Baked Beans Recipe, made from scratch.
Follow easy step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions for making these delicious Baked Beans… from scratch. We start out with dry Navy Beans, soak them overnight then, we add bacon and a few other surprises to make some of the best beans you’ve ever enjoyed. Did I mention we slow cooked them for about 7 hours? Oh yeah… they’re that good. We’ve even got a printable recipe.
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Baked Beans Recipe… from scratch:
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This is one of those recipes that I finally “got around,” to actually doing. For some unknown reason and, for some time now, I’ve wanted to make Baked Beans from scratch. By that, I mean that I wanted to start out with dried beans instead of those canned pork ‘n beans that I’ve always used to make my Baked Beans with in the past. Of course, I’d love to be able to do it with fresh beans but those weren’t actually available so, dry beans it was.
I don’t know that I really thought it would make all that much of a difference but, I wanted to just try it for myself and see. Now, I’m not going to tell you that you will just be blown away with how great these taste using dried beans instead of canned but, I will tell you, these beans have a more authentic “bite” than those canned beans. They have a bit firmer chew to them if that makes any sense. The canned pork ‘n beans are good and, they’re good and soft as well. On the other hand, I imagine this recipe would be more like what one might have experienced on a month long cattle drive out in Texas or Oklahoma somewhere.
Imagine it, the camp cook pulled some beans out of the wagon and put them in soak before he settled down for the night. A full moon glared down on the thousand acres the ranch crew had been working on all day. Right after breakfast next morning, he put all the ingredients together to make the beans. He hung that big cast iron pot over a pile of burning wood and started slow cooking supper for the cowboys. By the end of the day, they were finally done and all the cow pokes grabbed a bowl and took a big heaping spoonful of fresh baked beans out of the pot. They sat around the campfire eating beans and cornbread, talking about how the day had gone and what had to be done tomorrow. See… it’s one of those authentic cowboy type of dishes. OK… maybe you get the idea. (Yes, I played cowboys and Indians a lot as a child.)
Don’t let the long list of ingredients throw you. It’s mostly just a lot of seasonings that you already have on hand. Add some ground beef and bacon, throw in the seasonings and let it slow bake in the oven all day. Then, hustle up the kids and maybe let them eat supper outside tonight, around an open campfire. Make it an experience and don’t forget the marshmallows for later. (Did cowboys have marshmallows?)
I do hope you’ll give this recipe for Baked Beans from scratch a try. It’s pretty easy to follow and you can just let them bake slowly in the oven throughout the day as you go about your “chores.” Are you up for it? Alright then… Let’s Get Cooking!
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Baked Beans Recipe… from scratch: You’ll need these ingredients.
You’ll also need some Ketchup and Worcestershire Sauce that somehow didn’t stand up to get into the photo.
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Place your dry beans on a plate or in a pan and sort through them. You’ll want to remove any dark colored beans and any small stones or other foreign matter that might be in there. The beans are mechanically harvested these days and haven’t been washed. You’ll want to make sure there isn’t anything in them that you don’t want to be chewing down on later.
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Discard any beans that appear discolored or just old and super dried out. I only found a few in my bag. They aren’t going to soften up no matter how long you cook them so, get them out now and toss them.
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Place the dry beans in a big pot and cover them with about 3 inches of water. Do this before you go to bed one night and they’ll be ready to start work on the next morning. Think about laying out under the stars and staring up at that big full moon. Off in the distance you hear the howl of a coyote and the gentle call of a bird. Are those really birds? It could be Indians sneaking up on you… be careful.
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Next morning, drain the water off the beans as you pour them into a colander. Rinse the beans under cold running water.
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Place the beans in a good sized baking dish or pan. I love these old restaurant type of pans, they’re so versatile. I really could have used one of those old cast iron dutch ovens but I’ve never cleaned the one I bought at auction many months ago. Maybe one day.
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Peel the outer layer of skin from an onion and dice it up.
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Place your ground beef in a skillet and brown it up a bit. I’m using 80/20 beef and I wanted to drain off as much of the fat as possible.
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After you drain off the grease, add the browned beef to the bean pot.
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Add the diced onions.
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Add the bell peppers. One day, I’m going to find one of those used vacuum sealing food machines just so I can save bell peppers in my freezer throughout the year. I can buy peppers at about 5 for a dollar during the summer and then they go up to around $1.50 each through the winter. I always try to store some up because I just happen to like bell peppers when I cook.
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Slice up about a half pound of bacon. You do know that bacon is much easier to slice when its super cold… right? I thought so.
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Slightly brown the bacon in your skillet. Can you smell that?
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Add the bacon and the bacon grease into the bean pot. I must admit, there was a time further down in the recipe that I wished I hadn’t used all of the bacon grease. It worked out by the end of the recipe though. Still, you can add it all or just part of it, it’s your choice. It would have cooked in the pan without browning it up in the skillet first. I had planned to drain off the bacon grease and save it for later. There really wasn’t a lot so I just placed it all in the bean pot.
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Add the can of Tomato Sauce.
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Add the Brown Sugar.
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Add the Molasses. This jar is almost empty so I didn’t measure it out. I did save enough for a biscuit tomorrow morning though. You’re missing one of life’s greatest joys if you’ve never stuck your finger into a warm biscuit to make a hole big enough to pour in some Grandma’s Molasses. Now we’re talking!
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Add the Mustard.
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Sprinkle on some Garlic Powder.
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Add the Liquid Smoke, if desired. Liquid Smoke is generally found in most grocery stores around the Ketchup, Mustard and Worcestershire Sauces. It’s made from burning wood chips or sawdust and condensing it into liquids. The process dates back to around 1895 according to Wikipedia and, its used as one of the main flavors in curing bacon. Follow this link to learn more about it: Liquid Smoke on Wikipedia.
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Add the Texas Pete Hot Sauce.
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Add the Worcestershire Sauce.
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Add the Beef Broth. I keep a jar of Beef Granules in the kitchen cabinet. I prefer the granules over those little cubes, but hey… that’s just me. Any type of Beef Broth should do. I guess if I were totally making this from scratch, I’d have made my own huh?
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Finally, go ahead and give it all a real good stir. Looks like a hefty soup of sorts right now doesn’t it?
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Cover the pan tightly with Aluminum Foil and pop the pan into the pre-heated oven.
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We’re going to bake the beans “low and slow,” at 300º. And… it’s gonna take awhile.
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Three Hours: This is after three hours of baking in the oven. I was curious as to how much progress the beans had made toward getting done. I stirred them up again, covered the pan back with the Aluminum Foil and slid it back into the oven.
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Five hours: At this point, the beans are getting tender. It was time to taste them and see what else they needed. I added a little Salt since I hadn’t put any in already. Once the flavors start to come together, you can taste it and add Salt as needed.
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Add the Black Pepper.
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Add the Ketchup. Or, the Catsup. Which do you call it?
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Give them another good stir. At this point, most of the beans were getting pretty tender. I did find the occasional bean that just seemed like it hadn’t cooked any at all, despite the fact they had been in the oven all day. Place the pan back in the oven WITHOUT the Aluminum Foil and REDUCE the temperature of the oven down to 250º. We’re going to let them bake a bit longer and bake off some of the liquid.
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Reduce the oven to 250º and bake uncovered from here on out – until the beans are tender.
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Seven Hours: This is what mine looked like straight out of the oven, seven hours after I started. I prefer my Baked Beans to be a bit on the “thick” side so I baked off a good deal of the liquid. Most of the beans were tender but, I still found the occasional bean that just seemed like it had never cooked very much at all. I did enjoy the texture of the beans though.
