Description
This Slow Cooker Baked Beans recipe combines smoky bacon, sweet baked beans, tangy BBQ sauce, and tender pulled pork for a hearty and flavorful side dish. Perfect for potlucks or family gatherings, the slow cooker does all the work while the flavors meld together over several hours.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
- ¾ lb shredded pulled pork
Beans
- 3 (28-oz) cans baked beans
Flavorings & Sweeteners
- 2 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 (20-oz) can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Cook and chop the bacon into small pieces. Drain the pineapple tidbits. Gather all other ingredients.
- Combine in Slow Cooker: In a 6-quart slow cooker, add the cooked bacon, baked beans, minced onion flakes, brown sugar, BBQ sauce, yellow mustard, drained pineapple tidbits, and shredded pulled pork. Stir everything together to combine evenly.
- Cook Covered: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 5 hours, allowing flavors to meld and beans to tenderize.
- Uncover and Thicken: After 5 hours, remove the lid and continue cooking on LOW for another hour, uncovered, so the sauce can thicken to a rich consistency.
- Serve: Once the sauce is thickened and heated through, stir gently and serve warm as a delicious side dish or main with bread or cornbread.
Notes
- For best results, use a 6-quart slow cooker to avoid overflow and ensure even cooking.
- Adjust the sweetness by modifying brown sugar amount to taste.
- You can substitute pulled pork with cooked shredded chicken or leave it out for a vegetarian version.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat nicely.
- Add a splash of hot sauce or cayenne pepper if you prefer a spicy kick.
