These slow cooker baked beans are a delicious and easy side dish for summer. They’re super quick to prep and then the slow cooker does all the work for you.
Can you believe it’s already the middle of July? Summer is my absolute favorite time of the year and it always seems to fly by. Since we moved to our lake house a number of years ago, we’re all about the outdoor life and try and get out on the water as much as possible.
We also love to have family and friends over all summer long. When the weather is nice you’ll definitely find us out on the boat for a good chunk of the afternoon. But even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, we still have a good time.
In addition to spending lots of time out on the boat, there’s always LOTS of eating. We love to grill and do that often.
It’s easy and doesn’t everything taste great when you grill it? I always like to try and have easy sides to go along with whatever we’ve grilled.
One of my go-to side dishes are these slow cooker baked beans. I’ve made baked beans in the oven in the past and I felt like they were a lot of work.
The beans had to be soaked and the bacon had to be browned and then once the beans went in the oven, I had to babysit them to make sure that they weren’t drying out. Well, that just isn’t going to happen when I’m out on the lake all afternoon.
That’s when I decided to try the beans in a slow cooker and I have to say, it couldn’t be easier. The only prep work is chopping the onion and the bacon and mixing up the sauce.
Then everything literally gets dumped in the slow cooker. It then cooks for about 6 hours or so, until the beans are nice and tender. Easy, right?
They turn out absolutely delicious every time. They’re slightly sweet from the brown sugar, smoky from the bacon and a little tangy from the Dijon and vinegar.
Whether you’re grilling burgers, hot dogs or steaks, these slow cooker baked beans are always a perfect summer side dish.
Want to see more easy summer side dishes? Check these out:
Cauliflower Dill “No Potato” Salad
Summer Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Poppyseed Dressing
Slow Cooker Baked Beans
These slow cooker baked beans are a delicious and easy side dish for summer. They’re super easy to prep and then the slow cooker does all the work for you.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry navy beans
- 1 onion, chopped
- 6 oz bacon, chopped
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Place navy beans, chopped onion and chopped bacon in slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl combine water with brown sugar, Dijon, Worcestershire, vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Pour over bean mixture. Pour in chicken stock.
- Cook on high for 6 hours, until beans are soft.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 259Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 695mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 6gSugar: 11gProtein: 16g
ENJOY!
This recipe was originally posted May 16, 2012, it was updated to improve user experience on July 1, 2020.
Donna L.
Monday 29th of June 2015
Do you soak the beans overnight? I usually do or boil them til they are softened and still they are a bit crunchy after cooking them in a crockpot for 6 to 8 hours.
Lisa
Monday 29th of June 2015
No need to soak the beans, Donna. Throw them in the crock pot with everything else and they end up perfectly tender after 6 hours. Just make sure to cook the beans on high.
Donna B
Monday 29th of June 2015
do you cook the bacon first ? do you use the cover on the slow cooker when you cook the beans for 6 hours ? How come you can not print the recipe , using printer friendly button , it wants to print 5 pages with the pictures etc instead of just the recipe ?
Lisa
Monday 29th of June 2015
Hi Donna,
I don't cook the bacon first and you do use the cover while the beans cook.
If you don't want to print the pictures, check the box at the top of the print friendly page that says "remove images" and then just the recipe will print.
Lisa
Sharyn
Thursday 4th of June 2015
Do you cook the bacon first? Wasn't sure looking at the picture.
The Sisters
Tuesday 22nd of May 2012
We love baked beans and crockpots, so what is better than combining them? Can't wait to try these! Thanks for linking up to Strut Your Stuff Saturday. Hope to see you again next week! -The Sisters
Sonja @ practical-stewardship.com
Sunday 20th of May 2012
I found you at Church Supper. I am totally going to try this. Never used dry beans before, but I want to try! Thanks for the inspiration.
Lisa
Sunday 20th of May 2012
Your welcome, Sonja! These beans are so easy to make and a great way to try cooking with dry beans for the first time! :)