Three Bean Baked Beans

Three bean baked beans full of kidney, black, and cannellini beans.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated March 15, 2024
Elise Bauer
3 Bean Baked Beans
Elise Bauer

When it comes to baked beans, you can go the full monty starting with dry beans and cook them completely from scratch (like Boston Baked Beans), which takes all day. Or you can start with already cooked canned beans or pressure-cooked beans, which reduces the cooking time to a little over an hour.

This recipe is for canned beans, a "quick" version of baked beans using three different types of beans—kidney beans, black beans, and cannellini beans. My father adapted this recipe from one in an old issue of Bon Appétit magazine years ago.

It has a tangy, rich flavor from the vinegar, molasses, and bacon and is a cinch to put together. A great side for pork or steak.

Three Bean Baked Beans

Prep Time 7 mins
Cook Time 75 mins
Total Time 82 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit magazine.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 pound sliced bacon

  • 2 cups chopped onion

  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard

  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoons dry thyme)

  • 3/4 cup ketchup

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • 1/4 cup dark molasses

  • 1/3 cup water

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 (15-ounce) red kidney beans, rinsed, drained

  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained

  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained

  • 1 teaspoon Tabasco

  • Salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Cook and crumble the bacon:

    Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove bacon and place on paper towels to soak up excess fat. Crumble up the bacon and set aside.

  3. Sauté the onions:

    Remove all but a tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the pot. Add the chopped onions and cook on medium high heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.

  4. Add the rest of the ingredients:

    Sprinkle the onions with dry mustard and thyme. Stir in the ketchup, vinegar, molasses, bay leaf, beans, Tabasco, and water. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  5. Cover and bake:

    Cover the pot and put into a 350°F oven. Bake for 1 hour, checking every 15 minutes to stir and add more water if needed. Stir in the bacon the last 15 minutes of cooking.

    Alternatively, cook in a slow cooker 4 hours on high, or 8 on low.

    Discard bay leaf before serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
454 Calories
8g Fat
73g Carbs
25g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 454
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 994mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 73g 27%
Dietary Fiber 15g 55%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 9mg 44%
Calcium 172mg 13%
Iron 7mg 38%
Potassium 1433mg 30%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.