Crock Pot Baked Beans
These Crock Pot Baked Beans are so easy to make and serve! Pork and Beans combined with brown sugar, mustard, BBQ sauce, onion and bacon.
Baked Beans in the Crock Pot
We are huge baked bean lovers in my family. Whenever we grill out in the summer, we almost always have beans as a side. Now, I have a pretty fantastic (if I do say so myself) recipe for Southern Baked Beans. But I got quite a few emails from folks who like that recipe but wanted something that was a bit easier to make and didn’t use the oven. So, this recipe was created. Just a few ingredients, and it is made in the crock pot!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you like thicker baked beans, that’s not always how they turn out when you use the Slow Cooker since the liquid doesn’t cook off like it does in the oven. But I have a solution that you can try. You could do a cornstarch slurry of 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch whisked with 3 Tablespoons of water and add that to the beans, then turn on high and stir and it should thicken up some.
I have seen some people also recommend taking the lid off and cooking on high to let the excess moisture cook off. I don’t love that idea since it could cause the beans to start sticking to the bottom if you aren’t careful.
You could also try to drain one of the cans of pork and beans, but I feel like you’d lose some of the flavor. So, this would be a last ditch effort for me. I’d use the slurry first and then if that didn’t work, next time, maybe I’d try this option.
I am using canned pork and beans for this recipe because it adds flavor and liquid. You could certainly use dry beans but I have not tested it with dry beans so cannot tell you what other adjustments to make or exactly how much to use.
I suppose it you cooked them for 12 hours. But beans can hold up well in a slow cooker. Just gently stir occasionally to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the crock pot.
Yes! To get the different flavor profile, you need to alter the bbq sauce choice. I’d recommend you choose a hickory barbecue sauce. This is my first choice. If you don’t have a good bbq sauce to use then I would add just a little a dash of liquid smoke.
Leftover beans need to cool to room temperature before you can transfer them to an airtight container. Place the container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can freeze them for up to 4-5 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
You could use your crock pot again (this is the slowest option.) Or you can reheat them in the oven in a baking dish, on the stovetop in a saucepan, or in a microwave safe container in the microwave.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- pork and beans – you can find canned pork and beans where the other canned beans are in your grocery store. Sometimes I can find the larger cans, sometimes I can only find the smaller cans.
- diced onion – if you prefer, you can cook these a bit first on the stove top when you cook up the bacon. If you don’t like onion, just leave it out.
- barbecue sauce– this is the key to adding the most flavor. So, use a brand that you love or try using my Homemade BBQ Sauce.
- brown sugar– I used light brown sugar, but you can use dark brown sugar if you want more molasses flavor. Both options are very, very good.
- yellow mustard– That little bit of mustard is nothing you can actually taste but provides a depth of flavor.
- cooked bacon – I think with this recipe, it’s good to fry up the bacon fresh instead of using the pre-cooked microwave bacon or the packaged bacon bits. But if you are short on time or don’t mind using the others, then go for it. I add the bacon in at the end to keep it crispy. If that doesn’t matter to you, then you can add it in while cooking.
How To Make Crock Pot Baked Beans
Note: If you like your onion much more softened, I would recommend sautéing the onion when you cook up your bacon so it will be nice and soft. Sometimes onions don’t get super soft when cooking in a slow cooker, they still have a little bite to them (but I know some folks love that too!) Mix all ingredients (except for bacon) in a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Pork and beans, diced onion, brown sugar, mustard, and barbecue sauce all go in. Give it all a good stir.
Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours, stirring gently a couple of times during cooking. Right before serving, stir in cooked bacon (if using).
Serve and enjoy your baked beans!
Craving More Recipes?