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Serve them up good and warm… Enjoy!
Note: It’s certainly possible to reduce the baking time some by cooking the beans prior to assembling everything together. I was really curious as to how they would turn out when totally baked in the oven. The beans themselves were pretty tender around the five hour mark and could have been served at that point. As I stated, I wanted to thicken them up so I baked them, uncovered, awhile longer. All of the ingredients are pretty much my standard “go-t0” ingredients for making Baked Beans. I normally use the canned beans myself but found these to have a good texture overall. Next time, I think I’ll cook the beans in water for about an hour or more to get them tender, then see if that makes any difference. Let me get back to you on that… OK? If you beat me to it, let me know in the Comment section below. Thanks.
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Baked Beans Recipe, made from scratch.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours
- Total Time: 7 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8-12 Servings 1x
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Follow easy step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions for making these delicious Baked Beans… from scratch. We start out with dry Navy Beans, soak them overnight then, we add bacon and a few other surprises to make some of the best beans you’ve ever enjoyed. Did I mention we slow cooked them for about 7 hours? Oh yeah… they’re that good. We’ve even got a printable recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 lb of dry Navy Beans, soak overnight
- 1 lb of Ground Beef, 80/20, cooked and drained
- ½ lb of Bacon, diced, lightly cooked
- 1 cup Onion, diced
- 1 cup Bell Peppers, diced
- 2 cup Beef Broth
- 1 ½ cups Brown Sugar
- 1 15oz can Tomato Sauce
- ½ cup Grandmas Molasses
- 2 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Texas Pete Hot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- ¼ cup Yellow Mustard
- ¼ cup Ketchup
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Sort through dry beans to remove any stones or hard beans.
- Place beans in a large pot, cover with water, soak overnight.
- Drain beans, place in a large baking pan.
- Peel the outer skin from an onion, dice it up.
- Brown ground beef in a skillet placed over medium heat. Drain off fat.
- Add cooked beef to pan with beans.
- Add onions.
- Add Bell Peppers.
- Chop bacon into small pieces. Place bacon in skillet, brown lightly.
- Add cooked bacon and bacon grease to pan with beans.
- Add Tomato Sauce.
- Add brown sugar.
- Add Molasses.
- Add Yellow Mustard.
- Add Garlic Powder.
- Add Liquid Smoke.
- Add Texas Pete Hot Sauce
- Add Worcestershire Sauce
- Add beef broth.
- Gently stir all ingredients together until mixed well.
- Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- Place in pre-heated 300 degree oven, bake covered for 3 hours.
- Add Ketchup.
- Add Salt if needed.
- Add Black Pepper, stir well.
- Return beans, uncovered, back to oven and bake about one hour or until beans are tender. Remember, mine took 7 hours total.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
This recipe can also be made using canned Pork and Beans as opposed to the dry beans. I suggest using Bush’s brand if you can find them. Use four 16oz cans. If using dry beans, cut down on baking time by pre-cooking your beans in boiling water for one hour or longer.
Keywords: Baked Beans Recipe, made from scratch, navy beans, barbecue beans, southern recipes
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Your Comments: Have you ever made Baked Beans from scratch, using dry Navy Beans? Do you think it’s worth the extra effort as opposed to using the canned pork and beans that are so convenient? I’d love to hear your comments on our recipe. It will only take a minute or two and, maybe it will help someone else to give our recipe a try. Just remember, all comments are moderated. What that means is that I personally read each and every one before it’s approved for posting on our family friendly website. So, take a couple of minutes while you’re here and share your thoughts with us. I also try to reply to as many of your comments as possible so check back soon for that as well.
Subscribe to our Newsletter: Before you go, be sure to sign up for our Newsletter. I try to send one out each time a new recipe is added or something interesting is going on around Taste of Southern. It’s absolutely free to sign up and you can unsubscribe any time you change your mind about us. Its just a little reminder of all of our updates, news, giveaways and more. Tell your friends about us as well, I’d greatly appreciate it. I hope you’ll visit us often.
Be Blessed!!!
Steve
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Category: Side Dishes
Hello again Steve
I’m thinking ahead now. Wondering how this would work in a haybox (in case you don’t know that, it’s a method of cooking used by Girl Guides, read American Girl Scouts, where you dig a hole in the ground, line it with hay or straw, put your pot of hot food in and cover it with hay/straw and the original sod/piece of turf and then leave it to cook all day). Do you think this would work? And if so, at what point should the pot of food be put into the haybox? As I’m considering it for a Cub Scout camp of maybe 20-24 Cubs and 8-10 adults we obviously can’t afford to experiment. I am thinking that it might have to be divided into 4 lots anyway, we would certainly need one separate small lot to cater for our Moslem and vegetarian boys. I just think it’s a wonderful recipe and along with your “Wild West” story would be incredible.
Hi Dorothy, I’d never heard of the haybox, you always teach me something new. I would strongly suggest that you use canned beans, or at least cook the beans first if you’re using dry beans. They take a long time to cook from scratch and might not get fully done if you use the haybox. Just mix everything together and stick it in the ground. If it cooks all day, you should be good to go I would think. Let me know how it turns out. Send photos too. Smile. I appreciate your visits. Stop by to see us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
How is this dish if made a day prior and then reheated?
Hi Eric, I think it’s even better a day or two later. Just my opinion of course. Do let me know how it turns out if you decide to try it. Thank you for your visit and I do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I started making this recipe yesterday and finished today. After reading the comments, I made the following changes. I did a quick soak on 1 lb. bag of small red beans and pre-cooked them with water, black pepper and 2 smoked turkey necks. The next day, I mixed the rest of the ingredients but I sautéed the vegetables, diced the turkey from the bones, omitted the broth and reduced the brown sugar to 1/2 cup packed. I topped it with pre-cooked Applewood smoked bacon and baked for 1 1/2 hours. Next time, I will not use the cooking liquid from the beans and add the beef broth instead. Delicious!
Hi Steve,
I stumbled across your page while looking for recipes for my cast iron skillet. I read your baked beans recipe and decided to try them. I must have done something wrong because even after 7 hours the beans never cooked. I soaked them over night, rinsed them in the morning and followed the recipe step by step. When I finally gave up, I decided to just shut the oven off and let them set in there over night…just to see if they would finish cooking. Sadly, they did not. Do you have any idea what went wrong? This was my first trial with dried beans.
Thanks 🙂
p.s. they smelled heavenly and the sauce tasted wonderful 🙂 but the uncooked beans were a fail 🙂
Hi Susan, Thank you for trying the Baked Beans Recipe. I’m really sorry to hear that your beans never got tender. I suspect you just had some old beans to begin with. They just get old and tough and that’s probably why they never fully cooked. It’s interesting though seeing as how you let them cook for so long. As I mentioned in the recipe, some of mine were tough as well. I’ve always loved these baked beans and I get a little down on myself for not using a canned pork and bean instead of trying to make them with dried beans. Should you be interested in trying them again, may I suggest you get some of the Bush’s Original Baked Beans and use those instead of the dry beans. I think you’ll be very happy with the results and you don’t have to worry about whether they will ever get tender or not. We used the Bush’s brand in all of the catering events we did with our restaurants. I hope we can still be friends. Smile. Don’t give up. As you mentioned, they are heavenly and wonderful. Smile. Thank you taking the time to write. I do appreciate your visit and hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Thank you so much Steve, I will definitely try to make them again. The beans were not outdated BUT who knows how long they were on the store shelf before I bought them. Our family Loves Busch’s as well 🙂 I will definitely not give up and be back to review some more of your awesome recipes 🙂
Susan
hi I made this dish using dry beans and soaked them overnight with salt water which made them burst less when cooking. then I added then added I extra cup of beef broth to make up for the extra hour of cooking time and they came out excellent perfectly cooked great recipe thank you
I have always understood if salt is added before the beans are tender the salt prevents the beans from becoming tender. I noticed in his recipe that the salt, pepper & ketchup are added toward the very end of cooking.
