Sweet & Smoky Skillet Baked Beans by Chef Charles Knight
Looking for the best homemade baked beans recipe for your next BBQ or family gathering? Chef Charles Knight’s Homestyle Skillet Baked Beans with Bacon combine four kinds of beans with smoky bacon, caramelized onions, brown sugar, jalapeño, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and a splash of Pepsi (No Coke).
The result is a thick, rich sweet and smoky baked bean recipe that's perfect for BBQs, cookouts, potlucks, tailgating, Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Baked Beans
These aren't ordinary canned baked beans. Chef Charles builds the flavor from the skillet up.
Smoky Bacon: Bacon provides the savory foundation and a crisp, smoky finish.
Four-Bean Blend: Navy, cannellini, kidney and Great Northern beans provide a hearty combination of creamy and firm textures.
Sweet & Savory Sauce: Brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire and ketchup create the classic BBQ-style flavor.
A Little Heat: Fresh jalapeño balances the sweetness without making the beans overly spicy.
Secret Ingredient—Pepsi: A splash of Pepsi reduces into the sauce, adding caramel-like sweetness and another layer of flavor.
Chef Charles Knight’s Skillet Baked Beans Recipe
Yield: 12 servings
Total Time: Approximately 2 hours
Oven Temperature: 350°F
Equipment: Large oven-safe skillet or sauté pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ pound bacon, divided
- 1 Spanish or yellow onion, diced
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup Pepsi, regular or diet
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 can (28 oz) navy beans, drained
- 1 can (28 oz) cannellini beans, drained
- 1 can (28 oz) light red kidney beans, drained
- 1 can (28 oz) Great Northern beans, drained
Using dried beans? Substitute approximately 2 pounds dried beans, soaked and fully hydrated before preparing the recipe.
How to Make Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon
1. Preheat the Oven
Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook the Bacon
Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat, approximately 275–300°F. Melt the butter and cook the bacon until nearly crisp. Remove and set aside.
3. Sauté the Onion, Jalapeño & Garlic
Leave a thin coating of bacon drippings in the skillet. Add onion, jalapeño and garlic. Cook for 7–10 minutes, until softened and lightly caramelized.
4. Deglaze with Pepsi
Add the Pepsi and scrape the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by approximately half.
5. Make the Baked Bean Sauce
Stir in ketchup, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Add half the chopped bacon and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
6. Add the Four Beans
Fold in the navy, cannellini, kidney and Great Northern beans until completely coated with the sweet and smoky sauce.
7. Bake at 350°F
Place the uncovered skillet in the oven and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until the beans are hot, bubbling and the sauce has thickened.
Top with cooked or partially cooked bacon strips toward the end of baking for a crisp bacon finish.
8. Rest & Serve
Remove from the oven and allow the baked beans to rest for several minutes before serving. Top each serving with diced onions and scallions, and crispy chopped bacon.
Chef Charles Knight’s Secret to Better Baked Beans
Make them the day before.
Homemade baked beans often taste even better the next day. Refrigerating them overnight gives the smoky bacon, caramelized onion, brown sugar and savory sauce more time to come together.
Reheat slowly and serve hot.
What to Serve with Baked Beans
These BBQ baked beans with bacon are an ideal side dish for:
- BBQ baby back ribs
- Pulled pork
- Smoked brisket
- Hamburgers and hot dogs
- BBQ chicken
- Grilled or smoked sausage
- Potato salad
- Coleslaw
- Cornbread
- Silver Queen corn
A Classic American BBQ Side Dish
Beans have been cultivated in North America for centuries, including by Indigenous peoples long before European settlement. Later American baked-bean traditions incorporated ingredients such as pork and sweeteners, eventually developing into the familiar sweet-and-savory dish enjoyed today.
From backyard cookouts and family reunions to holiday tables, homemade baked beans remain one of America's classic comfort-food side dishes.
Chef Charles Knight’s version adds a modern twist with four beans, bacon, jalapeño and Pepsi while keeping the rich, comforting character that makes traditional baked beans so popular.
Make Your Next BBQ Unforgettable
Whether you're planning a summer cookout, backyard BBQ, family reunion, potluck or holiday dinner, Chef Charles Knight’s Homestyle Skillet Baked Beans with Bacon deliver the sweet, smoky and savory flavor everyone expects from a great bowl of homemade baked beans.
Cooking is Chemistry.™
Chef Charles Knight
Health Craft — Helping People Live a Longer, Healthier Life