5-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Beans With Bacon

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Diana Rattray
Updated 10/30/20
5 ingredient slow cooker beans with bacon
Diana Rattray
  • Total: 5 hrs 15 mins
  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 5 hrs
  • Servings: 6 servings

If you're looking for a dish for a barbecue, potluck supper, or game day party, slow cooker baked beans are an excellent choice. But don't wait for a special occasion; make the beans a main dish and serve them with cornbread for a fabulous lunch or dinner. Add pulled pork for sandwiches or hot dogs along with coleslaw, and you have a hearty and delicious crowd-pleasing meal. Double the recipe ingredients if you are cooking for a large family or group.

You will love the simplicity of the recipe; it takes just minutes to fry the bacon and mix everything in the slow cooker, and you'll have a tasty, no-fuss dish in a few hours. It's a great set-and-forget dish!

1:16

Click Play to See This 5-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Beans With Bacon Recipe Come Together

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 strips bacon (cut in 1/2- to 1-inch pieces)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/2 cup ketchup (or chili sauce)
  • 3 (16 oz.) cans baked beans

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for slow cooker beans with bacon
    The Spruce 

  2. Arrange the chopped bacon in a skillet and place it over medium-low heat. Fry the bacon until it is browned and crisp, stirring and turning frequently.

    Frying bacon for baked beans
     The Spruce

  3. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain.

    Bacon draining on paper towels
     The Spruce

  4. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard powder, and ketchup or chili sauce and stir.

  5. Pour the beans into the slow cooker and add the bacon. Add the sauce mixture to the beans and stir to blend.

    Baked Beans in the slow cooker.
     The Spruce

  6. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for about 2 hours.

    Easy baked beans.
     The Spruce

  7. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  • Cooking the bacon first ensures that it will have the best flavor and texture. Adding chopped raw bacon to slow-cooked beans will lead to rubbery, greasy bacon. Fry it up the night before and this dish will take about 5 minutes to throw together.
  • Double the recipe for a party or tailgating event and serve right from the crock pot.
  • If you have leftovers, the beans taste even better the next day. They make a tasty side dish for a big breakfast or brunch.

Recipe Variations

  • Add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of diced raw onions to the dish. Or saute the onion in a skillet in about 1 tablespoon of vegetable over medium heat until browned. Add the onions to the beans.
  • Add about 1/2 cup of green or red bell pepper to the beans or a combination of both colors.
  • Add sausage or ground beef to the beans. To brown the sausage, place a large skillet over medium heat, and add about 1/2 pound to 1 pound of sausage or ground beef. Cook the ground meat until it is no longer pink; drain well, and then add to the beans.
  • Add 1 to 2 cups of diced cooked ham to the beans.
  • Slice spicy or mild smoked sausage or hot dogs into 1/2 inch rounds. Add the sausage or hot dogs to the beans, and cook as directed.
  • Make them extra spicy with 1 tablespoon of chili powder, a few tablespoons of minced jalapeno peppers, and 1 teaspoon (or more) of crushed red pepper flakes.
  • Add a few teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and some liquid smoke for tangy barbecue flavor.
  • Add two 8 oz. cans of pineapple tidbits (drained) to the beans along with 1/2 cup of bell peppers and 1 cup of onion. Use barbecue sauce instead of tomato ketchup.