Slow Cooker Pork and Beans

A simple recipe for a side dish to go with BBQ is Slow Cooker Pork and Beans! Brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, and barbecue sauce are slowly simmered with dried white beans and bacon.

The simplest method to prepare a traditional comfort food dish is with these slow-cooked BBQ beans. It’s a hands-free side dish after the beans, bacon, and sauce components are added to the crockpot! These beans just become better as they stew in the delicious sauce, and since they’re cooked in a slow cooker, they’re ready for any party or potluck when you are.

With only a few simple ingredients, this family-friendly recipe for Slow Cooker Pork and Beans is mild and tasty. The navy beans’ acidic, sweet, and smokey tastes make them a great side dish for Sunday dinners or outdoor gatherings.

You may season this excellent bean meal with anything you have on hand, but this Slow Cooker Pork and Beans recipe tastes especially well with a sweet and somewhat sour sauce. Tastes great with white beans and bacon, but feel free to add other tastes as well. Add some sautéed garlic cloves, green peppers, and a medium onion to your dish for a quick and simple approach to boost flavor.

Cook the beans as normal and then take off the slow cooker insert from the machine if you like to prepare these beans in advance. Let cool fully before putting the covered insert in the fridge. Reinstall the slow cooker insert in the cooker after letting the pot sit at room temperature for half an hour to ensure the glass insert isn’t too cold before heating the beans for serving. Heat on low or high, stirring, until heated through. For up to four hours, keep on warm or low.

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Slower Cooker Pork and Beans Cooking Tips

Molasses: You may use one tablespoon of maple syrup, honey, dark corn syrup, or brown sugar in its place if you don’t have any on hand. Bitter bootstrap molasses should not be used; instead, use light or dark gourmet molasses.
Beans: You may get a variety of tastes and textures from white beans, such as hard and nutty or soft and creamy. Great Northern beans are harder and somewhat nutty, while Cannellini beans are the firmest, earthiest, and nutty. Navy beans are tiny, cook rapidly, and have a creamy texture.
Tender Beans: You can boil dry beans for 30 minutes in water and then drain them if you are concerned that they won’t be tender or if you’ve had trouble cooking dried beans in the past.

Can Slow Cooker Pork and Beans be made ahead?

You may prepare these beans at least the day before you want to serve them since they reheat extremely well. This is particularly useful if you have another food that has to be prepared in your slow cooker that day. The pork and beans may be reheated in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.

Variations for Slow Cooker Pork and Beans

Pork: About 4-6 hours into the cooking process, add a pork shoulder roast or other boneless pork to the slow cooker for a filling and easy supper. Before putting it in the crockpot, use a 2-3 pound pork roast that has been sliced into 1-inch chunks and seared.
Canned beans: If you choose to use canned beans in this recipe, use three cans (15 ounces) and shorten the cooking time to four to five hours. For optimal taste, drain and rinse the beans before adding them.
BBQ Sauce: Use one cup of store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce for every one cup of ketchup to increase the taste of the barbecue sauce. For smoky baked beans, you may also add up to ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke.
Peppers and Onions: Bell peppers and onions would give this delicious side dish an additional burst of flavor. Green bell peppers and yellow onions are a traditional combination, but you may also use red bell peppers, sweet peppers, red onions, or shallots.
Spicy: Substitute 1/4 cup ketchup with ¼ cup hot sauce or salsa to counterbalance the sweetness with a spicy tomato-based sauce. For more spice, try adding chipotle, jalapeño, or cayenne peppers to the adobo sauce!
Spices: You may customize the flavor to your preference by adding seasonings and spices such as chili powder, black pepper, dry mustard, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar, as well as minced garlic, chopped onions, onion powder, and onion soup mix.

FAQs for Slow Cooker Pork and Beans

Why do the beans have to be soaked overnight?

The complex carbohydrates in the beans, which can be difficult to digest and have unpleasant side effects (like gas, yikes!), are eliminated by soaking them overnight.

Why aren’t my beans becoming tender?

It’s possible that you neglected to soak your beans overnight if they’re not getting soft. Another possibility is that your beans are old. They become less capable of absorbing water as they get older. It’s also possible that you’re using hard water, or that the water has an acidic component that’s making the issue.

How to Store Slower Cooker Pork and Beans

Serve: Before serving, let the Slow Cooker Pork and Beans get soft to the fork. The beans can keep for up to four hours when covered and kept warm.
Store: Allow beans to cool fully before putting them in the refrigerator for up to four days in an airtight container. For optimal flavor and texture, reheat over low heat on the stovetop or bake covered in the oven.
Freeze: Place the pork and beans in a tight container and freeze for up to three months when they have totally cooled. Before reheating on the stovetop or in the oven, let the food thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

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