Sweet & Smoky Slow Cooker Baked Beans with Bacon
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Looking for a rustic, sweet, and smoky side dish to serve at the next BBQ or family gathering? Then you need to make these Slow Cooker Baked Beans with bacon! The recipe takes just 20 minutes to prepare and then 4-8 hours simmering in the slow cooker. Ingredients include canned beans, bacon, tomato paste, Dijon, and maple syrup.
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Slow Cooker Baked Beans
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions, to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.
If you need a dish to take to a family gathering or serve at your next barbecue or cook-out, look no further than these slow cooker baked beans.
I love using my slow cooker as it means I can set it and forget it, and go about preparing other things – especially if we have family visiting.
These baked beans are a mixture of four kinds of beans – white, black, red kidney, and pinto, but in all honesty, you could use any combination of beans that you have on hand.
The addition of bacon and liquid smoke provides that touch of smoky flavor that makes these beans a great side for barbecue or grilled meats.
They make a delicious dish in their own right too!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been linked to Amazon or other stores if available online. Staple ingredients such as oil, salt, sugar, etc., aren’t always included here as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen. The complete list of ALL ingredients with measurements is found on the recipe card.
- Fresh Produce – White Onion
- Protein – Thick-Cut Bacon (or Lardons)
- Canned Red Kidney Beans
- Canned Pinto Beans
- Canned Cannellini Beans – or you could use Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans
- Canned Black Beans
- Tomato Paste – also known as Tomato Purée.
- Dijon Mustard
- Liquid Smoke – adds a smoky flavor to the beans
- Pure Maple Syrup – buy the good, 100% stuff, anything less is just made up of flavorings and corn syrup.
- Chicken Broth/Stock
- Special Equipment – Slow Cooker
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Beans
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is beans, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Roasted Artichoke and White Bean Salad with Swiss Chard
- Tuscan Pork Chops with White Beans and Crispy Sage
- Easy Refried Beans Recipe
More Slow Cooker Recipes
Looking for more dishes to make in your slow cooker? Check these recipes out next:
- Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs Recipe with Rosemary and Lemon
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetable Stew
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps
Recipe Tips
- To make this dish suitable for vegetarians/vegans, remove the bacon and switch chicken broth to vegetable broth. You could also experiment with plant-based bacon substitutes.
- Storing Leftovers: Cool and transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
How Do I Make Slow Cooker Baked Beans?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 16- oz 450g thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 15.5-oz/400g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15.5-oz/400g can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 15.5-oz/400g cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 15-oz/400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 oz 150g tomato paste (tomato purée
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp liquid smoke
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- 2 cup chicken broth/stock
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Instructions
- Add the chopped bacon and onion to a large skillet. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and cook for 10-15 minutes over medium heat until bacon starts to get crispy and the onion is soft.
- Remove the skillet from heat and carefully drain excess grease. Set aside.
- Add the beans, bacon, and onion to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker pot.
- Top with the tomato paste, Dijon mustard, liquid smoke, maple syrup, and chicken broth, and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Remove lid and stir to combine.
- Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired, before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Special Dinner!
You’ve made the side, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: Garden Fresh Tomatillo Salsa Verde – A Delicious Dip for Tortilla Chips!
- Soup: Pozole Rojo de Pollo (Red Pozole with Chicken)
- Salad: Mexican Chopped Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
- Main Dish: How to Make Instant Pot Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Porked)
- Beverage: Frozen Blueberry Margaritas – A Refreshing Adult Slush Drink!
- Dessert: Coconut Pineapple Cupcakes with Rum
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.