Baked beans are a must for a home cook’s repertoire. Cooked right, they’re hearty, velvety smooth and seriously delicious — perfect for a comforting dinner on a cozy night in, as a crowd-pleasing side dish at your next cookout, and everything in between.
And if you’ve been too intimidated to cook baked beans, we’re here to make it easy. Read on for our top five tips to make the best baked beans and find a recipe to get you started.
1. Brown your meats to deepen the flavor
Meat — or plant-based meat alternatives, like vegan sausage — infuse your baked beans with tons of flavor. Especially if you cook them right. Browning the meat allows it to caramelize, adding smokiness, roasted notes and depth of flavor.
For the best results, use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet. Heat the pan over medium-high heat then add your meat. If you hear a satisfying sizzle when it hits the pan, you did it right.
Pro tip: If you’re feeling fancy, deglaze the pan after cooking your meat. Add a half-cup of liquid — such as wine or stock — and use a spatula to scrape the flavorful browned bits off the bottom of the pan. You can add this liquid to the beans for added flavor.
2. Select the right seasonings
Seasonings work alongside the meat to add some serious flavor to your dish. And, because there are virtually endless combinations of seasonings, you can let your imagination run wild.
The easiest way to add irresistible flavor is with a store-bought Bar-B-Q sauce. Stubb’s Hickory Bourbon Bar-B-Q Sauce adds legendary Texas-inspired hickory flavor to your beans, while Stubb's Smokey Mesquite Bar-B-Q Sauce perfectly balances sweet molasses and brown sugar with smoky mesquite.
Try out seasoned sausage to switch up the flavor, too. Honey garlic sausage can add extra sweetness, while spicy sausage adds a little kick to the finished meal.
3. Use canned baked beans
If you’ve steered clear of making baked beans, chances are it’s because of the time and effort needed to cook ‘em from scratch. So why not save time with canned beans?
Using canned baked beans saves hours without scrimping on flavor. Most baked beans already come seasoned, giving you a base to customize with your meats and seasonings. All you need to do is mix the baked beans, browned meats, Bar-B-Q sauce and other ingredients in a baking dish, then cover and bake.
4. Find the easiest baked beans recipe
Ready to get started? Make Stubb’s Cowboy Beans for the ultimate smoky dinner. These beans come loaded with three types of meat — hearty ground beef, rich sausage and smoky bacon — plus Stubb’s Bar-B-Q sauce for the ultimate Texas flavor. It also uses canned baked beans, so you can have these baked beans on the table in under an hour. This also works well as a make-ahead recipe, which makes it ideal for busy weeknights and low-stress entertaining.
5. Make the most of your leftovers
The only thing better than baked beans is leftover baked beans. A night or two in the fridge gives the flavors some extra time to meld together, bringing the dish to the next level. Store them in an airtight container for up to three days to enjoy the leftovers throughout the week.
Serve ‘em reheated on their own, or as a filling for homemade burritos. Add them to scrambled eggs for a smoky breakfast, serve them over a leafy green salad, or add them to a grain bowl for an easy lunch.
Need more cookout inspiration?
Fill out your Bar-B-Q menu with amazing mains your family — and your guests will love.
