Description
Southern baked beans bring comfort and soul to classic cookouts with deep, smoky flavors simmering in rich molasses and bacon. Hearty side dishes like these connect generations of family gatherings, serving up pure southern hospitality on a single delicious plate.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
Beans:
- 2 (15 ounces / 425 grams) cans pork and beans (do not drain)
Seasonings and Sauces:
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Crisp bacon in a skillet over medium heat until golden and rendered. Transfer crispy pieces to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the aromatic drippings.
- Gently sauté diced onions in the residual bacon fat until translucent and lightly caramelized, releasing their sweet essence.
- In a spacious mixing vessel, amalgamate pork and beans with a vibrant medley of condiments: tangy ketchup, rich brown sugar, zesty mustard, umami-packed Worcestershire sauce, sharp vinegar, pungent garlic powder, and smoky paprika.
- Fold in the sautéed onions and roughly three-quarters of the crisp bacon, ensuring an even distribution of flavors throughout the bean mixture.
- Transfer the robust concoction into a generously greased rectangular baking vessel, creating an even layer that promises maximum flavor in every spoonful.
- Artfully garnish the surface with the remaining bacon fragments, adding a crunchy textural contrast to the creamy beans beneath.
- Roast uncovered in a preheated oven, allowing the beans to transform into a bubbling, caramelized masterpiece with a glossy, slightly charred top that speaks to the depth of Southern culinary tradition.
Notes
- Use thick-cut bacon for maximum flavor and crispiness, ensuring it’s cooked until perfectly golden and crunchy before adding to the beans.
- Experiment with different types of beans like navy, great northern, or a mix for varied texture and depth of taste.
- Adjust sweetness by balancing brown sugar with a splash of apple cider vinegar or a dash of hot sauce for complex flavor profiles.
- For a vegetarian version, swap bacon with smoked tempeh or coconut bacon and use a plant-based Worcestershire sauce to maintain that rich, smoky essence.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner, Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg