Round up the family, preheat the oven and whip up my Mama’s Southern Baked Beans! Made with ingredients like brown sugar, aromatics, and barbecue sauce, my Mama’s Southern Baked Beans are smoky and sweet in all the best ways. Nothing goes better with Summer BBQ than our BEST family baked bean recipe!
This week, I’m all about the grill baby! Bust out last Summer’s leftover coals and crank the grill on high because we’re getting this party started. From BBQ Baby Back Ribs to Marinated Spatchcock Chicken, I’m putting the grill to work and pumping out this Summer’s greatest grilled grub.
But wait, I’m not stopping there y’all! What’s a Southern style BBQ without a few tempting, mouth-watering sides? So, today I’m sharing a sacred recipe: Mama’s Southern Baked Beans! Smoky, sticky, sweet and tender, these beans go hand in hand with rich, grilled meat.
I can’t recall a childhood BBQ where my Mama’s beans weren’t center stage with her grilled catfish and steak. After you’ve tried this recipe, you won’t dare throw another BBQ without them either!
Our favorite variation of “American” Baked Beans originates back to Native American tribes, particularly the Iroquois, Narragansett and Penobscot. Their method involved taking soaked navy beans, mixing them with bear fat, adding maple syrup, then slowly cooking them in clay or deer-skin pots over fire. Cool, huh?
Almost every culture around the world has their own version of a stewed or baked bean dish. From Cuban Black Beans to French Cassoulet, folks have been cooking up luscious, savory beans for centuries!
The Heart and Soul of the Best Southern Baked Beans Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern American
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Vegetarian-Friendly, Gluten-Free Options
Key Flavor: Sweet, Smoky, and Tangy
Skill Level: Easy Peasy!
Sweet Highlights:
Homey and Hearty: These beans bring the comfort of southern cuisine right to your table, making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
Vegetarian Lovin’: Who said southern baked beans need pork? Our veggie friends are in for a treat with this meat-free marvel.
Sweet ‘n Smoky: The brown sugar and BBQ sauce combo create a melody of sweetness, while the mustard adds a subtle tang that’ll make your taste buds two-step!
Simple and Speedy: Don’t worry about slaving away in the kitchen; this recipe is as easy as pie, y’all! You’ll have more time for sippin’ sweet tea on the porch.
Versatile Side Dish: Perfect for your summer BBQs, cozy family dinners, or potluck Sundays at the church. These beans are the side dish that steals the show!
Ingredients
Alright y’all, this may be the simplest recipe I have ever published on this blog. I mean, just by tossing together a few ingredients and leaving them to bake for about an hour, you’ve the perfect savory-sweet side! I promise, this recipe will become this Summer’s go-to addition to any weeknight or celebratory BBQ dinner.
Here’s what we’re gonna today:
- Vegetarian Baked Beans- canned baked beans are often cooked in a tangy sauce seasoned with brown sugar and a variety of spices. The result is a rich, full-flavored batch of navy beans that serve as the perfect base for this recipe.
- Light Brown Sugar- added brown sugar thickens the mixture while adding a deeper, more decadent sweetness.
- Finely Diced Onion- when cooked, onions become sweet while retaining their pungent nature.
- Finely Diced Green Pepper- peppers add a subtle spice and a delightful bite.
- Barbecue Sauce- a couple tablespoons darkens the color of the beans and layers in smoky, spicy flavor.
- Yellow Mustard- mustard offers a tang that introduces balance to our heavily-sweetened mixture.
- Optional: Bacon or Crumbled Ground Beef- this recipe is great as is, but if you’re looking to beef it up adding meat is great. Bacon (or ground beef) offers a substance and rich flavor that I absolutely love!
How to Make Southern Baked Beans
- Turn Up the Heat: Preheat that oven to a toasty 375 degrees, and let’s get this bean bonanza rollin’!
- Bean Bonanza Begins: Grab your favorite casserole dish (the bigger, the better for sharing… or not 😉) and lovingly pour your vegetarian baked beans into it.
- The Flavor Tornado: Now, dive into the fun part! Throw in the brown sugar, onion, green pepper, barbecue sauce, and yellow mustard. Mix it up until everything’s nice and friendly with each other.
- Bake ‘n Bubble: Slide your concoction into the oven and bake it uncovered for about 60 minutes. You’re looking for a bubbly, mouth-watering pot of joy – a sure sign of perfection!
- Patience, Darlin’: Once your kitchen smells like heaven, pull those sizzling beans out, give ’em a good stir, and let them rest for about 10 minutes. They’re piping hot and full of flavor!
- Serve and Savor: Dish out those delicious beans, and watch your family go back for seconds (and probably thirds!). You’ve just rocked their taste buds!
