Baked Beans Recipe
These homemade Baked Beans are easy to make from scratch and have the BEST flavor and consistency. They can be oven baked or prepared in the Slow Cooker!
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 258kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dry navy beans 2.25 cups
- 4 strips thick center cut bacon high quality
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons dark molasses
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce flavor enhancer, doesn’t make it spicy
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch plus 2 tbsp. cold water
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 pinch ginger
Instructions
Soak the Beans, (2 ways):
- Method 1: Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with 2-inches of cold water. Soak for 8-12 hours, then drain and rinse.
- Method 2: Place beans in a large pot and cover with 1-inch of water. Bring it to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Let it soak for 1 hour, then drain and rinse.
Assemble and Cook
- Add the chicken broth, water, ketchup, sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings to a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until well combined. Remove from heat.
- Cut the bacon in half and arrange 4 halves on the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with half of the drained beans, then sprinkle the onions on top. Add remaining beans, and then pour the prepared liquid on top. The liquid should just cover the beans. (Otherwise, add a little more water.) Top with 4 remaining bacon halves.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Remove the bacon from the top of the beans and roughly chop them, then add them back. (If desired, you can stir the beans and retrieve the bacon from the bottom as well.)
Thicken
- Place 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a small container with a lid. Add 2 tablespoons cold water. Cover and shake to thoroughly combine.
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry. Add up to ¾ water if more liquid is preferred. Set heat to high. Cover and let it heat through for 15 minutes, then check on them again. (Mine are usually ready at this point.) Continue to let the beans cook until your desired consistency is obtained.
- Serve! The beans will thicken even more upon standing.
Notes
Bacon Alternative: ½ lb. salt pork can be used instead of bacon.
Oven Method: Follow instructions as outlined, but bake in a covered 4.5-quart Dutch oven at 200 degrees for 8 hours. Increase heat to 300 and follow steps outlined in “thicken” section above.
Note: The 8-hour cooking window is a general timeframe; your beans may be ready sooner, or may take longer. Note that higher altitudes will generally take longer. Also note that fresher beans cook faster than older beans.
Storage
Oven Method: Follow instructions as outlined, but bake in a covered 4.5-quart Dutch oven at 200 degrees for 8 hours. Increase heat to 300 and follow steps outlined in “thicken” section above.
Note: The 8-hour cooking window is a general timeframe; your beans may be ready sooner, or may take longer. Note that higher altitudes will generally take longer. Also note that fresher beans cook faster than older beans.
Storage
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Leftover baked beans can be frozen. Let them cool completely and then store them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, transfer the thawed beans to a covered casserole dish and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes if possible. Then bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.
- You can also refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Nutritional information is per serving. There are 8 servings in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 460mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg