Easy Crock-Pot Recipe for Baked Beans with Bacon

Y'all, if there is one thing I love more than a delicious dish — it's a sneaky delicious dish. You know the kind. The one where everyone thinks you spent hours in the kitchen and you just smile and nod.

This easy crock-pot baked beans and bacon recipe is exactly that. It is the perfect hack for your 4th of July BBQ, a backyard cookout with the family, or honestly just a great little addition to a weekday meal. This jazzed-up "pork and beans" is so rich and smoky and good, nobody is going to believe it came from a can. And that's our little secret.

What You'll Need

Head to the store and grab a few cans of Bush's Baked Beans — I used the Brown Sugar Hickory variety this time. Pick up whatever brand or flavor you have available; the hickory and brown sugar profiles just really shine in this one. You'll also need one pack of hickory-smoked bacon, one small white or yellow onion, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, your seasonings of choice, and love. That last ingredient is non-negotiable.

As always, feel free to adjust the bacon type and bean variety based on what you have in the pantry. That's the beauty of a recipe like this — it's flexible.

Building Your Beans

Get out the crock-pot and turn it on low. Go ahead and add your cans of beans right into the pot. Now, take about four strips of bacon from the pack and chop them into roughly inch-long pieces. Chop your onion too — or grab the pre-chopped store-bought kind. Zero judgment here, that's what it's there for.

Heat a skillet on the stove with just a little drizzle of oil and add your chopped bacon. Cook it until it's brown and slightly crisp, then remove it from the pan. Here's the important part — leave those drippings right where they are. That is pure flavor and we are not wasting it. Add your chopped onion and garlic right into those drippings and let them cook for a few minutes until they're translucent and smelling absolutely incredible. Pro-tip: add a sprinkle on salt on the onions while they cook to remove extra moisture.

Once that's done, add just a splash of water to the skillet and scrape up any little bits stuck to the bottom. That’s flavor! Pour all of it — the onion, the garlic, every last bit — right into the crock-pot with the beans. Add your cooked bacon in as well and a few dashes of Worcestershire.

Season It Up

Add your seasonings and give everything a good stir until the bacon, onions, and seasoning are all mixed in together. I added Tony's with onion powder and garlic powder because hello, we're Cajun — but add as much or as little as you like. This is your dish.

The Finishing Touch

Now take a few more strips of bacon — however many fit nicely across the top — and gently lay them right over the beans. They are going to cook down into something beautiful overnight.

Pro tip: drizzle a little hot honey right over that top layer of bacon before you put the lid on. The spicier and more flavorful, the better as far as I'm concerned. Trust me on this one. 🍯🔥

Let It Do Its Thing

That's it, y'all. Put the lid on, let it cook on low overnight, and wake up to the best baked beans you've ever had in your life. Pack it in the insulated picnic basket, show up to that cookout, and accept all the compliments graciously. You've earned it.

A Note on Options

If you're cooking for someone who doesn't eat meat, this recipe works just as well without the bacon. Grab a can of vegan beans, skip the bacon, and still season it up with love. Everyone gets to enjoy the cookout.

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