What to Serve With?
If left to my own devices, I could scarf down an entire bowl of Mama’s Baked Beans faster than you can say “bundt cake”. Seriously, I wouldn’t judge if you ate a few spoonfuls straight out of the pot! But, if you’re looking to put together a spread, I got you.
Mama’s Southern Baked Beans are best served alongside hot, smoky BBQ and a couple other classic Southern sides. Try out a few of my downright delicious recipes below:
Storage and Reheating
Got leftovers? No problem! Baked beans are like a fine wine – they can get better with age (well, to a point, of course!). Here’s how you can store and reheat them, so you can relive the magic all over again!
Storing those Beauties:
- Cool it, Sweetheart: First, let the baked beans reach room temperature. No one likes a sweaty container!
- Seal the Deal: Scoop those beans into airtight containers. If you’re a clingy person, plastic wrap or aluminum foil works, too, right over the original dish.
- Chill Out: Pop them into the refrigerator. They’ll keep for 4-5 days. Planning way ahead? You can freeze them for up to 3 months. Just be sure you’re using freezer-safe containers.
Reheating the Love:
- Thaw it Out: If they’re coming out of the freezer, let them thaw in the fridge overnight. They deserve some time to wake up!
- Oven Lovin’: For that slow heat goodness, reheat them in an oven-safe dish, covered with foil, at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until they’re bubbly again.
- Quick and Easy: In a hurry? Microwave them in a microwave-safe container for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. Keep an eye out for the hot spots!
Best Beans Recipes
Beans are an excellent source of dietary fiber, protein, B vitamins and many other important vitamins and minerals! Not only can beans help to reduce blood sugar and improve cholesterol but they help maintain a healthy gut.
This week, shoot for a more well-balanced (and delicious) diet by stirring up a big ‘ole pot of Grandbaby Cakes’ Best Southern bean recipes:
Mama’s Southern Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 2 (28 oz) cans vegetarian baked beans my mom uses Bush's Beans
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup very finely diced onion
- 1/4 cup very finely diced green pepper
- 2 tbsp barbecue sauce we used Sweet Baby Ray's
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Pour beans into a large casserole dish.
- Mix in brown sugar, onion, green pepper, barbecue sauce and yellow mustard until combined.
- Bake uncovered at 60 minutes or until super bubbly.
- Stir beans together, rest for 10 minutes then serve.
Notes
- Cool it, Sweetheart: First, let the baked beans reach room temperature. No one likes a sweaty container!
- Seal the Deal: Scoop those beans into airtight containers. If you’re a clingy person, plastic wrap or aluminum foil works, too, right over the original dish.
- Chill Out: Pop them into the refrigerator. They’ll keep for 4-5 days. Planning way ahead? You can freeze them for up to 3 months. Just be sure you’re using freezer-safe containers.
- Thaw it Out: If they’re coming out of the freezer, let them thaw in the fridge overnight. They deserve some time to wake up!
- Oven Lovin’: For that slow heat goodness, reheat them in an oven-safe dish, covered with foil, at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until they’re bubbly again.
- Quick and Easy: In a hurry? Microwave them in a microwave-safe container for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. Keep an eye out for the hot spots!
Sweet Baby Ray’s has high fructose corn syrup. Several brands don’t and are much better.
Sweet Baby Ray’s and Southern should never be combined in the same recipe.
I made these beans using Sweet Baby Ray’s Sugar Free. It does not contain that sugar.
You cannot taste the difference between the two. Try it!
I love this recipe. My whole family always requests it and it is so easy. Thank you for great recipes!
Wonderful recipes for BBQ! I especially like the bean recipe. I make a similar one, but I add 1 cup pineapple chunks and use green onions. I love the idea of adding a touch of mustard! My first mother-in-law taught me the recipe (with Bush Vegetarian beans) 50 years ago. She was from Minnesota but it sure has that “southern” touch. My family is all from Tennessee and Texas so I guess my Southern roots loved it even then! I cook mine (after crisping up 1/4 lb. bacon) in my crock pot saving stove and oven for the pother goodies!
I had made this recipe for Memorial Day last month and my neighbors loved it. I will be making it again for Father’s Day.
This is my grandmothers recipe!!!! Only difference is we add pineapple on top and a little pineapple juice to beans before baking. And as I got older I add bourbon or whiskey to them , whichever is the cabinet at the time.
Almost the same recipe as my mom except she would bacon and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. DELICIOUS! Now that she’s gone I’m the keeper of the recipe.
I’ve been making my beans like this for years, except I also add 1/3 c. Crushed pineapple, or pineapple tidbits and add a slice of bacon on top. Guests cannot get enough of them.