the fridge.

Freeze the cooled baked beans in a freezer-safe container for 2 months.

Reheat the beans in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 11gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 1234mgPotassium: 574mgFiber: 9gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 421IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 3mg

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