Baked Beans Recipe for a Crowd
This Baked Beans Recipe for a Crowd is our go-to side dish for large gatherings with family and friends. In just an hour you can have this delicious, comforting side dish on the table to serve over 20 people!
We love hosting large parties and with that comes a lot of meal prep and easy recipes. This Baked Beans Recipe for a Crowd are always on the menu as a classic side dish we know everyone will love. They’re so easy to make with pantry staple ingredients and come together in only an hour!
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We first developed this recipe when we had our restaurant several years ago. Our friends asked us to cater a party for over 60 people and this baked beans recipe was such a hit! We had no leftovers by the end of the event.
You can cook these up to a day in advance either in the oven or on the grill or ease. If you love this classic side, be sure to also try our Apple Pie Baked Beans or Baked Beans and Ground Beef.
I made this for a potluck. Following the recipe closely, making minor substitutions with what I had on hand. Everyone loved it. No leftovers. -Barbara
Laura Ashley’s Tip: We use bacon in our recipe, but feel free to use other types of meat like sausage or ground beef.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy baked beans recipe to serve over 20 people! This is our go-to recipe for a large gathering or backyard barbecue. It’s quick to assemble and so easy to make.
- A favorite side dish for family and friends. Everyone always requests these baked beans, they pair well with so many main courses.
- Easy to make in advance. We often make these beans the day before we plan to serve them and then reheat right before the party.
Ingredients
Scroll Down for the Amounts Listed in the Printable Recipe Card Below
- Bacon: Adds the smoky flavor to the recipe.
- Sweet onion: An aromatic ingredient that we think is always required in baked beans.
- Green bell pepper: Adds nice fresh flavor and a crunch.
- Garlic powder or cloves: Infuses each bite with delicious garlic flavor.
- Smoked paprika: Adds nice smokiness in every bite.
- Chili powder: Brings a little heat as well as rich, bold flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: Gives a little tang to the beans. A little goes a long way.
- Barbecue sauce: Use your favorite, this is what makes these barbecue baked beans.
- Ketchup: Gives a hint of tomato in the sauce and adds sweetness.
- Dijon mustard: Rounds out all of the flavors with it’s bright flavor.
- Brown sugar: Adds the molasses sweetness we all love in baked beans.
- Baked beans: We use two 55-ounce cans for this recipe to make sure we can serve enough people!
- Hot Sauce: This is optional and totally based on preference, but we love a little kick.
Tools You’ll Need
- Medium Skillet
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
- 13″x9″ Baking Dish
- Liquid Measuring Cups
How to Make Baked Beans for a Crowd
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Either prepare the bacon on a sheet pan in the oven for 18-20 minutes (or until crispy), or cook in a large skillet over medium heat. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Once cool, crumble in small pieces and set aside.
- To the large skillet on medium heat, ensure there are 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon grease. Sauté the onion and bell pepper for 1 minute.
- Add paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in vinegar, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard and brown sugar.
- Fold in baked beans and 3/4 of the cooked bacon. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Add hot sauce if desired. Taste and adjust any seasonings.
- Pour in a 13×9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining bacon on top if desired. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until bubbly.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to cook the bacon and then remove to a plate to add at the end. The helps the bacon keep it’s nice crisp texture in the beans. You’ll want to leave the bacon fat in the pan, this adds all the flavor to the recipe.
- Use your favorite bbq sauce for this recipe. You can either use a sweeter sauce or a tangier sauce, up to you!
- We like to bake these uncovered to help them thicken to the correct consistency. This allows the delicious sauce to reduce in the oven and thicken to that beautiful consistency.
- Bake them on the grill if you so desire. Just preheat one side of the grill to 400ºF and place the beans on the ‘cold’ side. Cover with the lid and let them cook for the same amount of time. This makes for easy party prep.
- We use canned beans for ease as well as flavor. We use baked beans in the can and make them more gourmet. This speeds up the cook time heavily. The canned beans already have so much great flavor too that we just make even better!
Storage
Store any leftover beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They also freeze well too for up to 2 months. Just be sure to thaw them in the fridge overnight completely before reheating on the stove or in the oven until completely warmed through.
The best part about these barbecue baked beans is that they can be made in advance. We even make them the day before a big party and reheat them when guests arrive, their flavor only gets better with time.