★★★★★
I have made these about 5 times now, I absolutely love them. So many people are hesitant to try them though because they are not very saucy by the end of the 7 hours. Especially when they are reheated the next day, there is next to no sauce left. I make them in a Dutch oven which is the only think I do differently than the recipe. Any ideas?
Hi Zak, Glad to hear you’ve been using the Baked Beans recipe and that you like them so well. Awesome. As I mentioned in the write up, I like mine a bit on the thick side, but I don’t want them all dried out either. You could try adding a bit more tomato sauce or a bit more beef broth to the recipe. Even a bit more ketchup would help as far as the moisture is concerned. Just experiment around with either and see which helps the most without changing the flavor too much. Also, you can make these using Bush’s Brand Baked Beans in the can which would greatly reduce the cooking time and you would save a lot of moisture in the process. We use the Bush’s Beans in the large restaurant size or food service size cans most of the time as opposed to starting with dry beans. We love them that way too. Thank you for the question, I appreciate you taking the time to write. Keep up the great work and be sure to visit with us often. I hope this will help. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
If you use the canned beans? did you add the sauce from them? or do you adjust anything in the recipe? I just this recipe again over the weekend, and the beans were actually still hard after 7 hours. So I added more broth, water and ketchup. Back in for 3 more hours. Still hard. Another 2 cups of water, on the grill now for 3 more hours. Beans finally softened up, but they were black. They are always quite dark though, much darker than your pictures. I wonder why that is.
Hi Zak, I’m sorry you had so much trouble with the beans. They do take a very long time to cook. As I mentioned in the photo section, I still had some that were hard after I cooked mine. I would just bite into one ever so often. I guess it’s just the nature of the dried beans. We most always use the canned Bush’s Brand of beans. It’s much easier, but I wanted to make them from scratch so I used the dried beans. You could even cook the beans first, then add them which would probably help to cook them faster. Baking them is a much slower process. The canned beans are pretty soft straight out of the can. We do use the sauce that’s in the cans most of the time. If it seems to be a lot, you could remove some of it. The longer baking time seems to increase the flavor of the baked beans and it really does depend on whether you like them moist or sort of on the drier side. I know I’m not sounding very positive either way, but we all have different tastes. I hope this helps. Now you’ve got me wanting some baked beans. Smile. Thank you for the question and for your visit. I hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I have tried the Cassoulet Bean, Midnight Black, Caballero, and Cranberry beans as well as the Alubia Blanco. So many beans and so little time!! Hope to try some in your Ham Bone Beand recipe sometime.
Made these delicious beans last week using some Alubia Blanco heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo in California. If you haven’t tried this place, I can highly recommend them. They grow all kinds of fun heirloom beans, and they are not like the ones you find at the grocery. Also, they have not been sitting in some warehouse for who knows how long! Loved this baked bean recipe and well worth the time!! Thanks!
Hi Judy, Glad you enjoyed the Baked Beans. Maybe your comments will encourage someone else to try them. Thanks for mentioning the Rancho Gordo location. I see they sell online so I will have to try them sometime. Heirloom beans are the best. What type do you buy?
Thank you for sharing your comments and I do appreciate your visit. I hope you’ll try some of our other recipes and that you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Steve, I once ate some baked beans from a buffet at Silver Dollar City in Branson, and they were so good, I asked the staff about them, and was told they used Sorghum in them. I now have a nice big jar of sorghum and would like your input on how to incorporate it into this or another recipe. Maybe delete some or all of the brown sugar?
Hi Rod, I’ve never made it up to Branson, but I’ve always thought I’d like to visit there one day. Maybe someday. Smile. Around my part of the country, we call it Sorghum Molasses. So, in my recipe for the Baked Beans, I’d simply substitute the Sorghum Syrup you have for the Grandma’s Molasses called for in the recipe. Leaving out the brown sugar will still be another option, but that’s up to you. Personally, I think I’d leave it in. You can always taste the beans before cooking, or after they have baked for a bit, to see if it meets your taste. If not, you could then add in more of the syrup or add the brown sugar. I’ve never tried it with Sorghum so I’ll be most interested to hear how they turn out if you do try it. Thank you for the question. Good Luck. I appreciate your visit and hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hey Steve, How long do you cook these in the oven and at what temp, if I use the Bushs canned beans instead of the dried ones ?
Hi Gina, Follow the same cooking temps. The length of time it takes to cook them pretty much depends on your personal likes. I like my beans a bit on the thick side, while others prefer them a bit more juicy. Just keep an eye on them and pull them out when they taste best to you. I hope this helps. Using the canned beans will reduce the time by quite a bit.
Thank you for the question and I hope you try them. Let me know what you think. Thank you for stopping by today and I hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi Steve, I have read and read these comments on on the baked beans from scratch. There are So Many little changes but there is one that I did not find. If you do use the baking soda, be sure to skim off the top of the liquid, before putting them in the pan for baking. (The foamy bubbly part)… “(This is the “sulphur” part of the bean that plays with the stomach)……
Also sometimes I add a can of crushed pineapple near the end of cooking. I have never used ground beef. Intetesting. Must try, but will gently boil first. Have a great 4th!!
ans
Hi Steve. I read your recipe for Baked Beans “from scratch” and immediately decided I wanted to try it since I never have. However, when I saw it needed to bake seven hours, I decided it’s much too hot here in SW Florida to keep my oven on that long. I kept on reading and when I got to the rave reviews, decided I may not wait until winter to try it. I’ve always used canned beans and doctored then up with bacon, brown sugar, ketchup and mustard. If I make your recipe, I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Hello Steve,
Cut up green peppers, stash them in baggies, push as much air out as you can, and they’re good in the freezer all winter. I found out from the older generation. It works.
Kathleen.
Hi Kathleen, That’s a great idea, and I’ve used that method myself. I was blessed a year or so back to be able to work with a company that makes a vacuum sealer machine. They sent me one to try out and write a review on. I loved it and I use it to store the peppers with now. Peppers go in a plastic bag, then the machine pulls all the air out of the bag and seals it shut. Works great.
Thank you for taking the time to share your comment. I do appreciate it, and I trust you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Good Morning Steve,
Just saw your comments about the vacuum sealer. You mentioned using plastic bags. I just wondered if you meant the bags made for the machine or everyday bags. The ones for the machine are expensive and it would be great to find an alternative.
Thanks,
Judi Goodrich
Hi Judi, I use the bags designed for the machine. I have the FoodSaver FM5000 which the company sent to me for review. Several times a year, they run their bags on sale, often buy-one, get-one-free type of deals. That’s when I buy my bags. You just need to signup for their emails to learn about the sales. Hope this helps, and sorry for any confusion. I do appreciate your visit and hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I started making baked beans several years ago. I cheat and use canned Northern Beans. Add many of the same ingredients except hamburger. They turn out delish. I will have to try Steve’s recipe with dry beans.
Hi Clara, Nothing wrong with using the canned beans, I’ve done that many times myself. I just wanted to try making them from scratch to see what happened. Fresh beans weren’t available at the time, so I used the dried. We love the Bush’s Baked Beans which are pretty good to begin with, but we kick it up a notch with some added ingredients. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Cam these be done in a slow cooker?
Hi Lisa, I’ve never personally cooked these in a crock pot as I prefer them in the oven. You could certainly give it a try. I would suggest you use a canned bean, like the Bush’s brand as opposed to starting with a dry bean. Just a suggestion. Please let me know if you give them a try. I appreciate the question and your visit. I do hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
OMG!!! These are the best baked beans I have ever tasted. Made them yesterday for today’s bbq on Memorial Day. One of my friends gets a major migraine headache due to onions, so I did leave those out. Otherwise I followed the recipe, using dry Navy beans, soaked actually for 18 hours and cooked for an hour prior to assembly. After 6 hours in the oven (3 @ 300 and 3 @ 250) the beans were tender and not mushy. Thank you so much for the outstanding recipe. It is now saved in my side dish recipe folder and will be removing all others. I will make them for our next potluck at work too.
Hi Tracy, So glad you liked the baked beans. They are certainly one of my favorites as well. I appreciate you taking the time to try them and happy to hear they turned out well for you. I do appreciate your visits and hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
SS
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe, and many others, which sound so delicious. Thank you for this very enjoyable site! I just wanted to chime in about the chewiness of the beans, and hope I’m not repeating someone. Salting beans before they are cooked will often keep them tough. It’s best to add the salt near the end when the beans are pretty tender. I have found this to be true, and it’s at least worth a try. Also soaking the beans with baking soda is helpful, as many have already mentioned.
I was taught by a Texas Pit Master how to properly BBQ: brisket, pulled pork, ribs and they always make beans to accompany the main dish. What I was taught was not to put anything acidic into the beans until they were of the desired tenderness (e.g. tomatoes, tomato sauce/paste, or peppers). Once the beans are soft, add the acidic ingredients and let them cook awhile. The acidic components stop the beans from softening further.
Hello!!
Greeetings from Sabah, Malaysia! Just want to stop by and says, this is the best recipe I’ve met so far. 🙂 I’m just trying to cook this by following your instructions. And guess what? My family loved it so much! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Will visit you again real soon. Terima kasih! Kotohuadan! God bless.
Cheryssa Jaimon
Sabah, Malaysia
Hi Cheryssa, Greetings to Malaysia all the way from North Carolina. I’m really glad to hear from you and to learn that you’re trying our Baked Beans recipe. I’m glad the family loved it. It truly is a small world isn’t it? I do appreciate your visits and THANK YOU for sharing your comments. I hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
can i use barbecue sauce instead?
Hi Tonya, Sure you can. I generally encourage everyone to at least try my version first, then next time, make it your own with the changes you think will make it even better. I do hope you’ll try it either way. I appreciate your visits and hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Can I use Barbecue sauce instead of tomato sauce?
I’ve made this recipe 3 times since July 4 (2017) I modified your cooking instructions by cooking everything in a pressure cooker using the directions that came with the pressure cooker (it said NOT to soak first). and I used diced leftover ham in place of the ground beef. The beans were still too hard and there was too much fluid, so I transferred them a pan in the oven and finished them there. When we went to the celebration for the 4th of July I kept them warm in a slow cooker…someone came in and turned the temp up to HIGH. They developed a caramelized edge (which my husband LOVED) until someone else stirred that edge in! That all said they were a huge hit!
The next 2 times I continued using diced ham, and used your suggestion of cooking the soaked beans for an hour first, and that has made them just PERFECT! I had looked for a “from scratch” recipe to match my aunt’s baked beans and while I don’t know if these tast just like her’s did they are GREAT. Thanks for sharing
Hi Mary, Thank you for sharing your comments. I’m happy you’ve tried the recipe for our Baked Beans. I too like that “edge” as you call it. I think they just get better each time you warm them over. Thank you for sharing your story, and thank you for your visits to Taste of Southern. Be sure to stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Getting ready to try this recipe, but one question:
Does any of the instructions change if you double up the recipe? I have a 2 lb. bag of beans.
Hi Dale, You’ll be cooking a lot of beans. Nothing will change that I can think of other than cooking time. Can’t say how much longer you’ll need to add if you double the recipe. Please let me know if you try it and how it turns out for you. Thank you for the question, and I do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
In the middle of baking a regular batch right now. Got messed up because I printed out the printable recipe and it said to bake for three hours and then put in ketchup, etc. and bake another hour – but the beans were nowhere near tender enough. Re-read the recipe online (as opposed to the printed one) and it indicates a minimum of 5 or 6 hours before uncovering… so they are still cooking. Might want to change the printed part? 🙂
Will let you know when they are done, seem to have at least an hour and a half or so to go yet…
Hi Dale, I took a look at the recipe again. I added a comment to the printed recipe as a reminder that it took me 7 hours to cook mine. The very top of the printable recipe says the total cooking time is 7 hours. Ovens do vary, so I generally suggest that you cook or bake something until it’s done to your preference. I can see where that might be confusing, but do appreciate you pointing out the difference. Good luck with your beans. Thank you for your comment, and for trying the recipe. I hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Evidently I can’t make baked beans, because everything is blackened and the bean still aren’t sufficiently tender. Maybe its because I am using Great Northern beans, I dunno. The beans sat for approximately 14 hours or so overnight covered in water. I just have bad luck with baked beans I guess.
Hi Dale, I’m sorry to hear your beans didn’t turn out well for you. Please don’t give up. You CAN make baked beans, I know it. Perhaps the dry beans you had were a bit old. I don’t know. I did mention in my write up that I still had some that didn’t soften up even after I had baked them for seven hours. We almost always use Bush’s Baked Beans when making our baked beans recipe. It takes much less time. We just like to add all the other stuff to “punch them up a notch or two.” Smile. I just wanted to try making them more totally from scratch by using the dry beans. If you can find some Bush’s, or something similar, I hope you’ll try the recipe again. We always get compliments on our baked beans.
Thank you for sharing your efforts and your results with us. It helps others to learn from our mistakes. Maybe you’ll help someone else that is thinking about trying our recipe. I appreciate you taking the time to write, and I trust you’ll continue to visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
i soak my beans in fridge for 2 or 3 days helps with soften the beans and i always boil them till almost tender before baking them
This is the best recipe ever. I have food allergies and became frustrated because all the canned baked beans in the store contain my allergen and all the recipes I found for baked beans used the canned baked beans as their base. This is a great recipe that I use in the crock pot and everyone loves it. Thanks so much.
Greetings from Ontario, Canada! By far, the best baked beans I have ever had. Ive made them a few times now & always get rave reviews! I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Hi Becky, Greetings to Ontario, all the way from North Carolina. I’m happy to hear you’ve tried our Baked Beans and very happy to hear that you like them. I do hope you’ll try some of our other recipes, and that you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi there (Kia Ora) from New Zealand!
Got some beans soaking now and can’t wait to try this recipe.
We’ll let you know how they turn out.
Cheers!
Hi Ian, Greetings to New Zealand from the heart of North Carolina. I do hope you enjoyed the Baked Beans. Thank you for trying the recipe. I appreciate your visits, and hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Steve, I have made .your recipe a half dozen times (from dry Great Northern beans) since a friend sent it to me. I took your advice and deleted the green peppers to minimize bitterness. It turns out great every time and I get rave reviews. I cook it at 285°F overnight and then remove cover to let excess water evaporate. Beans are always tender and never have a problem with burning.
