Best Baked Beans Recipe

This baked beans recipe is the one recipe in my family recipes stash that is my families all time favorite bbq sidedish recipe. It is so easy to make because it calls for canned VanCamps Pork & Beans.

I have been making these baked beans for over twenty-five years ever since a family friend shared her baked bean recipe with me. I originally shared this recipe back in 2014.

Since the 4th of July is next week I decided I needed to share it again. You want to make this best baked bean recipe this 4th of July!

Over the years, I have adjusted the recipe to suit my tastes.

Now it is known as my baked beans recipe. It is the best bbq side dish recipe there is.

I make it the most over the summer months when we have a big backyard family bbq’s and will be making it for the 4th of July.

I mentioned that this recipe calls for VannCamps beans.

You can use whatever brand of canned beans that you like best but I have found over the years that VannCamp’s beans are the best for this recipe.

Plus it is the only brand of canned pork and beans that are available in such a large size can around here.

A word about cooking with bacon

Bacon brands can vary in quality. The problem with using a cheap brand of bacon is that a lower cost bacon is made with a lower cost cut of pork.

There is more fat on the cheaper bacon.

The fat can clearly be seen through the packaging.

I mention this because there will be a lot of bacon grease floating on the top of your pan of baked beans if you use an extra fatty package of bacon.

Buy the best bacon you can afford to avoid this bacon pitfall.

Or use a spoon to scoop off the grease that rises to the top of the pan before serving it.

A word about cooking with onions

Please do not be tempted to leave out the onions in this recipe because someone in the family hates onions.

Make it once with the onions (cut them up very finely) and don’t tell the family if you have a picky eater.

I have family members who would never eat anything with raw onions in it but gobble these baked beans up like there is no tomorrow.

The onions cook down so much that you can’t tell there are onions in this baked beans recipe.

If you leave the onions out then the baked beans recipe will suffer for it. They add a very important layer of flavor.

This baked beans recipe is so easy to make, has only 7 ingredients and two of them are condiments AND you only need to dirty the baking dish you will be baking the baked beans in.

Besides the great taste of these baked beans, this is the kind of recipe I like. One that doesn’t make a pile of dirty dishes!

Assemble all your Baked Beans Ingredients

Add all the Baked Beans ingredients to a 9 x 13 baking pan, except the bacon.

Stir all the Baked Beans ingredients well.

Arrange the bacon over the Baked Beans ingredients

Bake the Baked Beans in a 350F oven

The best-baked beans recipes always cook low and slow. Depending on your oven, of course, check frequently.

I like to cook my baked beans for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours but I have cooked them even longer than that at 325F.

How to make the Best Baked Beans

INGREDIENTS

two 53 ounce cans of Van Camps Pork and Beans
2½ cups of brown sugar
5 hot dogs, sliced into circles
1 cup of onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons Heinz Ketchup
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
one 16 ounce package bacon

DIRECTIONS

Add all the ingredients, except the bacon to a large 9 x 13 baking pan
Stir well to combine.
Arrange bacon slices across the top of the beans.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 2½ hours or until the bacon is browned and slightly crispy.

Print the Best Baked Beans recipe below