{"title":"How to Make Baked Beans","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/cooking/how-to-make-baked-beans","category":{"slug":"cooking","name":"Cooking"},"creator":{"name":"Smokin' & Grillin with AB","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6tJ9C5SBvK6b-0cejoc4vg","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F25d5i0japY"},"tldr":"Make smoky-sweet BBQ baked beans with bacon, peppers, and ground meat in one skillet - the cookout side dish that steals the show.","totalDurationSeconds":558,"difficulty":"easy","tools":[],"materials":[],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Cook the Bacon","text":"Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat and lay your bacon strips in a single layer. Let them sizzle until the fat is rendered and the bacon is just shy of crispy - about 6 to 8 minutes per side. The rendered fat is going to flavor everything else, so don't pour it out."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Drain the Bacon","text":"Line a plate with a paper towel and move the bacon over with tongs. Leave the hot bacon fat in the skillet - that's your cooking oil for the vegetables. Set the bacon aside for now. You'll chop it and stir it back in at the end."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Saute the Onions and Peppers","text":"Drop the diced onion into the hot bacon fat first and let it soften for about a minute. Then add the bell pepper. Cook everything together for three or four more minutes until the onion is translucent and the peppers still have a little bite. You're not trying to fully break them down yet."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Brown the Sausage or Beef","text":"Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet and add the ground sausage or beef to the empty side. Break it apart with a wooden spoon and let it brown - about 5 minutes. If you're using ground beef, season it with a pinch of salt as it cooks. Italian chicken sausage already has plenty of seasoning baked in."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Add the Rotel","text":"Pour in the can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, juice and all. This is the move that separates this recipe from the canned-bean dump everyone else makes. The tomatoes add brightness, the chilies add a whisper of heat, and the juice helps everything come together into a sauce."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Add the Worcestershire and Mustard","text":"Splash in two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and squeeze in a tablespoon of yellow mustard. Stir to combine and let the mixture bubble for a minute. The Worcestershire deepens the savory base and the mustard adds a tangy edge that cuts the sweetness of the sauce coming next."},{"number":7,"title":"Step 7: Add the Beans","text":"Drain and rinse two cans of brown sugar baked beans, then dump them into the skillet. Stir gently so the beans get coated in the meaty, saucy base without breaking apart. The beans bring their own sweetness and a hickory-smoke flavor that's part of the backbone here, so reach for the brown sugar variety if you can find it."},{"number":8,"title":"Step 8: Add the BBQ Sauce","text":"Pour in about a cup of your favorite BBQ sauce. AB layers a sweet brown sugar sauce with a spicy version for depth - if you have two on hand, do the same. Stir until every bean is glossy and coated. Use a sauce you actually like the taste of, because it's the loudest flavor in the pot."},{"number":9,"title":"Step 9: Sprinkle in BBQ Rub","text":"Shake in a tablespoon of your favorite BBQ rub - the same one you'd put on ribs or chicken. Stir, taste, and adjust. The rub is what gives the pot that smoky, layered, almost-pit-cooked depth without ever firing up a smoker. Add a pinch of kosher salt if it needs it."},{"number":10,"title":"Step 10: Chop and Add the Bacon","text":"Move that reserved bacon to a cutting board and chop it into rough, meaty chunks - think big bites, not crumbles. Stir most of it into the beans and save a handful to scatter across the top. Now anyone scooping a spoonful gets a chunk of bacon with every bite, and the top looks loaded."},{"number":11,"title":"Step 11: Final Stir and Serve","text":"Give the pot one last stir and let it bubble for two or three more minutes to thicken. Pull it off the heat and serve hot - straight out of the cast iron looks great on the table. This is the side that sits next to ribs, potato salad, coleslaw, and a square of cornbread and ties the whole plate together."}],"recipe":{"servings":"Serves 8","prepMinutes":10,"cookMinutes":25,"cuisine":"Southern US","ingredients":[{"name":"bacon","notes":"thick-cut works best","amount":"6 slices"},{"name":"yellow onion","notes":"diced","amount":"1 medium"},{"name":"green bell pepper","notes":"diced","amount":"1"},{"name":"ground Italian chicken sausage or ground beef","amount":"1 lb"},{"name":"diced tomatoes with green chilies","notes":"Rotel-style","amount":"1 (10 oz) can"},{"name":"Worcestershire sauce","amount":"2 tbsp"},{"name":"yellow mustard","amount":"1 tbsp"},{"name":"brown sugar baked beans","notes":"drained and rinsed","amount":"2 (28 oz) cans"},{"name":"barbecue sauce","notes":"your favorite, sweet or spicy","amount":"1 cup"},{"name":"BBQ rub","amount":"1 tbsp"},{"name":"kosher salt","amount":"to taste"}]},"lastUpdated":"2026-05-21T13:56:14.839Z","published":"2026-05-20T14:19:29.146Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}