Thanks again,
George
McHenry, Il
Steve have a triple batch in the works for our VBS Skull Valley Bible Church celebration tomorrow. No ground beef as 20 miles from town. Will kick it up with a bit more bacon. Always a fans of slow cooked baked beans yum. blessings to you.
Hi Steve! You recipe appears to be the best of any I have seen. I am bringing them to a Super Bowl party on Sunday. I have 2 questions. 1. Why do you add ground meat? I can’t think why delicious baked beans would ever need plain old ground beef. Am I missing something? 2. Would you think that a chipotle pepper in adobo would add a smoky flavor rather than liquid smoke? They add a nice flavor to chili, so maybe they would work here. Can’t wait to make these!
Thank you so very much.
Hi Alene, Thank you for stopping by. You could certainly leave the ground beef out if you didn’t want to add it. We just like the taste of it and think it kicks plain old beans up a notch. Just call it personal preference. As for the Chipotle pepper in Adobo, I can’t speak to that as I’m not actually familiar with it. Perhaps some of our readers can offer some input for you. Either way, I do hope you try the recipe and I look forward to hearing if you like them or not. Thank you for the questions and do visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi! I just wanted you to know that the baked beans, made with your recipe, minus the ground beef and liquid smoke, were fantastic! 3 people wanted the recipe. I did use the chipotle peppers in adobo for smokiness and they were perfect. It comes in cans and is Mexican. I can get it here in the regular grocery store in Florida. It adds heat and smoke. I made a ton so that we could eat the leftovers. And we did! Thank you so much for the recipe. I am so glad I stumbled upon your site.
And I wanted to add that it took a good solid 7 – 8 hours to cook up properly. And I did add some beef broth toward the end and just cooked off what I wanted. Perfection!
Amazing beans 2nd time cooking and i cooked the beans for an hour and half before mixing
Yumm now the wait till there done
H
I tried this recipe last Sunday and we finished the beans off today. They were absolutely the tastiest baked beans ever. My husband requested them with my BBQ ribs for a Sunday dinner. This is a new staple in my household. A rating!
I have had my beans in at 300 for 7 1/2 hrs and they are still crunchy. I used great northern beans , soaked all night. I opened and stirred after 3 hours, again at 5 hours, crunchy. So now I recovered and did another 1 1/2 hrs and still crunchy. I had to add water(2 cups) and stirred and put back in covered again. I hope I didn’t waste a LOT of ingredients. I doubled the recipe. Ted
Hi Ted, I do hope your beans turned out well for you. I suspect you got your hands on a bag of old beans. No matter how long you cook them, the old ones never will soften up. It’s happened to me, so I understand the frustration. You just never know until you cook them. You certainly had a lot if you doubled the recipe. That may have hindered the cooking process some as well. I’d love to know what happened, and I do appreciate you trying the Baked Beans recipe. I hope you’ll continue to visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I cooked them awhile longer, still crunchy a bit, but we ate them anyway. The flavor was great, but the texture was off putting. I froze some and we eventually ate them too though. I’ll try the pressure cooker method next time cooking the beans before hand. Thanks for answering!
If you use a Dutch oven the heat is distributed evenly and the cooking time is reduced. K5M
These beans are awesome!! I too had crunchy beans that never softened the first time I made them. According to America’s Test Kitchen, the acid of tomatoes significantly slow or stop the beans from cooking. So, cook the beans to the softness you like before adding the tomato sauce and the rest of the ingredients. I have not had the crunchy bean problem since discovering this information.
I’ve started cooking my beans in a dutch oven under a brisket in my smoker so the brisket can drip in the beans and the beans get some smoke as well. They’ve been a big hit. Also potatoes cooked this way make awesome potatoe salad.
Making your beans this next weekend for the 4 of July party.
Have made them before using a crock pot. Rave revues. Even had
a guy who’s family has a bar-b-que place and make their own beans
ask for the recipe. Only thing I did different is used a ham hock
for the smoke flavor. I did soak beans over night and then changed
water and boiled for an hour. People who do not like baked beans
loved them.. thank you, Pamm
I love your hamhock idea. Can you be more specific about how you used it in the recipe. I’d like to try it as well. Did you still add the ground beef?
Have you tried adding a little baking soda when soaking overnight? That’s what I do to have tender beans the following morning. About 1/2 tsp or less. It really goes a long way with very little.
If any of you possess a pressure cooker you can soften the beans by cooking them for 15 minutes or so, depending on preference. I also tried adding one Kallo Organic Tomato and Herb stock during the presoftening stage in the pressure cooker and this worked really well.
I am sorry about my error. i meant 1 tsp of baking powder with the beans before cooking
Hi Steve,
Greetings from Canada’s Atlantic Coast! I love the beans (although I cheated by using Bush’s). I wanted to thank you for all your recipes. I’ve made the Chicken Steak, as well as Biscuits with Sausage Gravy. They both were terrific! I’ve had to hit the treadmill harder to try to keep my weight down. I’m 63 and it’s not as easy as it once was.
Thanks again and may God bless.
Hi Steve,
I have procrastinated long enough. I have now made the baked beans three times with each try getting better. These beans are the best baked beans that I or my family have ever had. My first try was with some of my own dried beans, even after I soaked them and had them in the oven for the whole seven hours, there were too many hard ones. The taste was great but chewy. The second time I purchased new Navy beans pre-soaked and brought to a boil on the stove. That made a big difference and once again tasted great. The third time I did the soak and boil treatment with the new beans. Unfortunately when I was preparing the beans I noticed that I did not have a 15 oz can of tomato sauce. My wife said to use a large can of diced tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste. This worked perfect and made it a little bit more chunkier. As I like to grow my own tomatoes, we make what is called tomato junk. There are numerous recipes to be found on line but it is mainly tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, a little oil, and any herbs that you might like to put in. Put on a baking sheet and put in the oven and roasted until they are almost caramelized. You can then freeze them in freezer bags until you need it for soups or ?????. Number four try will incorporate some junk (lol). I will try to not wreck your recipe, and will let you know how it goes.
Thanks once again for your great recipes.
Wow. Made these last night after soaking my beans the night before. They were so good, my husband ate them till he had a stomach ache! I omitted the ketchup and sugar, the molasses was plenty sweet for our taste. Also, I did not use the ground beef because I already had some fish to go with it. I pre-cooked the beans in water and a tbs. of butter for about an hour then threw them in the oven with the sauce for an hour and a half at 325*f to speed it up a bit, then uncovered for another 30 min on 400*F (I was cooking it with some catfish at the same time) I will definitely be holding on the this recipe. I can’t wait to double it and make for a big Texas family BBQ! Thanks!
Hi Steve..
I loved your Bean recipe.. i wanted to toss a hint to those folks who had beans that seemed to remain firm…when we buy beans we do not really know just how long that bag of beans has been around. a little trick to soften older beans.. add a tablespoon of baking soda to the soak water.. it will do the trick .. thanks for the great narrative and recipe.. i am kicking back at the fire tonight with a huge bowl of beans for dinner..Veronica
Made your beans today in my #9 cast iron Dutch oven and they were out of this world. Wife said she was going to make better beans next week with her family recipe but after having one mouthful she conceded that your beans were the best she ever had 🙂
These beans are THE BOMB. I love to make a big pot of them and eat on them for the next several days. Throw in a salad and you have a complete meal! I also make them a lot for company. My favorite way to make them is in a dutch oven hanging from a tripod over the campfire. Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Okay People – I tried this recipe today and it is the BEST EVER!! I do NOT say that lightly. I am a middle-aged mom and housewife who cooks for a hobby and I try out recipes every week. IF you follow this recipe to the “T” you will love it! It is now my go-to recipe for baked beans. Thank you Steve!
