Slow Cooker Baked Beans

These baked beans, cooked from scratch in the Crock Pot for several hours in a sweet glossy sauce, are perfect for a barbecue or summer potluck served along with all of your favorite sides - think mac and cheese, country style potato salad, and broccoli salad. 

If you are looking for a side dish that is easy, a crowd pleaser, and perfect for any season, you definitely will love these slow cooker baked beans.

Yes, technically, they are not baked in the oven. Just think of the Crock Pot as a portable oven! 

Ingredients in these slow cooker baked beans:

Dried white beans such as great northern: While dried beans require an overnight soak, they don't come with any added ingredients like canned beans. 

Onions and Garlic: They add a natural sweetness after you sweat them in a skillet. 

Jalapeño: Just one to add a little spice to the dish. 

Smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, yellow mustard and Worcestershire Sauce: All to add smoke, spice, and umami. 

Ketchup, brown sugar, and molasses: To add a complex sweetness. 

These beans require a little planning, first to soak the beans overnight and then to cook them in the slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours. 

Serve the beans straight from the Crock Pot, or you can make them in advance and refrigerate them for at least 4 days to reheat later. 

How to make Crock Pot baked beans:

First, soak the beans in a briny water overnight in the refrigerator. While the salt may slow down the softening of the beans, it adds a lot of flavor. Be sure to fully drain the beans and discard the soaking water. 

Next, sauté the onions, jalapeño, and garlic in a large saucepan until softened, and then add paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook for about a minute, and then add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and molasses and cook until the sugar dissolves. 

Add the sauce to the slow cooker, along with the beans and some water, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. The beans should be tender and fully plumped up from the sauce. 

Serve these beans with your favorite barbecue main such as grilled burgers, ribs, or grilled chicken, or any of the BBQ Week recipes below: 

Wednesday #BBQWeek Recipes

Appetizers and Drinks

• Grilled Nachos by Kate's Recipe Box

Side Dishes

• Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad by Daily Dish Recipes
• Cheddar Bacon Ranch Corn by Making Miracles
• Creamy Coleslaw Recipe by SueBee Homemaker
• Grilled French Fries by Palatable Pastime
• Memphis-Style Coleslaw by House of Nash Eats
• Slow Cooker Baked Beans by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Slow Cooker BBQ Green Beans with Bacon by Blogghetti
• Sweet and Spicy BBQ Chicken Macaroni Salad by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

Main Dishes

• Easy Smoked Ribs by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Greek Chicken Pita Sandwich by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• The Best Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts by Cheese Curd In Paradise

Desserts

• Grilled Banana Bread with Vanilla Ice Cream and Homemade Caramel Sauce by Our Good Life
• Magic Chocolate Walnut Fudge by The Spiffy Cookie
• Old Fashioned Whoopie Pies by Jolene's Recipe Journal

Be sure to follow our Pinterest board for more summer BBQ ideas. Thank you to Christie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures and Ellen from Family Around the Table for hosting the event.

This recipe was adapted from my favorite new cookbook, Carla Hall's Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration. The stories in the book are wonderful.

Crock Pot Baked Beans Recipe

Yield: 12 servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

These baked beans, cooked from scratch in the Crock Pot for several hours in a sweet glossy sauce, are perfect for barbecue or summer potluck served along with all of your favorite sides.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons kosher salt (for the soaking water)
• 3 quarts water (for soaking)
• 2 pounds dried small white beans, such as great northern, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard

Instructions

1. Dissolve the salt in the water and stir in the beans. Refrigerate overnight. 
2. Drain the beans and add them to a 6 to 7 quart slow cooker. 
3. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the onion, jalapeño, and garlic, and cook, until tender and transluscent, about 5 minutes. 
4. Stir in the paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook for about a minute, stirring, until the spices are fragrant.
5. Add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, and mustard and cook, stirring, until the sauce is bubbly. 
6. Pour the sauce over the beans and add about 5 cups of water. Be sure the beans are fully submerged. 
7. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the beans are tender. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories

193.39

Fat (grams)

1.69

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.19

Carbs (grams)

38.62

Fiber (grams)

5.51

Net carbs

33.11

Sugar (grams)

17.12

Protein (grams)

8.04

Sodium (milligrams)

423

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2021/05/slow-cooker-baked-beans.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

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