Hearty, sweet, and savory southern baked beans with ground beef, bacon, and brown sugar are super easy to put together! It is a perfect side dish recipe for a holiday, cookout, bbq, picnic, tailgate, or if you just love baked beans. This recipe is a meat lover's dream!
If you've ever wondered how to doctor up canned baked beans, then welcome to my blog! I'm glad you found me 🙂 This recipe not only doctors up canned baked beans, heck, it's a complete makeover. I've been told these are the best southern-style baked beans - and I agree!
Whenever there is a holiday, these baked beans and my Southern Mac and Cheese are always the top two favorites on my blog!
Baked beans are a very popular side dish around the holidays. Odds are, if you're viewing this recipe, a holiday is approaching! So if you're also in need of a good appetizer, consider my quick and easy Jalapeno Cheese Ball.
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Why this Recipe Works
10-minute Prep Time - This recipe is an easy side dish because there isn't a lot of chopping involved. Use your kitchen scissors to cut or slice the green onions and the bacon. Also, there's no need to cook the bacon first since it cooks with the beans!
Canned beans - This recipe using canned baked beans will be your new go-to recipe because it's just so simple. You and your guests will want seconds!
Crowd Pleaser - Just about everyone loves baked beans! They go with just about any kind of meat, and this recipe makes 8 servings. Easily double the recipe for a larger crowd.
Hearty Side Dish - The ground beef gives this side dish a hearty texture, and the bacon gives it a wonderful smokey flavor. And of course, the brown sugar makes it all come together with just the right amount of sweetness.
What Goes into these Southern Baked Beans
please scroll down to the printable recipe card for detailed ingredients
- Ground Beef - makes for a rich and hearty side dish (or main meal!).
- Hickory Smoked Bacon - adds a delicious smoked flavor; so no need to add any liquid smoke. Cut the bacon into small pieces about 1-inch squares.
- Bush's Original Baked Beans - the canned beans are what makes this recipe so tasty and easy! Use the barbeque flavored beans if bbq sauce is more your style. I have not tested this recipe using the bbq sauce flavor, but I'd have to think they would work just fine.
- Dark Brown Sugar - adds sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce - gives this recipe a flavor booster.
- Green Onions - or use minced yellow chopped onion if that's all you have.
- Green Bell Pepper - this is an optional ingredient because I know some of you don't like onions at all. So in place of the onions, you can use one small chopped green bell pepper. I recommend sauteeing them with the ground beef to soften them up.
How to Make Southern Baked Beans
(1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large pan or iron skillet, cook the ground beef and drain off the fat. Add the dark brown sugar, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt. Mix well.
(2) Add both cans of beans and gently stir.
(3) Pour the mixture into a large baking dish. Lay the cut bacon strips on top.
(4) Bake in the oven uncovered for about 30 minutes. Then, turn on the broiler and broil the beans for about 5 minutes or until the bacon is nice and crispy. Be careful not to burn the bacon.
You can view my Google Web Story at Easy 30-minute Baked Beans.
Serving Suggestions
My husband can make a meal out of baked beans, but most other humans prefer to have the beans as a side to the main course. When served as a main meal, serve with rolls or french bread. As a side dish, baked beans are fantastic with anything you cook on the grill such as hamburgers, steaks, hot dogs, chicken, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
These baked beans are a perfect side dish for all kinds of meats such as hamburgers, hot dogs, or ribs. Every time I make these beans, people compliment them. Try them with smoked chicken or turkey, pork tenderloin, and brisket.
Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure they are stored in an airtight container. We like to use BPA-free glass food storage containers with locking lids.
Yes, you can! The beans must be completely cooled off before placing them in the freezer. Tip - I like to refrigerate them first, for about 4 hours to get them nice and chilled. Then place them in an airtight, freezer-friendly container (such as the ones I mention above) and store them for up to 4 months.
Expert Tips
Don't over mix - Over mixing will cause the beans to get too soft and/or mushy.
Cut up the bacon first - Use a pair of scissors to cut the bacon into approximately 1-inch squares. Then spread the chopped bacon on top of the beans. This method makes serving the beans a lot easier as you don't have to deal with the bacon flopping around! Also, it ensures everyone gets a bite of delicious bacon.
