These easy Baked Beans turn six simple ingredients into a sweet, savory, thick, and flavorful side dish that works especially well for barbecues, cookouts, potlucks, and family dinners. Everything is mixed directly in a casserole dish before baking, so prep is quick and cleanup stays simple.
The recipe starts with canned vegetarian baked beans and builds extra flavor with brown sugar, onion, green bell pepper, barbecue sauce, and yellow mustard. After about an hour in the oven, the sauce becomes richer and thicker while the vegetables soften into the beans.
Because these beans require only a few ingredients, they are an easy addition when you already have several dishes to prepare. Pair them with cookout favorites, sandwiches, grilled meats, or simple sides such as deviled eggs.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Baked Beans
- Only six main ingredients: The recipe relies on simple grocery-store ingredients.
- Quick prep: Everything can be combined directly in the casserole dish.
- Sweet and savory: Brown sugar and barbecue sauce provide sweetness while mustard, onion, and green pepper balance the flavor.
- Thick sauce: Baking the beans uncovered allows excess moisture to evaporate and the sauce to concentrate.
- Easy for gatherings: A casserole dish of baked beans is simple to prepare for cookouts, potlucks, and family meals.
For a cookout spread with plenty of variety, these beans also work nicely beside a really good pasta salad or another chilled side prepared ahead of time.
Baked Beans Ingredients
Only six main ingredients are needed. Refer to the printable recipe card below for the exact quantities.
- Vegetarian canned baked beans: Use your preferred brand. Pinto or black beans can also be used as alternatives, although they will change the final texture and flavor.
- Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create the rich barbecue-style sauce.
- Yellow onion: Finely diced onion softens during baking and adds savory flavor. Sweet onion or shallots can also work.
- Green bell pepper: Finely diced pepper adds color, freshness, and a mild vegetable flavor. Red or yellow bell pepper can be substituted.
- Barbecue sauce: Use a barbecue sauce you enjoy because its flavor will be noticeable in the finished beans.
- Yellow mustard: Provides acidity and tang to balance the sweetness. Dijon or whole grain mustard can be substituted.
If you’re building a larger summer meal, the sweet and smoky beans contrast particularly well with a fresh side such as this easy pasta salad.
How to Make Baked Beans
Step 1: Prep the Beans
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pour the canned vegetarian baked beans into a casserole dish.
Add the brown sugar, finely diced onion, green bell pepper, barbecue sauce, and yellow mustard directly to the beans.
Step 2: Mix and Bake
Stir the beans and remaining ingredients until everything is evenly combined.
Bake the beans uncovered for about 60 minutes. The mixture should be hot and bubbling, and the sauce should look noticeably thicker than it did before baking.
Remove the casserole dish from the oven, stir the beans, and let them rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This short rest gives the sauce additional time to settle and thicken.
Recipe Tips
- Choose a barbecue sauce you like. With only a few ingredients, the flavor of the sauce makes a noticeable difference.
- Dice the vegetables finely. Small pieces of onion and bell pepper soften more evenly and blend better into the beans.
- Bake uncovered. Leaving the casserole uncovered helps excess moisture evaporate and allows the sauce to thicken.
- Watch for bubbling. The finished beans should be hot and bubbling while remaining tender rather than mushy.
- Rest before serving. Give the beans approximately 10 minutes after baking so the sauce can thicken further.
What to Serve With Baked Beans
Baked beans are a classic side for barbecue-style meals. Serve them alongside grilled chicken, ribs, burgers, pulled meat, sausages, or sandwiches.
For a summer barbecue, a colorful Southwest pasta salad adds a fresh contrast to the rich, sweet sauce of the baked beans.
A creamy chicken club pasta salad can make the spread more substantial, while a lighter fresh seasonal salad provides additional vegetables and crunch.
The beans can also accompany a simple protein-focused dinner such as turkey meatloaf muffins.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Can you make Baked Beans ahead of time?
Yes. You can assemble the beans with the brown sugar, onion, green pepper, barbecue sauce, and mustard in the casserole dish ahead of time. Cover the dish and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake.
When baking directly from the refrigerator, the beans may need a few extra minutes in the oven to become completely hot and bubbling around the edges.
How should you store leftover Baked Beans?
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate them. Based on the storage guidance supplied for this recipe, leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Reheat only the amount you plan to serve and warm the beans thoroughly before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between British and American baked beans?
British and American baked beans generally differ most in their sauce. British-style baked beans are typically served in a lighter tomato-based sauce that is less sweet and are commonly eaten on toast. American-style baked beans usually have a sweeter, richer barbecue-style flavor and often include ingredients such as brown sugar, molasses, mustard, barbecue sauce, or smoky additions.
This particular recipe is firmly in the American barbecue-style category because it combines canned baked beans with brown sugar, barbecue sauce, mustard, onion, and bell pepper.
Are baked beans healthy?
Beans naturally provide plant-based protein, dietary fiber, and important nutrients. However, the overall nutrition of baked beans depends on the recipe because canned baked beans, barbecue sauce, and brown sugar can contribute additional sugar and sodium. The British Heart Foundation’s guidance on baked beans also recommends paying attention to the salt and sugar content of prepared varieties.
If you want more control over those values, compare nutrition labels when choosing canned beans and barbecue sauce or select reduced-sodium and lower-sugar options.
What kind of beans are used for baked beans?
Traditional baked beans are commonly made with small white beans such as navy beans because they stay tender while maintaining their shape during cooking. Great Northern beans and cannellini beans can also work as alternatives.
This recipe simplifies the process by starting with prepared vegetarian canned baked beans. Pinto or black beans can also be substituted, although the finished flavor and texture will be different.
How do you thicken runny baked beans?
The simplest method for this recipe is to continue baking the beans uncovered. Without a lid, excess liquid can evaporate and the sauce becomes more concentrated.
The sauce also continues to thicken slightly as the beans cool. Let them rest for about 10 minutes after removing the casserole from the oven before deciding whether they need additional cooking.
Do baked beans need to be covered in the oven?
Not for this recipe. The beans are baked uncovered for about 60 minutes. This allows moisture to evaporate while the sauce thickens and the flavors concentrate.
What can I use instead of yellow mustard?
Dijon mustard or whole grain mustard can replace yellow mustard. Both provide acidity and tang to balance the sweet brown sugar and barbecue sauce.
Can I use a different bell pepper?
Yes. Red or yellow bell peppers can replace the green bell pepper. They tend to taste slightly sweeter but still work well with the barbecue sauce and beans.
PrintMama’s Southern Baked Beans Recipe
Made with ingredients like brown sugar, aromatics, and barbecue sauce, my Mama’s Southern Baked Beans are smoky and sweet in all the best ways.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 65 mins
- Yield: 8, 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 (28 oz) cans vegetarian baked beans (my mom uses Bush’s Beans)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 cup very finely diced onion
- 1/4 cup very finely diced green pepper
- 2 tbsp barbecue sauce (use your fave)
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Pour beans into a large casserole dish.
- Mix in brown sugar, onion, green pepper, barbecue sauce and yellow mustard until combined.
- Bake uncovered at 60 minutes or until super bubbly.
- Stir beans together, rest for 10 minutes then serve.
Nutrition
- Calories: 63 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 57 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
Keywords: baked beans, barbecue, beans, beans recipe
