Description
A stress-free, smoky, and sweet baked bean side dish made with canned beans, bacon, and pantry staples. Perfect for grilling season or busy weeknights, this recipe requires zero prep work and delivers deep, complex flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cans (15 oz each) Navy Beans or Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium Yellow Onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 4–6 strips Bacon, chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup Tomato Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Yellow Mustard
- Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Chop bacon into small pieces and dice the onion finely.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon for 5-7 minutes until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Add diced onions to the bacon fat and cook over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add minced garlic to the skillet in the last 30 seconds and cook until fragrant.
- In a large mixing bowl or the baking dish, combine the rinsed beans, cooked onions and garlic, reserved bacon bits, tomato sauce, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard.
- Stir to coat beans evenly. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed (be cautious with salt due to bacon and canned beans).
- Transfer mixture to a 9×13 inch baking dish and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until edges are bubbling and the top has a slight crust. Optionally broil for 2-3 minutes for extra crispiness.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Rinsing the canned beans thoroughly removes excess sodium and metallic taste. Letting the beans rest after baking allows the sauce to thicken. For a vegetarian version, omit bacon and increase smoked paprika to 2 teaspoons, adding a dash of liquid smoke. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 8
Keywords: baked beans, smoky beans, labor day recipe, easy side dish, bacon beans, vegetarian option, meal prep, comfort food