Sincerely,
Valerie
Burley, Idaho
Made this for the second time today – it’s a great recipe! I loved the way they turned out the first time, but they were a little sweet for my husband’s taste. He wanted more ‘tang’ to them. So, I cut the sugar in half, doubled the mustard, and used a Jack Daniels bbq sauce instead of the catchup. If you like a little less sweetness, this is the way to go! Yum!
Thanks Steve for the great baked bean recipe, we are hog farmers here in Wisconsin 8 degrees for a high temp. today 650 head of hogs to tend to and 7 hours worth of your ho made baked bean aroma in the house, supper was like a 5 course meal all in one! We followed your recipe to a tee and it will be made again,Sincerely Mike Fenske Burlington,WI.
No issues here, I’m on 5th hour and I’m ready to serve myself a bowl…Very delisious, thank you for the recipe.
Hey! I made these baked beans for a party and they were amazing! Everybody raved about them! Your delicious recipe has made it all the way to ‘sunny’ Glasgow, Scotland 🙂
DELICIOUS! Husband said that’s the recipe to use from now on. Cut the recipe in half and still had leftovers. They just got better the second day. Thank you so much and now I will start trying some of the other posted recipes. God Bless. Charlie and Amy
My husband also said this is it, don’t change it, they’re perfect. I actually made a double batch and put a lot in the freezer. They thaw perfectly and are an easy dish to pull out for potlucks and family picnics.
Hi Steve,
I came across your recipe while searching for a baked bean recipe that didn’t use canned beans – I really like to use dried. Like another reviewer said, this way I know what’s in the food I serve. I followed your list of ingredients, just handled them somewhat differently – I won’t go into all that. Bottom line, I like this recipe! It’s finishing up in the oven with some ribs as I write this. I think I’ll cut back some on the sugar next time but this is a great recipe to begin with! I imagine tomorrow these beans are going to be even better! There’s only 2 of us so we will be eating beans and freezing some for future feasts. Thanks for the great recipe – it’s going into the “keepers” file!
This looks so delicious. I just got a Kitchen Aid cast iron cookware pot that I’ve been wanting to try out with a good made from scratch baked beans recipe. I’m going to soak my beans tonight and try your recipe tomorrow. I’m excited, I can’t wait to make my first pot of homemade baked beans. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Oh my gosh, this is the best recipe ever. I came back to grab it again because I’m making it for a weekend event. Going to soak my beans tonight and I can’t wait to make my second bath. Thanks again.
I mixed these up exactly as directed, put them in my 300 degree oven and decided to check them after just 2 hours. I’m so glad I did, as they were BONE dry!! The instructions say you’ll cook them 7 hours, but the printable recipe says 4 hours???? I added some more water and they are continuing to cook. They smell great, but I don’t know what went wrong? I soaked my beans over night and added the broth, tomato sauce etc. My oven is the right temperature as I just baked some cookies this morning and they cooked perfectly.
You probably did not cover & seal your pan with aluminum foil before placing in the oven.. This recipe says to do that and to uncover for the last hour.
I have read all of your fans reply on these bake beans and I was wondering if you could use another bean instead of white navy beans? Every time I have used a navy bean it has all ways turned out still hard centers or uncooked after long cooking time? Is a pinto bean useable or do you have a suggestion for me I would love to try your recipe
Thanks for your time Dink O.
Hi Dink, You could use a variety of beans to make the recipe. Red Kidney Beans or the Pinto Beans would probably work, but might give a bit of a different taste than the Navy Beans. Of course, you could really simplify the whole process by using canned Pork N’ Beans or Bush’s Baked Beans. We do that most of the time as it cuts down on the amount of cooking time needed. When we did the restaurant and the catering work, we always used Bush’s Baked Beans to make these.
I just had the urge to make some from scratch one day, so I did it the hard way for this recipe. I hope this will help. Thank you for the question, and please let me know if you try the recipe. I’ll look forward to hearing from you again. I appreciate your visit, and trust that you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi Steve, when you used the bushes backed beans, because they already have some of the ingredients in them, did you have to adjust any of your ingredients? Were you also able to cut down on the cooking time? I really want to try them from scratch one day, but because I have other things going in the oven on Sunday, and will not be here a full 7 hours on Saturday, I may, for this time take up the suggestion of using canned beans.
Hi
Bargainbarb, When using the canned beans, you might want to drain off some of the liquid, other than that, everything else would be the same. Yes, it will cut down on the cooking time quite a bit, but just cook them until they are the way you’d like them. Some folks like them very moist, others like them a little drier. Choice is yours. I do hope you like them, and look forward to hearing back from you. Thank you for the question and please visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Mr. Gordon even if I use the baked bean from the can do I still use the beef broth?
Hi Pamela, I would. It just adds to the flavor. Do let me know if you try the recipe. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I have been on the road and I just to look at your answer. Thanks for the word on the beans I am going to cook for our church this weekend for Easter Day. I think I will give the bakes beans a try both ways Once again Thank you for advice Dink O.
I baked the beans!! This is sooo good I can’t describe but I could open a restaurant based on this recipe alone!!
I boiled the beans for about an hour before putting it all in the crock pot for 6h. Did not need the ketchup, they are perfect and will be featuring them at my husband’s birthday dinner. Thank you!!
Did you cook on high or low for 6 hours?
Hi Camille, The beans are baked at 300 degrees for the most part, then reduce heat to about 250 degrees and cook until tender. Check out the photo description and you’ll see how this is done. Thank you for trying the recipe. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Steve,
This recipe is simple the best, bar none! I take it one step further. I make the beans in a cast iron dutch oven, for two reasons. One because some foods are destine to be made in cast iron, beans are one of those foods. The other is I use 100% natural smoke…I smoke my beans in my charcoal smoker. I use orange, plum, cherry, apple, peach and pecan wood. Instead of the oven it goes in my smoker with the lid off for about 2-3 hours. I stir the beans every half hour or so. I do use blackstrap molasses for the extra flavor.
I made your baked beans for my grandsons’ birthday party. They never got soft or tender. I did what you said leaving out nothing. I even did your suggestion of boiling first. I boiled them for two hours before baking. They were hard and couldn’t be eaten. The next day, I put then in a slow cooker and added some tomato juice to get them moist. I cooked them all day, and they are still hard. I will have to find something to make out of them. Everything taste great, just couldn’t eat the beans!
Hi Missylayne, I’m thankful you found our site and tried our Baked Beans, I’m just sorry to hear they didn’t get tender enough for you. I suspect you might have had some older beans and they still didn’t cook long enough. Even though they cooked all day in a slow cooker, it might not have been enough heat to get them tender. I do hope you found a use for what you had. Perhaps you’ll try the recipe again, cooking your beans first, then adding the other ingredients. I appreciate your comments and do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Yes, that sounds like some real old beans. Before baking, I parcook my beans in a pressure cooker with bay leaves and a clove-studded onion. It saves energy, and makes the beans real creamy.
I mixed up the sauce for this with only half the sugar, and used the bean broth from parcooking instead of beef broth, but otherwise kept things the same. The sauce tasted great, and the beans smell awesome. I’m cooking them in my slow cooker, so it’s going to be awhile. Can’t wait!
