Searching for the perfect Father’s Day or 4th of July meal? Look no further than a serving of Bianco & Sons marinated meats with my Boston Baked Beans slow cooker recipe. Easy to make and even easier to serve, this recipe is perfect for your summer BBQs! Follow along while I lead you through my step-by-step process, sponsored by Bianco & Sons Sausage!
Here in Boston, we love our baked beans paired with perfectly grilled marinated meats. Local brand Bianco & Sons has the most flavorful Hawaiian Style BBQ Chicken Tenders and Korean Style BBQ Boneless Pork Strips we’ve ever had! This Boston baked bean recipe is a delicious complement to these home-town favorites. Made with navy beans, molasses, brown sugar, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, onions and bacon; this recipe is the best summer BBQ side! So, go ahead and give these baked beans (and Bianco & Sons marinated meats) a try! Your family will thank you!
Since Father’s Day is right around the corner, I wanted to make the PERFECT meal to celebrate my husband, Jared. He loves grilled pork and chicken so I knew he would love what we picked up from Bianco & Sons (available in New England supermarkets like Hannaford and shipped directly to your home). His favorite BBQ sides happen to be Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Muffins and Boston Baked Beans so I knew these would be ideal to serve alongside our grilled marinated meats.
Bianco & Sons Meats
The Bianco & Sons Sausage brand is a tasty Massachusetts-based company that provides quality meats. Their products extend beyond sausage and include homemade meatballs and marinated meats. No matter which product you choose, they are all fresh and delicious. This family-owned company offers shipping nationally! We love their sausage and marinated meats which make mealtime nice and easy! If you are local to the Greater Boston area, you can visit their retail store located at 1 Brainard Avenue in Medford, MA.
Since we were all about spoiling Jared for Father’s Day, I wanted the BEST sides to accompany our grilled Bianco & Sons Hawaiian Style BBQ Chicken Tenders and Korean Style BBQ Boneless Pork Strips. The Cheddar Jalapeño Corn Muffins and Boston Baked Beans were hands-down the BEST sidekicks for this spread. Let’s explore how to make the tastiest Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans.
Equipment Needed
For the best experience with preparing and cooking these beans, you will need the following.
- 6-Quart Slow Cooker
- Chef’s knife & cutting board
- Measuring cup & spoons
- Colander
- Large bowl (to soak beans in)
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make these Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans.
- Dry Navy Beans – These will need to be soaked overnight (12 hours) in 6 cups of water.
- Vidalia Onion – This sweet onion gave these beans a delicious flavor.
- Bacon – We used thick-cut style that we diced into bite-sized pieces.
- Tomato Paste – Helps to thicken and flavor these beans.
- Molasses – This will add a sweet, classic flavor. Make sure to avoid the blackstrap variety.
- Apple Cider vinegar – We used an organic variety. The acid helps to balance the sweetness.
- Brown Sugar – We used light brown sugar to sweeten these beans.
- Dijon mustard – The prepared variety adds a delicious flavor.
- Cinnamon – Add a nice warmth that is subtle but appreciated.
- Salt – This optional ingredient should not be added until AFTER the beans are done. Salt will prevent the beans from cooking properly if added early on in this cooking process.
- Water – You will need this for soaking the beans as well as cooking them.
Tips for Success
You can find the full recipe for the BEST Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans below, but here are some tips for success.
Slow Cooker Size
This recipe requires a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Do not try to use a smaller one or you will run out of room since the beans will expand.
Layering the beans
When it comes to slow cooking baked beans, you should layer the beans in your slow cooker, and only stir them when they are just about done. This will help the bacon to crisp, and the beans to soften. I added the bacon first, beans and then onions. The sauce gets cooked on the stovetop before pouring it over the beans.
Soaking Beans
After screening your beans for small pebbles and debris, soaking is crucial. The biggest success for slow cooking baked beans is to make sure they are soaked in cold water for at least 12 hours minimally. This helps to slightly soften the beans and shorten their cook time. Your beans will expand in the water.
Cook Time
Slow cooker beans take time to cook and cannot typically be rushed. They will take the FULL 8 hours of time. I woke up bright and early to start my beans. At the 8-hour mark, I suggest mixing and testing the beans. If they still feel hard, turn your slow cooker to high and cook for an additional hour. Your beans will be thick, soft, and have some liquid leftover once done to perfection. See my images for the correct texture and consistency.
Storage
These beans taste even better the next day! They can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
As you can see, these beans look fantastic! They also tasted amazing and paired perfectly with our grilled Bianco & Sons Marinated Meats. The corn muffins were also a tasty side that I will be posting about soon on the blog!
If you want a scrumptious Father’s Day Meal, I suggest trying this sweet and savory combination. It really worked well and made for one tasty dinner for Jared and the kids.
Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans
Equipment
- 6-quart or larger slow cooker
- Chef's knife & cutting board
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Large bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Colander
Ingredients
- 1 pound Dry Navy Beans *covered and soaked for 12+ hours in 6 cups of water
- 1 pound Thick-cut bacon diced
- 1 medium Vidalia onion diced
Sauce
- 3 cups water
- 6 ounces Tomato paste
- ⅓ cup Molasses *not blackstrap variety
- ¼ cup Light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Soak dried Navy beans in a covered large bowl with 6 cups of water for at least 12 hours. This is a must for this recipe and cannot be skipped.
- Once beans are soaked, drain them to remove the liquid. Chop the bacon into small chunks as well as the onion.
- Add the chopped bacon to the bottom of your slow cooker followed by the drained beans, and then diced onion.
- In a medium sauce pan, add water, tomato paste, molasses, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard, Whisk until mixture has just started to boil.
- Once sauce has started to boil, remove it from the stovetop and pour it over the onions layer. Cover the slow cooker, and set the timer for 8 hours on low.
- At the 7-hour mark, check the beans to stir and combine all flavors. Taste test the beans to check for softness. If the beans still feel slightly hard, cook them on high for the last hour.
I have never been a baked beans fan but our neighbour had us over for dinner and made it and this recipe is the best! Had to grab the recipe as soon as I got home! The meat looks so good too!
This is so comforting!! We loved baked beans and this was a really huge hit at my house!
These beans look so tasty and packed with so much flavor. My hubby is going to love this and so is our family! I can’t wait to make this for our family reunion soon. Everyone is going to love it!
You’ve really made Boston baked beans into something extra special!
This is the perfect thing to bring to BBQ’s. Everyone raved over them. I need to try that meat. Thanks.
Doubled up the recipe and it seems a little runny after 7 hours of cooking.