What to Serve with this Baked Bean Recipe
The options are endless! Here are some of our favorite barbecue recipes to serve with these bbq baked beans.
- Country Style Ribs
- Bacon Cheddar Barbecue Chicken
- Healthy Pasta Salad
- KFC Copycat Coleslaw Recipe
- BBQ Chicken Sliders
- Perfect Brisket
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, but the prep time will be much longer. You should soak and cook the beans first until tender and then follow our recipe.
Try adding jalapeno, other kinds of bell pepper, red onion, there are so many options! We also love garnishing sometimes with an herb like cilantro.
Yes, it’s super easy to double or even triple this recipe! We’ve done it before.
More Easy Barbecue Recipes
- Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
- Barbecue Chicken Pasta Salad
- Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef
- Pimento Mac and Cheese
Baked Beans for a Crowd
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bacon
- 3/4 cup diced sweet onion
- 3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 110 ounces baked beans 2 55oz cans
- Hot Sauce to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Either prepare the bacon on a sheet pan in the oven for 18-20 minutes (or until crispy), or cook in a large skillet over medium heat. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Once cool, crumble in small pieces and set aside.
- To the large skillet on medium heat, ensure there are 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon grease. Sauté the onion and bell pepper for 1 minute.
- Add paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in vinegar, BBQ sauce, ketchup, dijon mustard and brown sugar.
- Fold in baked beans and 3/4 of the cooked bacon. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Add hot sauce if desired. Taste and adjust any seasonings.
- Pour in a 13×9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining bacon on top if desired. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until bubbly.
Video
Notes
Store any leftover beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They also freeze well too for up to 2 months. Just be sure to thaw them in the fridge overnight completely before reheating on the stove or in the oven until completely warmed through. The best part about these barbecue baked beans is that they can be made in advance. We even make them the day before a big party and reheat them when guests arrive, their flavor only gets better with time. Tips:
- Be sure to cook the bacon and then remove to a plate to add at the end. The helps the bacon keep it’s nice crisp texture in the beans. You’ll want to leave the bacon fat in the pan, this adds all the flavor to the recipe.
- Use your favorite bbq sauce for this recipe. You can either use a sweeter sauce or a tangier sauce, up to you!
- We like to bake these uncovered to help them thicken to the correct consistency. This allows the delicious sauce to reduce in the oven and thicken to that beautiful consistency.
- Bake them on the grill if you so desire. Just preheat one side of the grill to 400ºF and place the beans on the ‘cold’ side. Cover with the lid and let them cook for the same amount of time. This makes for easy party prep.
- We use canned beans for ease as well as flavor. We use baked beans in the can and make them more gourmet. This speeds up the cook time heavily. The canned beans already have so much great flavor too that we just make even better!
Nutrition
About Laura
Taught by some of the best, cooking and entertaining has always been my favorite hobby. Food is my love language! The conception of Dinner in 321 came from my family talks that sharing our dinners would help others learn new skills, tasty recipes, and make cooking fun! Read more…
Thank you Laura for these wonderful recipes.
Aww!🥹You’re so sweet! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I’m so happy you enjoy them too!
For reheating, just put in the oven at 400 degrees? About how long does it take to reheat them?
Transfer the baked beans to an oven-safe dish if they aren’t in one already. Cover the dish with aluminum foil to prevent drying out.
Place it in the oven and heat for about 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. If they seem too thick/dry since they’re leftovers, you could add additional bbq sauce, ketchup, tomato sauce, beef broth or water.
Question: for 20 ppl it’s 2 55 oz cans beans, (110 oz) when you double it it says 114 oz ? So to double the recipe you only add 4 more oz of beans?? Am I confused?? Ha please advise
You’re so sweet to ask! This is a recipe I plan on filming again soon. If you’re doubling it, it would be 4 55oz cans. That auto calculator didn’t double it correctly. I will make it fix it on the back end 🙂
I made this for a potluck. Following the recipe closely, making minor substitutions with what I had on hand. I added a couple packages of sliced Oscar Meyer weiners instead of bacon. Everyone loved it. No leftovers.
That is FANTASTIC!! I’m so happy you made it and that it was such a hit! No leftovers is a big WIN!