Missylane-I haven’t tried this recipe yet…. just embarking on it. However, I’ve had the same thing happen, with “fresh” dried beans. We have hard water, which interferes with the beans getting soft. Chemistry of some sort! I once cooked split yellow peas for 4 hours and they never got tender. I now add 1/4 tsp of baking soda at the beginning of cooking, which works like a charm. It reduces some of the nutritional value of the beans, but at least you can chew them! I’m excited to try this recipe… I’ll let you all know how it went.
I soak my dry beans over night and my aunt who is 85 yrs old gave me her secret. Put a little bit of baking powder abouit a tsp. when you are boiling them. they took less then an hour to be tender. Then I went ahead and added all the ingredients.
Absolutely amazing! Mmmh-MMMH! I stuck to the recipe apart from the hot sauce, since little people joined the feast and everyone loved it! Cannot wait to try your next recipe. The photos are so helpful, because of thesubtle differences in British and American English, sometimes I need to see an ingredient to figure out what you’re using (molasses is black treacle here :-). Keep it up, Steve! Now let’s see if you have Jambalaya on here somewhere… 🙂
In the oven! Looking good. VERY good!! I own a lot of cookbooks, but none make me hungry as this website. Next: cornbread…. Thanks so much! Katie from England xx
Is there a law against using black beans? A family member makes a living growing them so we have many . I have about exhausted our desire for black bean specific dishes and was missing baked beans. Every recipe I find calls for white beans. But with all the flavors added, why not black or brown or red????
Hello Steve, thanks for the recipe. Could i use My crockpot instead of baking The beans in The oven? Thank you!! Edith
Hi Steve, this is very similar to my mom’s recipe.
She made everything from scratch and I have followed suit with my cooking over the years. You just can’t beat the quality and wonderful taste of true home cooked southern food. I sure miss my mama and her cooking.
If mom was short on time she would of course soak the beans overnight and then pressure cook the beans for a short period, then would slow bake for about 2-3 hrs. on 275 degrees to meld all the wonderful flavors. Everyone loved her baked beans and everything else she cooked. If you have a good southern recipe for fresh creamed corn from scratch I would love to have it as through my travels I have lost many of the recipes. Thanks so much for the baked beans recipe, it was a stroll down memory lane!!
I’m wanting to try this recipe for my husbands birthday party this weekend. There’s going to be around 25 people so I’m wondering how many serving are in this recipe. Thank you!!
it says 8-12 servings
Well, we are having a cookout tonight and I was in a bit of a fix. I had plenty of meat but nothing to go good as a side with grilled burgers and hotdogs. So I started looking up different things to potentially go with it and then I discovered this recipe! It smells great, haven’t got a taste yet though! I didn’t have molasses so I used syrup. And I didn’t have bacon or enough hamburger so those were left out as well. And I used vegetarian beans (canned navy beans with garlic). My boyfriend tasted them and gave a thumbs up but I prefer to wait til later(: will post outcome!
Made your recipe for a graduation, the best baked beans we have ever had! Excellent.
Tried these last weekend and deviated from the recipe a little. I started with Navy beans that I forgot to soak overnight. I boiled them for 2 hours until they were pretty soft. From there I mixed all ingredients at the stated portions except the ground beef and Texas Pete’s hot sauce, which I did not use at all. I mixed it all together at once in a disposable aluminum pan, then smoked them using apple wood chips in the electric smoker for 2 hours at 275. The flavor was amazing. The beans were soft, but had a little resistance and pop to them so it could have used a few more hours to soften up a bit more. Overall they were the hit of our Mother’s Day bbq. Gonna try this again at another BBQ, this time with Northern Beans soaked overnight.
Hi Steve,
Have made your recipe a few times as written and these are by far the BEST I’ve ever had. A huge hit with my family of 7….thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe.
Hi Kim, I’m happy to hear you’ve been enjoying our Baked Beans recipe. It’s one of my favorites, and I happy to hear that you and the family have been enjoying them. Keep up the great work. It is my pleasure to share the recipes.
I appreciate your visit and your comments today. Be sure to stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Just made this in my dutch oven and it was awesome! I ate them with some cornbread (I used the recipe on the back of the Golden Pheasant polenta bag). I omitted the ground beef and I reduced the sugar to just 1/2 cup, otherwise I used all the other ingredients. I sometimes have bad luck cooking beans with so many ingredients (they take a long time to cook), so I added both the tomato sauce and the ketchup later after it had cooked for a few hours. Since the hot sauce and the beef broth were salty, it didn’t need any additional salt. Turned out wonderful. Thanks for the recipe! I’ll make it again soon.
Hi Amber, I’m thankful you found Taste of Southern, and that you tried our Baked Beans Recipe. I’m happy to hear it turned out well for you and that you liked them. They’re one of my favorites for sure. I do appreciate your comments and hopefully it will encourage someone else to give the recipe a try. Thank you for your visit and I do hope you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I made these with Northern Beans because that’s what I had on hand, I cut the sugar down to 1 cup, and I cooked them in a cast iron dutch oven. By far the best baked beans I’ve ever had!!! I took them to a Family Reunion and at least 3 people asked for the recipe. Amazingly good!
Hi Monica, Thank you so much for the compliments on the Baked Beans. They’re certainly one of my favorites. I’m happy you and your family enjoyed them. I do hope you’ll give some of our other recipes a try. Thank you for your visit and do stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Great recipe, Steve. Your ingredients are very similar to mine, though I want to try your technique. Just this week I was wanting to try the baked beans totally from scratch since I usually use the canned variety. I cooked them in a crock pot for hours after boiling them briefly, put them in a fridge over night, and cooked them ALL DAY on high back in the crock pot before they got kind of soft. I used great northern & pinto beans for this go ’round. Thinking the crock pot would be more economical energy-wise, I went that route. Any suggestions to try next time if I use the crock pot? Many thanks!
Hi Yvonne, Thank you for your question. It does take a LONG time to cook the beans from scratch. I’d just suggest that you boil them longer the next time, getting them almost done, then finish them off in the crock pot with the rest of the ingredients. As I recall, I found a few beans in the batch that I fixed here that just didn’t seem to be done all the way through. I assume you soaked the dry beans overnight first as well.
I’m thankful you found the recipe and that you were willing to give it a try. I appreciate your comments and do hope that you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Been searching for a long time for a great baked beans recipe. I have always cooked ‘from scratch’ because then I know that whatever is in my food – I put there!
Your baked bean recipe is wonderful. I followed the recipe exactly except I had to substitute the “Texas Pete” hot sauce, as I can’t get it here. The only changes I would make for the future is to cut the peppers into large pieces (so I can remove them before serving-personal preference) and to shorten the cooking time, as I could have used more juice in the finished product.
I am in the process of compiling a book of my favorite recipes for my grandchildren, and you can bet that it will include your recipe.
Thank you so much.
Connie
Hi Connie, Thank you for your compliments on the Baked Beans Recipe. I’m happy to hear that you tried them out and that you enjoyed them. It’s greatly appreciated.
While any hot sauce can be used, you can order our North Carolina made “Texas Pete” online at this link: Texas Pete While their prices are good, their shipping rate is a bit high, but it’s a good product and well known throughout the South.
I do appreciate your willingness to try our recipes and I hope you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I was thinking the same way you were – wondering about making baked beans from scratch. I looked for a recipe and yours came up. I really appreciate that you posted those photos, it makes it much more of a learning experience to see what it should look like with each phase. Great post!
