Southern Baked Beans. Truly a beautiful thing.
This is one of the best side dishes you’ll make. We promise you that.
Even folks who don’t like beans rave to us about this recipe.
SOUTHERN BAKED BEANS ARE EASY TO PREPARE
You can prepare this dish in a Dutch oven, or, as we like to do, in a large cast-iron skillet. Just make sure you are able to cover the oven-ready vessel.
And you’ll be surprised how simple it is to prepare these amazing baked beans.
Watch us show you how much fun it is to prepare Southern Baked Beans at home!
The ingredients come together to bring that classic BBQ taste.
Savory matched against sweet just can’t be beat.
And did we mention smoked bacon and brisket? Oh yes we did.
CANNED BEANS WORK PERFECTLY FOR THIS DISH
If you were making Boston Baked Beans, then I would recommend soaking the beans overnight and then slow simmering for a minimum of 6 hours in a low-temp oven.
But these Southern Baked Beans are so loaded with flavor, canned beans are just fine!
We love to go with Great Northern White beans!
In a large skillet, start by cooking 10 strips of your favorite type of bacon.
We love maple black pepper bacon, but you go with your favorite. Smoked bacon will always add more flavor.
Just as the bacon starts to render fat, add the chopped onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
GENTLY COMBINE ALL THE INGREDIENTS BEFORE BAKING
After all the ingredients have been added, gently mix everything until the beans are nicely coated.
We seldom have overflow as the beans cook in the oven, but just for good measure, we add a large baking sheet on the rack under the beans…just in case there is spillage.
The beans are so beautiful, even at this point…but just wait. It gets so much better!
After the beans have baked for a good 2 hours, carefully remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes.
Get ready to salivate as you remove the lid or the foil from these succulent Southern Baked Beans.
Give the beans a good stir with a wooden spoon. Just incredible.
SOUTHERN BAKED BEANS ARE THE PERFECT SIDE DISH
These baked beans are delicious; they are practically a meal by themselves.
But paired with a cold beer and your favorite BBQ dishes, you’ll be in Southern bliss.
Other BBQ favorite side dishes are:
Best-Ever Potato Salad
Slow-Cooker Corn on the Cobb
Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese
Best-Ever Yellow Squash Casserole
These beans reheat beautifully for about 45 minutes in a low-temp oven of 200°F.
Now, hurry, and make these incredible Southern Baked Beans!
Southern Baked Beans
Video
Ingredients
- 10 slices smoked bacon roughly chopped
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 2 cups barbecue sauce
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 cup brisket roughly chopped
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 4 16 oz. cans Great Northern White Beans, or Navy drained and rinsed
- 1 16 oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes drained and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon dry ground mustard
- 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until bacon is crispy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Remove all but about 2 tablespoon of bacon grease.10 slices smoked bacon
- Heat the bacon grease, then add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.1 cup onion
- Stir in the cooked bacon, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, beef stock, brisket, molasses, maple syrup, beans, tomatoes, mustard, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.2 cups barbecue sauce, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1 cup beef stock, 1 cup brisket, ¼ cup molasses, ¼ cup maple syrup, 4 16 oz. cans Great Northern White Beans, or Navy, 1 16 oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes, 1 tablespoon dry ground mustard, 2 teaspoon Kosher salt, Freshly ground black pepper
- Cover with foil and place in the oven, and bake for 90 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Remove lid/foil and stir with a wooden spoon. The sauce will have thickened. Serve warm.
Bill Davis says
We have made this a few time and everyone loved them, I would like to know if I cut this in half would I also cut the baking time in half?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Bill! Yes! You can cut the recipe in half, no problem. (We do that all the time). Keep the bake time the same! Let us know how everything turns out! And thanks for the GREAT review! We truly appreciate that so very much!!!
Marie says
OK guys!!!! You’ve done it again. Seriously, the best BBQ beans I’ve ever had, let alone made!! The brisket is a pro move and such a delicious addition. This recipe is a definite keeper!!!!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Marie!! Woo hoo! We are so so thrilled you made the Southern baked beans and LOVED them! Thank you so much for sharing and for the GREAT review!! xoxo
Ericka says
All sorts of things went wrong when I was making this. I didn’t have syrup, I burnt the bacon, I was cooking it with the How to Feed A Loon slow roasted pork shoulder and the roasting pan was too big to put a cast iron in the oven so I had to put the beans in a tiny glass loaf pan, and I also had to cook at 350 instead of 325 in order to cook the roast correctly. I was SO worried the beans would turn out awful. These beans are probably the best beans I’ve had in my entire life and I am a native Texan and BBQ snob. I topped the bean off with How to Feed a Loon corn on the cob. Perfect Easter dinner!
Kris Longwell says
Ericka! So sorry for the delayed response…and so sorry that things were a little bumpy along the way…but YOU ARE A ROCKSTAR in the kitchen!!! We are THRILLED everything turns out so good!!! Sounds like you made a feast fit for kings and queens!! Woo hoo!!! We’re so glad you stuck with it and it all turned out so perfectly! And thank you for letting us know!!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
Lili says
Great recipe. I’ve made this 3 times and I get rave reviews. Love the combination of flavors. It’s dinner tonight!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Lili!! That is soooo awesome!! We LOVE these baked beans so much, too, and we are thrilled you are loving them, too! Thanks so much for letting us know! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Jess says
Wow!!!! I made this recipe for a family cook out and everyone loved it! It was a major hit…. Thank you for the great share.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Jess! We are so thrilled to hear you loved our recipe for Southern baked beans! We love them so much, too!! Thank you so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review! That means the world to us!!! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Lisa Feinson says
Oh YES. I do love a good baked bean. We can’t get Great Northern or Navy beans over here, sadly, so I’ll need to go with cannellini, I think.