Skip the canned shortcuts and treat your guests to the best Easy Homemade Crockpot Baked Beans with Bacon. This classic slow cooker side dish delivers incredible flavor with minimal effort, making it the ultimate crowd-pleaser for summer cookouts and neighborhood potlucks. It is a foolproof addition to any festive menu that will have everyone coming back for seconds.
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Why You'll Want to Make Easy Homemade Crockpot Baked Beans with Bacon
- Perfect for Summer Crowds: An ideal, crowd-pleasing addition to 4th of July menus, Labor Day cookouts, and neighborhood potlucks.
- Excellent Make-Ahead Side: Can easily be prepped in advance, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully before your guests arrive.
- Pairs with Everything: The ultimate versatile side dish that complements grilled burgers, hot dogs, barbecued ribs, or smoked brisket.
- Stays Warm for Hours: The "keep warm" setting on the crockpot keeps the dish at the perfect serving temperature throughout the party.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
Steps to Make Easy Homemade Crockpot Baked Beans with Bacon
- Place the chopped bacon in a cold cast-iron skillet and turn the heat to medium. Stir frequently for 5-6 minutes to allow the fat to render, and the bacon to just begin to crisp.
- Add the minced onion and continue cooking for about 5-6 minutes, or until the onions begin turning translucent and golden, while the bacon finishes crisping up. Line a bowl with aluminum foil and set a small colander inside, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon mixture, letting the fat drain.
- Add ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, dark brown sugar, garlic powder, and hot water to the crockpot. Then, use a whisk to combine.
- Stir in the drained and rinsed navy beans. Then, stir in the drained bacon mixture. Place the lid on the crockpot and heat on high for 3-4 hours.
- Add the remaining Worcestershire sauce, reduce the heat to low, and let the beans sit uncovered for about 30 minutes; this will allow the sauce to thicken before serving. Maintain the warm setting for serving.
Wrap up your summer cookout or holiday menu with the ultimate comfort food: these Easy Homemade Crockpot Baked Beans with Bacon. Whether you are heading to a neighborhood potluck or hosting a backyard celebration, this rich and flavorful slow-cooked side dish is guaranteed to be a hit with guests of all ages. Let the crockpot do the heavy lifting and get ready to watch this classic favorite completely disappear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this is an excellent make-ahead dish. You can completely assemble the recipe in the crockpot liner the night before, store it covered in the refrigerator, and simply set it to cook the next morning. Alternatively, you can cook them fully a day in advance and reheat them right in the slow cooker on the "warm" or "low" setting before serving.
While thick-cut bacon provides the best texture and rich smoky flavor, you can use standard bacon if that is what you have on hand. You'll just need to reduce the cooking time for the bacon. Just keep a close eye on it during the stovetop step, as regular bacon will crisp up and brown much faster than thick-cut pieces.
If your beans have too much liquid near the end of cooking, simply remove the crockpot lid for the last 30 to 45 minutes. This allows the excess moisture to evaporate and helps the sauce reduce into a thick, rich glaze.
For a mess-free grease disposal. The foil catches the hot fat so you can let it cool, roll up the foil, and toss it in the trash-preventing clogged drains and saving you from washing a stubborn, greasy bowl.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Render the Bacon Completely: Take your time crisping the bacon and onions on the stovetop first. This ensures the bacon texture stays pleasantly chewy-crisp in the slow cooker rather than turning rubbery.
- The Lid-Off Trick: If you prefer an ultra-thick, sticky glaze on your beans, vent or remove the crockpot lid entirely during the final 30 to 45 minutes of cooking to let the excess moisture evaporate.
- Adjust the Sweetness at the End: Taste the beans about an hour before they finish. If you want a deeper flavor, you can easily stir in an extra tablespoon of molasses or brown sugar then.
- Keep it Warm safely: When serving at an outdoor summer holiday cookout or potluck, keep the crockpot plugged in on the "warm" setting to keep the beans at a safe, delicious temperature for hours.
Other Great Cookout Side Dishes
- Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Ultimate Kicked-Up Canned Baked Beans
- Creamy Southern Coleslaw - Quick and Easy Classic
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- Southern Style Potato Salad with a Twist
- Classic Southern Seven-Layer Salad (Spectacular Side Dish)
- Quick and Easy Stovetop Macaroni Shells & Cheese
- Patriotic Taco Salad
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Easy Homemade Crockpot Baked Beans with Bacon
Equipment
- 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet
- Silicone Spatula
- bowl
- small colander
- aluminum foil
- slotted spoon
- 5 or 6 quart slow cooker
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1 lb Thick-Cut Bacon chopped
- 1 small Onion finely minced
- 4 15 oz cans Navy Beans rinsed and drained
- ½ c Ketchup
- ⅓ c Molasses1
- 2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce divided
- ¼ c Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 ½ c Hot Water
Instructions
- Place the chopped bacon in a cold cast-iron skillet and turn the heat to medium. Stir frequently for 5-6 minutes to allow the fat to render, and the bacon to begin to crisp. Add the minced onion and continue cooking for about 5-6 minutes, or until the onions begin turning translucent and golden, while the bacon finishes crisping up. Line a bowl with aluminum foil and set a small colander inside, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon mixture, letting the fat to drain.
- Add ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce, dark brown sugar, garlic powder, and hot water to the crockpot. Then, use a whisk to combine. Stir in the drained and rinsed navy beans and the drained bacon mixture. Place the lid on the crockpot and heat on high for 3-4 hours.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, reduce the heat to low, and let the beans to sit uncovered for about 30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken before serving. Maintain a warm setting for serving.
- Yield 12 servings
Tips/Notes
- Not blackstrap
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