Hi Kris, I’m thankful you found Taste of Southern and our Baked Beans Recipe. I appreciate your comments and hope that you’ll give the recipe a try, I think you’ll like them. Don’t be a stranger, stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Greetings, Steve~
I just passed through checking on my old baked bean recipe, checking on liquid comparisons.
I thought to share an old fix to clean ANY cast iron to be good as new. Start a pure wood fire,
When you have a good coal bed, place irons in coal upside down, bury with more wood for a
nice little bonfire. Let it die out over hours WITHOUT water, collect your irons the next day,
simple scrub & dry. Season as if a new pan. I have over 20 pieces that were my Grandmother’s.
They are over 80 yrs old–like my Dad :))
Nice website,
God bless you,
Lucia
Hi Lucia, Thank you for sharing your information. I know this way of cleaning cast iron goes back a long, long time. I’ve got an old cast iron dutch oven piece that I need to do this way. Maybe one day I’ll get around to doing it. Sounds like you have quite the collection of cast iron. It’s great that you have your Grandmother’s pieces, I know they are a treasure. I appreciate your visit, and I trust you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Steve;
Love the recipe. Starting with Dry Beans, adding in the pork / brisket really sets off the recipe. We will be featuring a very similar bake bean in our place, but will place in smoker overnight, underneath the Butts/ Brisket for more of the smoke and the great fat.
Thanks again.
If you’re ever in Northeast Ohio, stop in, I’ll buy.
Jay Cohen
Fire Grill
Girard, OH.
Hi Jay, Thank You for your comments on our Baked Beans from Scratch recipe. I’m glad you liked them. I’ve only been to Ohio once, but if I get back your way, I’m going to certainly take you up on your offer. Best of luck with the Grill when you get it open. Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I love your recipes! I do have one request. Would it be possible for you to add pin it buttons to your recipes? This would make it easier for me to save your recipes when I am on my tablet. It would also benefit you and provide you with more visitors to your site. When people see your posts pinned, they will follow the link to your page to see the full recipe. Thanks for considering this!
Hi Tamara, Thank you for your suggestion about Pinterest. I’ve never really looked into it but will take another look, I promise. I appreciate you taking the time to share the information and hope that you will try some of our recipes. I’m thankful you’ve found us and hope that you’ll continue to visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I have been searching the web for baked beans from scratch and yours caught my eye! J
I have everything but the navy beans….
Thank you for posting this recipe and I know I will like them.
Country girl, Maria…..
Hi Maria, I’m thankful you found Taste of Southern and that you’re going to try our Baked Beans Recipe. I think you’ll really like them and hope you’ll come back and let me know how they turn out for you. I appreciate your comments and I do hope you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi Steve,
My husband needed baked beans to bring to a work potluck today and I wanted to make them from scratch. Your recipe caught my eye because it looked delicious and also my husbands name is Steve too. so you cant go wrong with that! I put everything in the crockpot and turned it on low before I went to bed last night. This morning the smell was amazing and they tasted delicious. I think they will be a huge hit with his work crew in a few hours. thanks for sharing the recipe. I am having family visiting this weekend and I plan to make these beans for them. Have a Merry Christmas and God bless you!
Hi Jessie, Merry Christmas to you and yours as well. I’m thankful you found us and that you were willing to try the Baked Beans. I do hope the work crew enjoyed them as well as your family over the holiday. Tell Steve I said HELLO… OK? (I like your “reasoning” behind trying out the recipe.) Thank you for your comments and I’ll be looking forward to you stopping by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I was looking for a meat heavy baked beans recipe and this did the trick! i recently killed and butchered pig with my father in law and have a freezer full of pork. I followed the recipe except for swapping the ground beef for ground pork and the bacon I used was some pork belly I salt cured and then cured in the oven. This will defintely become a staple in my house! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Nate, I’m thankful you’ve found Taste of Southern and tried our Baked Beans Recipe. I’m so glad you liked them. How “rustic” do you guys get with hog killing time? I’ve been trying to find someone that will let me watch and photograph their work when they do it around here. It really hasn’t been cold enough until this week.
I asked my brother the other day about his early memories of Thanksgiving and he immediately said, “Hog Killing Day.” That was what the family always did for many years on Thanksgiving Day. I have a few memories of it all. I’d love to hear more.
I do hope you’ll try some of our other recipes and that you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I made this recipe for supper tonight and it was fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing. The only thing I changed about the recipe was that I added 1 cup of brown sugar instead of 1 1/2 cups, I added 1/8 cup of molasses as that was all I had left and I didn’t add the liquid smoke. I will definitely be making this more often especially with winter fast approaching. I have tried to make beans from scratch several times but they always turned out bland but this recipe is a keeper. Thanks again 🙂
Hi Linda, I’m thankful you found the recipe and tried it out. I’m glad to hear that it turned out well for you and that you enjoyed it, I’m kind of fond of them myself. I do appreciate you taking the time to share your comments and results as it just might encourage someone else to try them. I appreciate your visit and hope you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I didn’t make too many changes except I cooked these in the crockpot/ slowcooker and as I don’t like molasses and have to stay away from sugar, added Xylitol. You may think these are just too many changes to make it even the same recipe but it worked for us and we loved it. I always make everything from scratch and this was the first recipe I came across which didn’t use tinned beans. Many thanks Steve 🙂
Hi Lynda, Greetings to New Zealand… all the way from North Carolina, USA. Thank you for trying the recipe and I’m glad to hear that it turned out well for you, even with the changes. Making some changes, and making the recipe your own, is what cooking is all about. At least you were willing to try and I can appreciate that.
I also appreciate you taking the time to share your comments and results with us. It means a lot. I do hope you’ll try some of our other recipes and that you will visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
This looks amazing. Do you have any recommendation on the particular type of liquid smoke used? I think I have hickory in the pantry..
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Hi D. M., Thank you for your compliment. The beans really are delicious and I hope you’ll give the recipe a try. I use a Hickory Smoke myself, but that would really depend on your preferences and what might be available in your area. It’s not really necessary to even use it but I like the added taste it provides.
Please let me know if you make some. I’ll be looking forward to hearing how it all turns out for you. Thank you for your visit today and I do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I made this recipe but boiled the beans for 3/4 hour first. Also used Canadian bacon which is all meat and no fat. Increased the ketchup to half a cup and the mustard also to half a cup. The next time I’ll decrease the brown sugar as they were too sweet for me. There was no smoke in mine as its not sold here in our local stores. They were delicious and cooked for five and a half hours. The last hour and a half without a lid. All the beans were soft. Thank you Jean
Hi Jean, Thank you for taking the time to share your comments with us. It’s always good to take a recipe and make it your own and the changes sounded good. I know I liked the Canadian Bacon part. I’m just sorry that you thought they were a bit too sweet. It’s a Southern thing I guess… just like our Sweet Tea. I’m really glad to hear that your beans turned out tender, that’s been a concern since we’re making them from scratch. I’m very thankful that you stopped by and I do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Steve,
This is the recipe I have been looking for, it looks amazing. I plan on mixing it up a bit though, with 30lbs of meat going on the smoker tomorrow, I plan on skipping the liquid smoke and putting the beans right under the meat, to catch those delicious brisket and butt drippings along with the natural smoke flavor. Since I’ll be cooking them uncovered right out of the gate for about 3 hrs, I plan on adding a little bit of water to mine. I’ll let you know how it goes, thanks for the excellent recipe.
Petey
Hi Petey, You’ve got me hungry already talking about that brisket and those butts on the smoker. I do hope it all turns out well for you and I’ll be anxious to hear just how it goes. Thank you for sharing your comments and I do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve