Boston baked beans

Name: Boston baked beans
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 500g dried haricot beans, soaked overnight; 1 onion, chopped; 150g smoked streaky bacon, chopped; 3 tbsp black treacle; 2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar; 1 tbsp English mustard; 2 tbsp tomato ketchup; 1 tbsp cider vinegar; 1 tsp salt; 600ml water

Slow baked beans with salty pork and a dark treacle sweetness, proper barbecue side.

Time3 hr 15
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.52 a head
Oven150°C (130°C fan)

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

8 servings

Ingredients

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500 gdried haricot beanssoaked overnight
1onionchopped
150 gsmoked streaky baconchopped
3 tbspblack treacle
2 tbspsoft dark brown sugar
1 tbspEnglish mustard
2 tbsptomato ketchup
1 tbspcider vinegar
1 tspsalt
600 mlwater

Method

1
Drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water and boil hard for 10 minutes. Skim, then simmer for 30 minutes until just tender. Drain, keeping 300ml of the liquid.
40 min
2
Heat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan).
3
Fry the bacon in a casserole for 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
10 min
4
Stir in the treacle, sugar, mustard, ketchup, vinegar and salt. Add the beans and the saved liquid.
5
Cover and bake for 2 hours, stirring once, then uncover for 30 minutes to thicken.
150 min
6
The beans should be soft in a thick dark sauce. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.