Air fryer baked beans are a delicious classic comfort food. You can easily make baked beans from scratch that are full of flavor! With just a few simple ingredients, you will have the perfect summer side dish in minutes!
These baked beans from scratch are not only delicious, they are so easy make! You just need a few ingredients, and a casserole dish. Because you are making it from scratch, you can choose the amount of sweetness or spicy too.
Air fried baked beans are so fast and simple to make, so you can actually have them year round, without having to wait for a summer backyard BBQ!
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WHY I LOVE THIS RECIPE
I love making air fryer baked beans because the flavors blend together perfectly. The light sweetness mixed with the onion and garlic, along with the tangy flavors of BBQ, make this air fried baked beans recipe a family favorite.
This recipe is also easily adaptable so you can switch it up by adding your favorite chopped veggies to it for variety. Or add more spices to make it hot, or more honey for sweetness. No matter how you make it, each bite will just melt in your mouth!
WHY MAKE BAKED BEANS FROM SCRATCH
You can easily grab canned beans. That's what I used to think too. Until I made this baked beans recipe. This is such a simple recipe, but it makes such a big difference in flavor! This is one of those delicious recipes that everyone will ask you for when they try it.
My husband has tried every brand of baked bean flavors and has declared this recipe to be the best! And now, he wants it as a side dish every time we make dinners like this air fryer steak, air fryer hot dogs, air fryer bacon wrapped hot dogs, or air fryer hamburgers.
INGREDIENTS
- one can of pork and beans- this is the base of the recipe and will give it the beans without having to soak beans for hours.
- Honey BBQ sauce or Hickory and Brown Sugar BBQ sauce-these ingredients provide the hickory, mesquite, or sweetness to the recipe.
- white or yellow onion, finely chopped
- regular cut cooked bacon, crumbled- or bacon bits
- molasses
- Worcestershire sauce
- brown sugar-you can also use honey or maple syrup. This will give a little bit of extra sweetness, but will also add a caramelization flavor that elevates the beans.
- minced garlic, about 1 clove
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1
First, grab a medium bowl, then add the pork and beans, BBQ sauce, onion, bacon, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and garlic.
STEP 2
Once the ingredients are all add to the bowl, stir together until they are well combined and the beans are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
STEP 3
Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish or silicone pot that fits in your air fryer basket. (Make sure you use an air fryer safe or oven safe dish.)
STEP 4
Air fry at 380 degrees F for 5-8 minutes, stirring the beans after the first three minutes of air frying.
EXPERT TIPS
Crispy bacon is easier to crumble for recipes, and can be made in the air fryer. To make bacon in the air fryer, preheat the Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the bacon slices in the basket of the air fryer in a single layer. (It's ok if the bacon overlaps a little)
Close the basket door and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes. Remove to a plate and blot with paper towels to soak up any excess grease before crumbling.
If you don't have time to make bacon, you can buy bacon pieces. A tablespoon of crumbled bacon or bacon bits, usually equals one slice of bacon.
Also, you can use leftover bacon and make bacon sandwiches for another meal or side to these delicious beans!
Stir the beans during the cooking process so the ingredients cook evenly.
Here are a few of our FAVORITE recommendations.
Cosori Dual Blaze Air Fryer - Digital Meat Thermometer - Air Fryer All Day
VARIATIONS
These air fryer baked beans have just the right amount of flavor! However, if you want to add more flavors or variety, you can easily do that!
For extra sweet beans, add another tablespoon of brown sugar, maple syrup or honey to the mixture before air frying. Whenever you add maple syrup, it will add a different and unique flavor to the beans.
If you prefer hot and spicy rather than sweet, add chopped jalapenos, hot sauce, a teaspoon of chili powder or cayenne pepper to the beans.
The diced onions may have a very slight crunch to them, even after air frying. So, to avoid this, you can sauté them before adding them to the bean mixture. If using sweet onions, this will also enhance the sweetness of the beans and give them extra flavor.
Another idea, is for a heartier baked bean recipe with a savory taste, add in a pound of cooked ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, or sliced hot dogs or sausage. Similarly, you can also add more vegetables like a chopped green bell pepper, or tomatoes.
STORING AND REHEATING
To store leftover baked beans, first let the beans cool to room temperature. Then store them in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Whenever you are ready to reheat, air fry for 3-5 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water of broth if extra liquid is needed to get the perfect texture and thickness.
FAQS
Yes! I like to make it a day or two in advance and then heat them when I'm ready to serve them. Surprisingly, they can taste better after sitting in the barbecue sauce and all of my favorite seasonings.
You can change the flavor of the beans by changing the flavor of the BBQ sauce. We've tried a bunch of sauces like hickory and brown sugar, sweet and spicy, or just original. Feel free to try them all until your find your favorite combination!
MORE AIR FRYER SIDE DISH RECIPES
Making air-fried baked beans is the best way to make this delicious summer time side dish! You will love it!
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Baked Beans
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 28 ounces pork and beans
- 1 cup honey barbecue sauce or hickory and brown sugar BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup onion diced
- 5 slices bacon finely crumbled
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the pork and beans, BBQ sauce, onion, bacon, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and garlic.
- Stir the ingredients until all ingredients are well combined and the beans are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish or silicone pot that fits in your air fryer basket. (Make sure you use an air fryer safe or oven safe dish.)
- Air fry at 380 degrees F for 5-8 minutes, stirring the beans after the first three minutes of air frying.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you're using with each recipe.
©AirFryingFoodie 2024
billy
5-stars for using an air fryer to cook the baked beans in! Nobody ever would think of that, since it just makes more sense to cook in the micowave to most!