Old fashioned baked beans are a classic, hearty, and comforting dish made from slow-cooked navy beans, bacon, onions, and molasses. It's a timeless favorite enjoyed as a side dish or main course.
Perfect for serving at a barbecue or bringing to a potluck dinner.
Slow-cooked baked beans
Old fashioned baked beans are a versatile and delicious dish that is perfect for any occasion. Whether you are looking for a comforting meal on a cold day, a hearty side dish for a barbecue or potluck, or simply a nutritious and satisfying dish to enjoy with your family, old fashioned baked beans are a great choice.
Baked beans are incredibly easy to prepare. All you need are a few simple ingredients, a heavy pot, and a slow, low cook, and you can have a delicious and nutritious dish that is sure to please.
The beans are slow-cooked with a variety of savory ingredients like bacon, onions, and molasses, which infuse them with rich and complex flavors that are sure to satisfy your taste buds.
Key ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Navy Beans - You'll need a pound of dried navy beans
- Bacon - Adds flavor and gives the beans a bit of meatiness
- Onion and Garlic - Adds layers of flavor
- Tomato Sauce - The base for the baked bean sauce
- Brown Sugar - Adds a bit of sweetness and helps mellow the acidity in the tomato sauce
- Molasses - Adds a sweet, slightly bitter flavor and helps to thicken the sauce
- Mustard - Use regular prepared yellow mustard. It adds a tangy and slightly spicy flavor to the dish
- Apple Cider Vinegar - The vinegar helps to balance out the sweetness of the molasses and the saltiness of the bacon, creating a complex and satisfying taste
- Seasoning - Smoked paprika, Bay leaf, Salt, and Pepper
Step-by-step directions
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Soak beans overnight or for several hours. Drain and place in a pot along with fresh water. Cook the beans at a simmer until they are fully cooked through, about 60-90 minutes.
- Drain the beans, reserving the bean water
- Saute the chopped bacon in a heavy dutch oven pot
- Remove bacon, but leave the grease in the pot. Add onions and cook until softened about 4-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds
- Add tomato sauce, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning. Stir together until combined.
- Add cooked beans, bacon, and 2 cups of the reserved bean water
- Bring to a simmer, then place the lid on the pot and place in a preheated 325°F oven. Bake for 2-3 hours until the sauce has thickened. Check beans halfway through cook time and add more reserved bean water if needed.
- Once the beans have reached the proper thickness, remove the lid and return to the oven for an additional 20-30 to help thicken the sauce a bit more and add a slightly caramelized top. If the beans are too thick, add a bit more of the reserved bean water.
- Remove beans from oven. Remove bay leaf and serve beans hot.
Recipe tips
- Soak the beans overnight: To help reduce the cooking time and ensure that the beans cook evenly, it's a good idea to soak them in water overnight before cooking.
- Cook the beans low and slow: Baked beans should be cooked at a low temperature for a long time to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Keep an eye on the liquid level: Check the beans at least once halfway through cook time. As everything cooks, the liquid will be absorbed and will evaporate (even with a lid on) so it's important to keep an eye on the liquid level and add more water as needed to prevent the beans from drying out.
- Taste and adjust seasoning: Before serving, be sure to taste the beans and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Frequently asked questions
The beans should be tender and fully cooked, with a creamy and slightly thickened sauce. To test the beans, scoop up a few with a spoon and taste them for tenderness. If they are still hard or crunchy, they need to cook for longer.
These baked beans cook in the oven for 2-3 hours. The exact time varies depending on your oven, your pot, and how thick you prefer your sauce.
How do I reheat leftover baked beans?
Yes, leftover baked beans can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. To freeze them, let them cool completely and then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag. Be sure to label the container with the date and contents.
To reheat leftover baked beans, place them in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water or broth to help thin out the sauce, and stir occasionally until heated through. Alternatively, you can microwave the beans in a microwave-safe container, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Be sure to cover the container to prevent the sauce from splattering.
To make for a large crowd
This recipe can be doubled or tripled as long as you have a large enough pot or container to hold everything!