More delicious side dishes
This recipe was originally published in 2018 and was updated in 2021.
If you try this delicious side dish recipe, please let me know in the comments below.
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Recipe
Easy Baked Beans Recipe
Equipment
- Large Saute Pan
- measuring spoons
- measuring cup
- Kitchen shears
- Casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 2 each 28-oz cans baked beans Bush Original
- 6-8 strips Hickory smoked bacon
- 1 cup Dark brown sugar
- 1 cup Green onions, chopped approximately 1 bunch
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- Dash salt taste test before adding salt!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In a large pan or iron skillet, cook the ground beef and drain off the fat. Add the dark brown sugar, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Mix well. Pour off and discard some of the liquid but don’t drain all the liquid from the canned beans. You want to pour off just the little bit of liquid that’s settled on top of the beans. Then add the canned beans and gently mix. Taste the mixture and add salt if desired; gently stir again. Over mixing will cause the beans to get too soft and/or mushy.
- Pour into a large casserole dish. Lay the bacon strips on top. MY BEST TIP: Cut the bacon first, with a pair of scissors, into approximately 1-inch squares. Then spread the chopped bacon on top of the beans. This method makes serving the beans a lot easier as you don't have to deal with the bacon flopping around! Also, it ensures everyone gets a bite of bacon.
- Bake in the oven uncovered for about 30 minutes. Then, turn on the broiler and broil the baked beans for about 5 minutes to get the bacon nice and crispy.
Notes
- Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure they are stored in an airtight container.
- Use low sodium bacon, and/or lower-sodium baked beans, if preferred.
- You can substitute the green onion with green bell pepper if you don't like onions. Use one small chopped green bell pepper. I recommend sauteeing them with the ground beef to soften them up.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
Ryan K Biddulph
Awesome guys. My mom made baked beans with bacon and maple syrup. I never heard of a ground beef combo but it sounds SO good. I need red meat about once a month after going largely vegetarian or sometimes vegan, with my veggie wife. A little iron boost goes a long way.
lifeloveandblog
Thanks, Ryan! MMM, maple syrup makes delicious baked beans as well! Adding ground beef to the baked beans creates a hearty side dish that could also be a main dish. Hope y'all are doing well. Take care!
Holly P
I have made this recipe and it is always a hit. I planned on making it this week but I only have Van Camps Pork and Beans. Would I need to revise the recipe using these beans instead of Bush’s Original? I know Bush’s are sweeter and thicker.
MyKitchenSerenity
Hi Holly. Thank you for your question. My suggestion is to add 1/2 cup ketchup to the recipe. Like you said, the Bush's beans are thicker, so adding some ketchup would help thicken them up. Let me know how they turn out! Take care 🙂
Rear
Cooking it for a second time - followed the directions to a T, except for the dash of salt, since the beans have more than enough. Delicious!
MyKitchenSerenity
I'm so glad you liked the recipe!! Yes, leaving out the dash of salt is a great suggestion. Thanks for the comment!
Kathryn
Do you cook the bacon before it goes into the oven?
Anne Clark
Hi Kathryn! No, you do not have to cook the bacon first. Thanks for asking. Hope you have a great day
Mamie Carr
Best way to reheat these yummy beans.
Jacob priddy
All I have is chili beans, could I use those?
MyKitchenSerenity
Hi Jacob! That’s a great question. I have not tried chili beans so I can’t say. I would imagine they’d add a little smoky or spicy flavor along with the sweetness of the brown sugar. If you try it, please let me know how it turned out.
Kathy
Just made this and will prepare some garlic cheese bread to go with it for tonight. The guys are going to like this. Easy and delicious. Thank you!
Anne Clark
Yum Kathy! Love garlic cheese bread, and it goes great with these beans! Thanks for letting me know Enjoy!
K. Shavo
What is the portion the nutritional analysis is based on?
Anne Clark
Hello. The way the program calculates the nutritional information is after I’ve input all the ingredients and given it the number of servings, it divides everything by the number of servings. In this case, I’ve told the program there are 8 servings, even though some people get 10 servings. For this recipe, a serving is approximately 10.6 ounces. I hope this helps.