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You are here: Home / side dishes / Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans Recipe with Bacon

Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans Recipe with Bacon

This Sweet and Spicy baked beans recipe with bacon is on my short list of go-to side dishes for potlucks, cookouts, and backyard barbecues. This is a crowd pleasing party recipe that combines sweet and savory flavors with two kinds of beans and spicy sausage. Get the summer side dish recipe here. 

sweet and spicy baked beans

Baked Beans with Spicy Sausage

This sweet and spicy baked beans recipe is more sweet than spicy, so don’t let the name scare you off if you’re afraid of a little heat. I first made this dish for a cookout we hosted, probably 10 years ago. It got rave reviews from our guests and it’s become one of my favorites for potluck meals.

Take this to backyard cookouts, church socials, or game day parties, and watch it disappear! For more tips on large group gatherings, here’s everything you need to know to host a potluck party.

I adapted this sweet and spicy baked beans recipe from an old cookbook, tweaking it to our liking. The addition of hot sausage makes it more interesting than most baked beans, but only adds a hint of spiciness. Black beans add more texture and flavor, while other classic ingredients add sweetness.

These baked beans are the perfect side dish or potluck dish for summer entertaining and parties.

spicy beans

Party Side Dish

Serve this baked beans recipe alongside almost any meat entree. 

  • It’s great with the best juicy burgers recipe.
  • Serve them with chicken or beef kabobs.
  • Add them to a hot dog roast.

How to make sweet and spicy baked beans

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • hot sausage
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cans pork and beans
  • 1 can black beans
  • hickory smoked barbecue sauce
  • dark brown sugar
  • ketchup
  • coarse grain mustard
  • molasses
  • chili powder
  • bacon

Crumble and cook a half pound of hot sausage along with chopped onion, in a skillet until cooked through. Drain the excess fat and dab with a paper towel if desired.

Place all ingredients except the bacon, in a 2 1/2 or 3 quart baking dish and stir to combine everything together well.

Lay bacon across the top. For a single layer use 4 strips, for a basket weave pattern {like a pie crust} use 6 strips placing 3 on bottom layer, and 3 on top layer.

Bake uncovered for 2 hours or until desired thickness.

Unfortunately I didn’t take a photo before popping this in the oven, but I layered the bacon on top in a crisscross basket weave pattern. It’s hard to see clearly in the finished product but it still adds a special touch to the presentation.

party baked beans

PARTY TIP: Use a slotted spoon to serve baked beans so you don’t have a lot of sauce dripping onto your other food; OR serve in individual ramekins to keep it all contained.

Easy Cleanup Tips

Clean up your baked beans crock with ease with these hostess tips.

To make overall cleanup easy, I line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the baking dish on it while it cooks. This way the bacon drippings or any bubbling over that might occur will be caught on the foil. It also makes it easier to transfer the baking dish to and from the oven.

Once it’s time to clean the baking crock, I wet the dish with hot sudsy water and use the scrub side of the sponge to remove the stubborn, stuck-on areas. Clean-up made easy!

baked beans with sausage

sweet and spicy baked beans recipe with bacon

Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans Recipe

Yield: about 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

This Sweet and Spicy baked beans recipe with bacon is our go-to side dish for potlucks, cookouts, and backyard barbecues. It's a crowd pleasing party recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound hot sausage
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 - 15 oz cans pork and beans, undrained
  • 1 - 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup hickory smoked barbecue sauce
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup coarse grain mustard
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 4-6 slices center cut bacon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Crumble and cook sausage and chopped onion in a skillet until cooked through. Drain and dab with paper towel if desired.
  3. Place all ingredients, except bacon, in a 2 1/2 or 3 quart baking dish. Stir to combine well.
  4. Lay bacon across the top. For a single layer use 4 strips, for a basket weave pattern {like a pie crust} use 6 strips placing 3 on bottom layer, and 3 on top layer.
  5. Bake uncovered for 2 hours or until desired thickness.
© Celebrations At Home
Category: side dishes
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August 12, 2015 8:51 am Chris Filed Under: side dishes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angie | Big Bear's Wife says

    August 20, 2015 at 12:36 pm

    Love the addition of hot sausage! Mmm and that bacon on top makes it perfect!

  2. TidyMom says

    August 19, 2015 at 7:12 am

    These would be perfect for a Labor Day BBQ! I love the sweet and spicy mix!

  3. Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles says

    August 17, 2015 at 9:25 pm

    This looks way better than the average baked beans!

  4. Bird says

    August 17, 2015 at 1:47 pm

    Look totally drool-worthy! 🙂

  5. Liz says

    August 17, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    My husband would be in heaven if I made him a batch of these!!! Perfect end of the summer recipe!!

    • Chris says

      August 18, 2015 at 2:12 pm

      Yep! My husband loves the addition of the sausage, Liz.

  6. Kelly says

    August 17, 2015 at 12:37 pm

    Sounds like a perfectly flavorful combo too! Pinning. xo

    • Chris says

      August 18, 2015 at 2:13 pm

      Yes, lots of great flavors, Kelly!

  7. Maria says

    August 17, 2015 at 10:24 am

    Perfect for summer parties!

  8. Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says

    August 17, 2015 at 9:40 am

    There is nothing I love more than baked beans! I absolutely adore the flavor in these!!

    • Chris says

      August 18, 2015 at 2:01 pm

      Same here, Jocelyn. It’s one of those side dishes everyone seems to agree on!

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The most important thing about parties & entertaining is the guest list! Next, it should be delicious, beautiful, unique, and fun. Calling on my years of experience, I’ll show you how to pull it all together with style. Cheers!

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