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These World’s Best Baked Beans will be the last recipe you will ever make! This easy recipe is the perfect side to a potluck and a tried and true family recipe that your family will go crazy over!

A good side dish really makes a meal, in my opinion. Try out some more of my favorite sides that will complement just about anything! My favorites are these Creamy Parmesan Garlic Brussels Sprouts, this delicious Grilled Asparagus and these yummy 1-Hour Dinner Rolls.

Baked Beans in a white platter with a metal spoon.

World’s Best Baked Beans

This recipe is a family tried and true favorite. It’s simple and easy to make, and it’s packed full of flavor. The best part about it is that once it’s cooked, you can put it in a slow cooker to keep it warm, and it’s easy to transport. Because this is made for just about every single occasion in our family, being able to get the food to and from somewhere is a MUST!

The secret to these baked beans is the bacon. It has a pound of bacon inside of these amazing baked beans and once you add in brown to sweeten it up… You will see why these are the best of the best! They are hearty and rich, and they turn out perfect every single time! Serve these up at a delicious bbq alongside a salad and some grilled chicken and you won’t regret it!

Ingredients in Baked Beans

These ingredients are simple and easy for the world’s best baked beans. Once you try this once, you will make sure that you always have these ingredients on hand so that you can make this side dish to go with everything! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient measurements.

  • Bacon: The bacon is the secret ingredient that really makes this recipe stand out.
  • Green Pepper: I like to dice this up nice and small.
  • White Onion: You can also use a yellow onion if that’s what you have.
  • Pork and Beans: This part is so easy. You just open the cans and dump them in!
  • Ketchup: This adds a deeper flavor to the beans.
  • Brown Sugar: The brown sugar adds a sweet flavor that goes especially well with the bacon.
  • Worcestershire Sauce: This savory and sweet sauce complements the other ingredients perfectly.

How to Make Easy Baked Beans

The world’s best baked beans take just over an hour to bake. This is easy because then you can cook them up while you make the main course.

  1. Prep and Cook: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry up the bacon and crumble in pieces. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and discard some grease. Add the green pepper and onion and fry until tender.
  2. Bake: Combine bacon, green pepper, onion, pork and beans, ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a 9×13-inch pan. Bake covered for 1 hour.
Baked beans in a white platter with a metal spoon.

Can I Cook Baked Beans on the Stove?

Yes! Add ingredients to a large Dutch oven, cover, and simmer for an hour. Fry up the bacon and crumble it into pieces. Cut up the green pepper and onion and cook in the bacon grease until soft. Combine all ingredients together. Let simmer in the pan on low for at least an hour.

Close-up of baked beans with a metal spoon.

How do I Cook Baked Beans in a Slow Cooker?

Follow all of the steps in the recipe card but instead of combining the ingredients to a 9×13 pan, place them in a slow cooker. Cook them on low for 4-6 hours.

Baked Beans in a grey bowl with a metal spoon.

How to Store Leftovers

Once your world’s best baked beans have cooled, place them in an airtight container. Store the beans in your fridge for 3-4 days. When you are ready to eat them again, you can reheat them on low-medium heat on the stove until they are warmed through.

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World’s Best Baked Beans

4.92 from 23 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
These World's Best Baked Beans will be the last recipe you will ever make. This easy recipe is the perfect side to a potluck and a tried and true family recipe that your family will go crazy over! 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry up the bacon and crumble in pieces. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and discard some grease. Add the green pepper and onion and fry until tender.
  • Combine bacon, green pepper, onion, pork and beans, ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a 9×13-inch pan. Bake covered for 1 hour.

Notes

Originally posted on July 30, 2018
Updated on June 14, 2023

Nutrition

Serving: 8gCalories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 8gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 677mgPotassium: 306mgFiber: 1gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 230IUVitamin C: 14.5mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 0.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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58 Comments

  1. Made just like the recipe and used a large can of Bushes beans (117 oz). Doubled all other ingredients including the onion, garlic and bell pepper which seemed like too much. Once caramelized in the bacon grease they didn’t seem greasy at all. I added 1/2 cup molasses, 2 Tbs vinegar, 2 Tbs Sriracha and 1/4 cup dejhon mustard too. Baked in a Dutch oven for hours on 250 degrees and they turned out marvelous. This was the perfect picnic dish.

