Crockpot Baked Beans With Salt Pork or Bacon

Crock Pot Baked Beans

The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 9 hrs
Soak Time: 12 hrs
Total: 21 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Our Boston-style baked beans are a breeze to prepare, as pretty much all the hard work falls on your crock pot. This flavorful recipe can be made with either navy or small white beans; simply choose what's easier to find or what has a better price at the store. Molasses—the Boston trick for beans—with salt pork, brown sugar, and onions make these beans shine for a wonderful dish that's filling, budget friendly, and easy to make.

There has been a great deal of debate over whether or not you must soak your beans before cooking. Soaking overnight will not dramatically change the cooking time, so feel free to do as you please.

Use salt pork, a deliciously decadent type of pork belly, or go for everyone's favorite, bacon. Either way, these beans are a dish that you might make over and over, as they're succulent, creamy, and have the perfect balance of sweet and savory, complemented by the earthy flavors of the pork. Serve the dish as a side to barbecue dishes such as hot dogs, burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, or ribs. Cornbread and tortillas are excellent accompaniments to these beans.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry white beans, soaked

  • 1/3 cup molasses

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

  • 1 cup onion, chopped

  • 1/4 pound salt pork, soaked and rinsed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, or diced bacon

  • 6 cups water

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, or 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

  • Salt, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In the slow cooker, combine the soaked beans, molasses, brown sugar, onion, salt pork or bacon, and water. If needed, add more water to cover the beans.

  3. Place the lid on and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally.

  4. Add the Dijon mustard, taste test, and season with salt. Stir well and continue cooking for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the liquids are thin, turn the slow cooker to high and leave the cover ajar.

  5. Once the beans are thick and creamy and the cooking time has passed, serve immediately with your favorite sides.

  6. Enjoy!

Spicy Beans

If you like spicy beans, here are two tasty variations on our recipe:

  • Spicy tomato: Reduce the molasses to 3 tablespoons and increase the brown sugar to 1/3 cup. Place all ingredients in the crock pot and cook as directed. When the beans are cooked and tender, add the mustard, taste test for salt, and add 1/4 cup of ketchup, 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder. Cook the beans for about 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. If desired, add about 1/2 cup of diced green bell peppers.
  • Jalapeño baked beans: Reduce the molasses to 1/4 cup. Add 2 tablespoons of minced jalapeño pepper alongside the initial ingredients and cook as directed. Once the beans are tender, add the mustard, taste test for salt, and add 4 tablespoons of tomato paste and about 1/4 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper.

Speeding Up the Cooking Process

If you don't have all the time it takes to make the beans in the crock pot but want to enjoy this dish, simply simmer the beans on the stovetop first:

  • Cover the beans with cold water and bring the pot to a boil.
  • Simmer until tender and drain.
  • Place the beans in the crock pot for 3 hours on low, stirring occasionally.
  • Add salt and mustard and cook for an extra 15 to 20 minutes until creamy and thick.

How do you rinse salt pork?

You need to soak and rinse your salt pork to get rid of the excessive amounts of salt it has on it:

  • Start by scraping off any salt you see on the surface.
  • Place the piece of salt pork in a container with clean water and let soak for a minimum of 2 hours, changing the water two or three times. Some allow the pork to soak overnight, with a few changes in the soaking water as well, but 2 hours seems to be enough to get rid of the excess sodium.
  • Once soaked, give it a quick rinse under running water and pat dry before slicing.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
260 Calories
12g Fat
33g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 260
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 12mg 4%
Sodium 522mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 98mg 8%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 588mg 13%
*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.)