- Black Eyed Peas
- Slow Cooker Refried Beans
- Calico Baked Beans
- Root Beer Baked Beans
- Sausage Baked Beans
- Beanie Weenie Casserole
- Beef and Bean Cowboy Casserole
- Crock Pot Beans and Ham
- Appalachian Soup Beans
- Red Beans and Rice
Crock Pot Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 3 (28 ounce) cans pork and beans
- ½ cup diced onion (see notes below)
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar (light or dark brown sugar)
- 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- ½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
Instructions
- Mix 3 (28 ounce) cans pork and beans, 1/2 cup diced onion, 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard in a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
- Give the mixture a good stir.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours.
- Stir the beans gently a couple of times during cooking.
- Right before serving, stir in 1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled .
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- Note: you can add the cooked bacon pieces to the baked beans while they cook. However, we choose to add the cooked bacon at the end so it stays crispy.
- Note: If you like your onion much more softened, I would recommend sautéing the onion when you cook up your bacon so it will be nice and soft. Sometimes onions don’t get super soft when cooking in a slow cooker, they still have a little bite to them (but I know some folks love that too!)
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally posted: May 2013
Updated photos and republished: April 2024
These turned out delicious! They don’t get thick like oven baked beans (obviously lol) but the taste is perfect and everyone ate ALL that I made so I would say that is a hit!
can you use another type of mustard like honey mustard or Dijon mustard? I dont have any regular mustard, so I’m not sure how that would affect the taste.
This turned out amazing and the taste was spot on!
These will be amazing. Years ago I made bake beans in a crockpot. The dry beans a they were rock hard. Found out the beans have to be soft because sugar hardens them. The more u know right.
Made these for Memorial Day cookout & they were a huge hit. Came home with an empty crock pot!
when you’re chopped up bacon is nice and crispy in your skillet I recommend that you add your chopped onions and saute them until they soften before adding them to the crock-pot. I have had Crock-Pot baked beans made with raw onions and they are not thoroughly cooked when served.
That is mentioned above in the post – thank you! 🙂
Any suggestions on what kind/brand of bbq to use? I usually buy sweet baby rays but sweet baby rays is a little sweet. I just don’t want the beans to be overly sweet with there being brown sugar in the recipe as well. Thanks.
Would this be 28 oz. Altogether?
Of pork and beans?
No it’s 3 (28 ounce cans) so that’s a total of 84 ounces. Not sure what sizes you can find in your area but that’s the total you’ll want.
These are amazing! Made them yesterday for a church fellowship & received compliments! Only change I made was to use Johnsonville beef hot links instead of bacon. Might use bacon next time. Thanks so much for sharing!
Great recipe
Thanks so much!
can you drain one of the cans of beans for a more firmer baked bean dish ?
Thank You in advance on this .
Al
We are having a large crowd next Sunday-lots of men.ni do need to know how many this serves!
Add a few dashs of liquid smoke to these . . . you'll like!!!!
Hi! Can you tell me how many servings this is!!?
Delish baked beans! My new go to recipe. Thanks!
Sounds delicious! I always have baked beans when we grill too! I'll be giving this one a try !
Yum! Yum! Yum! These sound wonderful. You know, having a hubby whose name is BEAN, I have to keep finding special recipes for them,=) and this one sounds like a real winner. Adding it to my 'to try' list…great summer dish!
this is almost the same way I make mine! I saute the onion in a small amount of the bacon fat and I use the brand of beans that comes in the jar, they are a little less soupy and a little firmer. They are always a big hit at our church picnic or family bar-b-ques. We also bring a carved watermelon basket full of melon balls and asst. berries. Both dishes just fly off the serving table.
Yum! I love baked beans,..it is my favorite side dish! =)
I looooove baked beans, but I even love them more as this is a slow cooker recipe. Definitely trying!
Hi Brandie! The recipe looks yummy and sounds delicious! How can it not be, using Sweet Baby Ray's? Thanks for sharing! Blessings from Bama!
I love baked bean too. It is a good option if want to have an easy meal. Just some minced beef or pork and onions cook with baked bean, stir in one or two eggs. Serve with pasta or rice, it is so nice. Sometimes, I serve baked bean with fried eggs or omelet too, it also taste really good. 🙂
love all of your recipes
Thank you so very much Cathy! That means a lot!