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slotted spoon in dish of saucy baked beans

The Best Saucy Baked Beans

Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon (regular or thick cut), diced
  • 1 cup small diced onion
  • 2 cans (15-ounces each) pinto beans
  • 2 cans (15-ounces each) navy beans
  • ¾ cup ketchup
  • ⅓ cup (71 g) brown sugar (see note)
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dijon or yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions 

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon and onion until the bacon is cooked through and starting to crisp and the onions are translucent, 5-7 minutes. Drain excess grease.
  • Rinse and drain only two cans of the beans. Add the rinsed and drained beans to the skillet along with the two cans of undrained beans.
  • Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika.
  • Oven Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the baked beans to an oven-safe 9X13-inch dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 15-20 more minutes until bubbling. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. They'll thicken up more as they cool slightly. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
  • Slow Cooker Directions: Tansfer the beans to the insert of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until bubbling and slightly thickened. They'll thicken up more as they cool slightly. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Notes

Brown Sugar: with the 1/3 cup brown sugar, these are mildly sweet. If you'd like them sweeter, increase the brown sugar to taste.