Simple stovetop baked beans are loaded with mouthwatering flavor thanks to crispy bacon, andouille sausage, and a medley of brown sugar, molasses, spicy mustard, and apple cider vinegar. These easy and quick Baked Beans with smoked sausage are a guaranteed hit!

For another comforting dish, try my red beans and rice, which offers a Creole twist, or this delicious white bean soup, providing a creamy, hearty alternative. Both recipes share the same smoky, rich flavors as this easy beans recipe!

 

The Best Baked Beans Ever!

Baked beans are a classic American dish that is crave-able, drool-worthy, and definitely worth making. The combination of tender white beans with a thick, barbecue-esque sauce and salty bacon can’t be beat!

But, I have to admit, taking the time to slowly bake beans from scratch can be a challenge for busy cooks. That’s why I adore this easy recipe for quick “baked” beans on the stove. They’re so easy and so good!

To get a head start on baking these beans, I use canned baked beans as a base for my recipe. The beans are already cooked, tender, and seasoned, so all that’s left to do is make a fantastic sauce mixture, brown some bacon and sausage, and let the flavors meld in a brief cooking time.

While you definitely can bake these in your oven, I find that simply heating them on the stove results in perfectly flavored, tender beans and gives you more free time to work on the macaroni salad to go with them!

Recipe Ingredients

So what will you need to make the best baked beans ever? Let’s take a closer look at our list of ingredients. Almost all of them are ordinary pantry staples that you probably have on hand. Told you guys this recipe was easy!

• Bacon: Instead of laying the bacon across the top of the baked beans, we’ll be dicing it and frying it crispy, to mix into the beans.
• Onion: I usually use a large yellow onion, but you could substitute white, red, or sweet onion—whatever you have on hand.
• Garlic: Minced fresh garlic is great, or you could substitute garlic powder for a quicker and easier recipe.
• Sausage: Andouille sausage is my go-to, but you could use whatever pork sausage links you prefer.
• Canned Baked Beans: I use original flavor baked beans, but you can use whichever flavor you like or have on hand!
• Salt and Black Pepper: To enhance the overall flavors of the dish.
• Ketchup: The base of the sauce mixture we’ll be adding is plain ketchup. To keep the sugar content down, try using unsweetened or sugar-free ketchup.
• Brown Sugar: Feel free to replace this with raw sugar, maple syrup, or even honey.
• Tomato Paste: Make sure you use tomato paste and not sauce, which is thinner and less concentrated than tomato paste.
• Molasses: Along with the brown sugar, molasses adds sweetness, but also complexity and depth.
• Spicy Mustard: A little bit of spicy brown mustard goes perfectly with the other sauce ingredients and gives a tangy, flavorful edge.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: To cut the richness, you’ll need a little bit of apple cider vinegar.
• Hot Sauce: This is optional, but if you’d like a hint of heat, add some of your favorite hot sauce!

How to Make Baked Beans

Before simmering the beans in the sauce mixture, it’s important to cook the bacon until it’s good and crispy, and the sausage cooked just until it’s nicely browned. This will keep the bacon and sausage from being too limp, fatty, and mushy in the finished dish!

1. Cook the bacon and onions. Set a Dutch oven or a large pot over medium heat, and let it warm up. When the pot is hot, add the diced bacon, and cook it until the bacon is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to take the bacon out of the pot and set it aside. Add the onions to the bacon grease in the pot, and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and sausage. After 2 minutes, stir in the garlic and cook it for about 15 seconds, to release the fragrance of the garlic. Add the sausage slices to the pot, and cook until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes.
3. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir in the beans, and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, molasses, spicy mustard, apple cider vinegar, and hot sauce (if using).
4. Combine. Stir the mixture until everything is well-incorporated,  and then add the bacon and stir again. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes more, or until the beans are hot and the sauce has thickened slightly.
5. Serve. Remove the beans from the heat, taste them, and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve the baked beans warm.

Serving Suggestions

These quick baked beans with smoked sausage can be served as a main course with a few cheddar bay biscuits or as a side dish for a big meal. Beans go very well with ham, and the two together can feed a crowd! Try this slow cooker glazed ham for a practically hands-off main course.

Another favorite to serve with baked beans is pulled pork mac and cheese or my Instant Pot barbecue pulled pork. Add some crunch with a big dish of creamy broccoli salad, a potluck classic that’s cold, fresh, and colorful, or this shaved brussel sprouts salad.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• To refrigerate leftover baked beans, pack them into airtight containers and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
• To freeze, pack into airtight freezer containers or freezer bags, and keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Reheat in a covered oven-proof dish in the oven, at 350°F, until hot. You can also microwave portions for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each heating, until hot all the way through.

ENJOY!

More Homestyle Side Dishes

• Sausage and Rice
• Corn Ribs
• Hasselback Potatoes
• Baked Macaroni and Feta Cheese
• Slow Cooker Country Style Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Green Bean Casserole Recipe