Crockpot Baked Beans

Enjoy delicious and easy Crockpot Baked Beans made with crispy bacon, hearty pork and beans, + a blend of flavorful ingredients.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword baked beans recipe, Crockpot Baked Beans

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 15

Servings servings

Calories 764kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

10 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4 inch strips
2 cups yellow onion, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
76 ounces pork and beans
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons Creole or Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon worcestershire

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a 12-inch skillet, cook the bacon (10 ounces) until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from skillet. When the bacon has cooled, place it in the fridge.
Using the same skillet, cook onion (1 cup), over medium heat until it's translucent. Add garlic (1 heaping tablespoon) and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
To the bowl of a 4-6 quart crockpot, add cooked onion, cooked garlic, beans (76 ounces), BBQ sauce (3/4 cup), molasses (1/2 cup), mustard (3 tablespoons), Worcestershire sauce (1 tablespoon), sugar (2 tablespoons), and onion (1 cup). (Everything except the cooked bacon). Stir to combine well, cover with lid.
Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Sprinkle bacon over baked beans and serve!

Notes

To Drain Or Not To Drain: I add the beans with all the liquid from the can as well. When they’re done cooking, the beans in the sauce will look slightly thin. The sauce becomes almost instantly thick and glorious when they’re removed from the heat and plated in a serving bowl, and allowed to set 5-10 minutes.
Where’s The Salt? Since we’re using canned beans, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to add salt. After the beans are cooked, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. If you do indeed add salt or other seasonings, leave the heat on the crockpot for about 10 minutes so the seasoning will melt into the beans.
Customizable Sweetness: If you find the beans too sweet, reduce the amount of brown sugar or use a less sweet BBQ sauce. You can balance sweetness with a touch of vinegar or mustard.
Add More Meat! If you like your beans meaty, brown a pound of ground beef (I use 80/20 for best flavor) or the same amount of country pork sausage. I like to buy my ground sausage in bulk form. “Bulk” refers to sausage that is sold or prepared in loose form, without being stuffed into casings. If you can’t find it in bulk, I like Jimmy Dean’s Premium pork sausage roll. It comes wrapped in plastic and does not have a casing.
Beans: I love the ease and convenience of using pork and beans. That said, variety is a beautiful thing. Feel free to use a combo of pinto beans, kidney beans, navy beans, great northern beans, black beans, or everyone’s favorite, Ranch Beans!
Add a Sweet and Tangy Element: A splash of apple cider vinegar or a bit of hot sauce can balance the sweetness of the molasses and BBQ sauce.
Make Them With Some Fruit: Consider adding diced apples or pineapple for a unique, sweet, and tart flavor.

Nutrition