  2. 5 stars
    Made just like the recipe and used a large can of Bushes beans (117 oz). Doubled all other ingredients including the onion, garlic and bell pepper which seemed like too much. Once caramelized in the bacon grease they didn’t seem greasy at all. I added 1/2 cup molasses, 2 Tbs vinegar and 1/4 cup dejhon mustard too. Baked in a Dutch oven for hours on 250 degrees and they turned out marvelous. This was the perfect picnic dish.

  3. 5 stars
    These were delicious. I used a can of diced green chilis for the green pepper. I added molasses, yellow and Dijon mustard and liquid smoke.

  4. 5 stars
    I do something like this but use light brown sugar no pork and beans. that pork is to much of a mystery. low sodium anything else. Turkey bacon instead. I got to at least try to stay healthy.

  5. 5 stars
    We have made this recipe several times and love it each time. I use three cans of bush beans and two cans of bean medley and keep the rest of the recipe the same. I put them in a large cast iron pot and cook them on our Traeger smoker bbq (with the lid off and stirring every so often) for about an hour. Love the flavour. Will make again and again! Thank you for this recipe!

    1. Hi, I’m from the UK and im unsure of what pork and beans are? Is it like canelinni beans? If so, are they canned? already in a sauce or just in water? Sorry for the ooodles of questions but I really like the sounds of this recipe and I’m desperate to try it out.

      1. Pork and beans are a can of literally pork and beans mixed together in a pork and beans sauce.

      2. Hello i am also from the UK and live in San Diego ! you could use Heinz beans I am sure that would work as well as the pork and beans ,I made the beans yesterday and cut the recipe in half as there are only two of us ,The beans came out great ,probably the best beans I ever tasted ,I intend to makes the beans on a regular basis .Easy to make ,😀

  6. Can I prep this the day before and bake it the next day? We are having guests and I’d like to get as much done the day prior so it’s just ready to pop in the oven! Thank you!

  7. 4 stars
    using 6 cans o beans, how many are we cooking for. the liquid smoke, wonderful idear.

  8. 5 stars
    These Baked Beans are the best that I had! Even better than my mom’s baked beans!!!! Thank you for the recipe. This will be our tried and true go-to recipe any time of year! Not too sweet not to sour, they are just right. Oh and don’t question the pound of bacon. I thought it was going to be too much but it wasn’t . Thank you again Alyssa!

  9. This recipe sounds like my mom’s baked bean recipe and hers spoiled me for any other baked beans. I will try it and see if it truly measures up (which I really expect it will). I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks.

    1. 5 stars
      You make mention of Bush’s Baked Beans.If you don’t like the pork then I would guess that you are making reference to Bush’s Vegan Baked Beans. However, I hope that you realize that the flavor of any meat comes from the fat it contains. Otherwise, it will be like eating paper unless you add outside flavor..

    2. 5 stars
      The absolute BEST canned baked beans are by B&M.Tons of flavor, great quality beans and NO “mystery pork bits”. Use this recipe, but be sure to buy B&M Baked beans for your base. I always add a tablespoon of dark molasses too. Or you could use a meaty ham hock instead of bacon. I even add a diced apple now and then. So many ways to enjoy baked beans!

  10. The baked beans are almost like mine yours sound great , I like adding a little mustard all other ingredients are the same ,and yes they are the best baked beans anywhere you have a fantastic blog I got your ebook going to work on some recipes this week .Thanks so much

  11. 5 stars
    love baked beans recipes, especially since my diet requires regular legumes, and I’m kinda sick of my pinto bean recipe, so thank you for this!

  12. This is very similar to what my grandmother used to do – she might not have bothered with adding onions and green peppers. The best baked beans I’ve ever gotten at a restaurant are from a Bar-B-Que place that adds diced smoked brisket rather than bacon (although they may put in bacon also – I always ate them too fast to notice). Thanks for bringing back memories!