Southern Baked Beans with Bacon

This is the bean recipe I grew up eating at every cookout, every church potluck, every Fourth of July. Two cans of pork and beans, doctored up with BBQ sauce, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and topped with real crispy bacon. An hour in the oven uncovered until the sauce thickens and the top gets a little dark and sticky.

The key is not draining the cans. The liquid in pork and beans contains starch that helps the sauce thicken during baking. Drain it and you lose that. The other thing that matters: bake it uncovered in a wide pan so the surface can reduce. A deep casserole dish traps steam and gives you soupy beans.

Prep: 15 minutes  ·  Bake: 1 hour  ·  Serves 10

What Goes In

this now & bake later ❤️

The beans:

• 2 cans pork and beans (28 oz each) — do not drain
• 5–6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

The sauce:

• ½ cup ketchup
• ½ cup BBQ sauce — your favorite; smoky or sweet both work
• ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• A few drops of liquid smoke — optional but strongly recommended

On the liquid smoke: If you’re making these indoors without a grill or smoker nearby, this is the ingredient that bridges the gap. A few drops — literally two or three — adds that background smokiness that makes baked beans taste like they were made outside. Too much makes everything taste artificial, so go easy.

On the bacon fat: When the bacon is done, consider reserving a tablespoon of the fat and stirring it into the bean mixture. Completely optional, completely worth it.

How to Make Them

Crisp the Bacon First

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until fully crispy — no soft spots. Drain on paper towels, cool, and crumble. Limp bacon goes into the oven and comes out rubbery. It has to be crisp before it goes in.

Mix Everything Together

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, combine the undrained pork and beans with all the sauce ingredients. Stir well until the brown sugar has dissolved and the sauce looks uniform.

Pour into a 9×13 baking dish and spread evenly. Scatter the crumbled bacon over the top.

Bake Uncovered for an Hour

Into the oven, uncovered, for about 60 minutes. You’re looking for the sauce to thicken visibly, the edges to be actively bubbling, and the top to have darkened slightly and developed a bit of a crust. If it’s still very liquid at the 45-minute mark, give it another 15.

Let the pan rest 5 minutes before serving. The sauce keeps thickening as it cools slightly.

What to Serve Them With

These go next to everything at a cookout — ribs, pulled pork, brisket, burgers, hot dogs. The sweetness and tang cut through the fat of smoked meats in a way that’s genuinely complementary.

For a potluck: transfer them to a slow cooker set to warm and they’ll hold for hours without drying out. This is actually how I prefer to bring them.

Leftovers

In the fridge for 3–4 days. They genuinely taste better the next day once everything has had time to meld. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in a 350°F oven covered with foil for 15 minutes.

Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Bring These to Everything

These are the beans that get requested. Once you’ve brought them to one party you’ll be asked to bring them to the next one. The recipe doubles easily and the slow cooker version means you can make a massive batch and keep it warm all day. Tell me in the comments whether you added the liquid smoke and whether you went with a smoky or sweet BBQ sauce. Rate the recipe, save it on Pinterest for cookout season, and subscribe for more.

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