I made these baked beans for my niece's wedding last fall for 150 guests. That's a lot of beans! I made 12 batches of these beans but did them in 4 separate batches. I tripled the recipe and made each batch one at a time.
My dutch oven was not large enough to hold the amount of beans so I baked them in a large, heavy-duty roasting pan (like I use for my Thanksgiving turkey.) Since the roasting pan didn't have a lid, I covered it with foil and sealed the edges.
Since I was making the beans ahead of time and would need to reheat them for the wedding, I did not continue the final step of baking with the lid or foil off. Once the beans were baked, I let them cool and then placed them in freezer-safe containers and popped them into the freezer. I made the beans several weeks ahead of time which saved time and I was able to focus on all the other food and the cake and cupcakes!
For the wedding, I thawed the beans and then reheated them in large roasted pans in a low oven. I started the beans covered until they were heated through and then removed the cover to let them get that delicious caramelized crust on top of the beans.
Serving suggestions
These old fashioned baked beans go with just about any main dish. Some favorites to try include:
More delicious side dishes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my delicious side dishes!
Old Fashioned Baked Beans
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 1 pound navy beans
- 8 ounces bacon (chopped)
- 1 chopped white or yellow onion (about 2 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1½ cups tomato sauce (one 15 ounce can)
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- reserved bean water (saved from cooking the beans)
Instructions
- Soak beans overnight or for several hours. Drain and place in a pot along with fresh water. Cook the beans at a simmer until they are fully cooked through, about 60-90 minutes.1 pound navy beans
- Drain the beans, reserving the bean water
- Saute the chopped bacon in a heavy dutch oven pot (that is oven safe and has a lid)8 ounces bacon
- Remove bacon, but leave the grease in the pot. Add onions and cook until softened about 4-5 minutes.1 chopped white or yellow onion
- Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds3 cloves garlic
- Add tomato sauce, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning. Stir together until combined1½ cups tomato sauce, ¼ cup molasses, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 bay leaf
- Add cooked beans, bacon, and 2 cups of the reserved bean water
- Bring to a simmer, then place lid on pot and place in a preheated 325°F oven. Bake for 2-3 hours until the sauce has thickened. Check beans halfway through cook time and add more reserved bean water if needed.
- Once the beans have reached the proper thickness, remove the lid and return to the oven for an additional 20-30 to help thicken the sauce a bit more and add a slightly caramelized top. If the beans are too thick, add a bit more of the reserved bean water.
- Remove beans from oven. Remove bay leaf and serve beans hot.
Notes
- Soak the beans overnight: To help reduce the cooking time and ensure that the beans cook evenly, it's a good idea to soak them in water overnight before cooking.
- Cook the beans low and slow: Baked beans should be cooked at a low temperature for a long time to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Keep an eye on the liquid level: Check the beans at least once halfway through cook time. As everything cooks, the liquid will be absorbed and will evaporate (even with a lid on) so it's important to keep an eye on the liquid level and add more water as needed to prevent the beans from drying out.
- Taste and adjust seasoning: Before serving, be sure to taste the beans and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Daring Gourmet.
Linda says
Grew up in MA. My Mom used Great Northern Beans & used a bean pot. Not sure you can even find a bean pot. Also salt pork was used vs bacon. Your recipe sounds truly amazing & similar. Ty 😊
Kathy says
Thanks! I hope you give it a try. 🙂
bob Honeywell says
OMG! I love this recipe! I am making it right now. I just had this conversation with my sister about how grandma made her beans, you know, the bean pot and all that? So I started looking. My problem is I live alone, so a pound of beans is a lot. It's not like you sit down and eat an entire bowl of baked beans. So I was looking for a way to save about half of them, and your recipe and the story about the wedding came to my rescue, so many thanks for that. I did make one addition, and that was about half a green pepper, which adds something grandma never had in her beans, but it's wonderful even though it doesn't sound like it would be. Anyway, I can't wait for these to get done! Thanks again!
Kathy says
Enjoy! 🙂