Southern Style Dutch Oven Baked Beans
These sweet and spicy Southern Style Dutch Oven baked beans transform ordinary baked beans into a gourmet side dish that’s the perfect addition to any breakfast or brunch table, or even to be enjoyed as a plate filler with your dinner.
Adjust the spice level in these Southern style Dutch oven baked beans to suit your taste preferences, make it vegan, or even extra meaty! There’s no going back to serving up baked beans from the can when you can easily and effortlessly make a dish of mouth-watering Southern style baked beans for the family!
WHY YOU'LL LOVE MY BAKED BEANS
- One-pot wonder: sauté, stir, bake—no extra dishes.
- Custom heat & sweet: tweak the brown sugar or chili-powder kick.
- Dutch-oven magic: steady cast-iron heat thickens the sauce beautifully.
- Pantry friendly: canned beans + fridge staples = ready whenever the craving hits.
WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE TO THIS SOUTHERN DUTCH OVEN BAKED BEANS RECIPE?
There are actually quite a few ways that you could adapt my dutch oven baked beans recipe. Here are some great options to try:
- For a spicy version, add 1-2 diced jalapeños or increase the amount of chili powder used till you get the heat you want and add some jalapeño slices to the top of each serving.
- For a vegetarian version of this dish, omit the bacon. You could also add in some sliced carrots (about 2 cups) and a can of diced tomatoes to bulk up the dish.
- For an extra meaty dish, consider using a can of pork and beans in addition to the crispy bacon bits. You could also garnish the baked casserole dish with some more crispy bacon bits just prior to serving.
TIPS FOR MAKING SOUTHERN STYLE BAKED BEANS
- The cooking time listed in this recipe will give you a slightly thickened baked beans dish. If you prefer a much thicker consistency then simply bake the dish for a longer amount of time, ensuring that you check on your beans regularly so that they don’t overcook.
- Apart from wanting to add additional flavor and crispiness to my bacon by frying it, cooking it this way is also a great way to ensure that you don’t have uncooked bacon in your baked beans casserole. Of course, you do have the option of simply adding the bacon directly to the baking dish without pan-frying. In that case, I would recommend using pre-cooked bacon.
- These Southern Style Baked Beans can be made a day or two ahead of time and reheated just before serving. If your baked beans become thicker than you’d like from storage, simply add in some water or chicken broth to thin them out while reheating.
- These baked beans are a great breakfast food that you can enjoy alongside pork sausage, eggs, and freshly made toasted bread. It’s also great for brunch or as a side dish for a Sunday lunch and dinner.
STORAGE AND FREEZING TIPS
Yes, they can! Once your baked beans have completely cooled, go ahead and store them either in an airtight container or a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
To reheat, first thaw your frozen beans overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat them at 350°F for 20 minutes or until they’re hot and bubbling throughout.
Easy Dutch Oven Baked Beans
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Heat your Dutch Oven on medium high heat and add the bacon and chopped onions. Cook until the bacon is crisp and the onions are translucent.
- Add in all remaining ingredients and stir until well incorporated.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes until the beans are bubbly and the sauce has thickened.
- Remove from the oven and cool before serving.
