Looking for the ultimate potluck or BBQ side dish? These Hawaiian Baked Beans with Bacon and Pineapple combine sweet, smoky, and tangy flavors in one easy-to-make recipe. Juicy pineapple, crisp green bell pepper, smoky bacon, brown sugar, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce create a delicious twist on classic baked beans. Perfect for cookouts, picnics, and family gatherings, they're the kind of side dish that always disappears first.
Hawaiian Beans Inspiration
I love baked beans of all kinds and often bring them to potlucks or serve them at backyard barbecues. Whether it's hearty Texas-style Ranch Beans or my lighter Mexican Bean Salad, bean dishes are always a hit. This Hawaiian Beans recipe, adapted from one shared by good friends from Hawaii, has become one of my favorites. With just a few small tweaks, it's a recipe that never fails to earn rave reviews.
Why Make this Recipe for Hawaiian Beans?
- Effortless Preparation: This recipe is incredibly easy to put together. With simple steps and minimal prep work, you'll have a delicious dish ready in no time.
- Versatile Cooking Methods: You can cook these beans in a slow cooker for hands-off convenience, bake them in the oven, or simmer them on the stovetop.
- Flavor Explosion: The combination of beans, bacon, pineapple, onion, green pepper, and Worcestershire sauce creates a perfect blend of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors that will make your taste buds dance.
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Hawaiian Style Beans - The Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 6 slices applewood bacon diced
- 1 cup green pepper diced fine
- 1 cup sweet onion diced
- 1 6-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained (or an equal amount fresh pineapple finely diced)
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 14.5 ounce cans pork and beans in tomato sauce, slightly drained or 1 large 28 ounce can
Instructions
Brown the Bacon
- Finely dice the bacon and place it into a large skillet or multi-purpose cooker. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned and has rendered most of its fat. Low and slow is the way to go, you want cooked, soft bacon, with the rendered fat.
Saute the Vegetables
- While the bacon cooks, finely dice the green pepper and onion. You should have about 1 ½ tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan, if needed add a little neutral oil (or a spoonful of saved bacon fat if you have some). Add the green pepper and onion to the pan and cook, over medium heat, until soft, about 5 - 7 minutes.
Add the Beans and Pineapple
- Add the beans and partially drained pineapple. Stir to distribute well.
Build the Sauce
Nutrition
Ingredients and Why They Matter
- Ingredients and Why They Matter
- Thick-sliced bacon: Applewood-smoked bacon adds the best balance of smoky, savory flavor and holds its texture during baking. Regular bacon works too but won't provide quite as much smoky richness.
- Green bell pepper: Green peppers have a fresh, slightly earthy flavor that balances the sweetness of the beans and pineapple. Red, orange, or yellow bell peppers can be substituted if you prefer a sweeter taste.
- Onion: A sweet onion such as Maui or Vidalia melts into the sauce, adding gentle sweetness without overpowering the other ingredients. Any yellow onion is a perfectly good substitute.
- Pineapple: Crushed canned pineapple distributes its sweet-tart flavor evenly throughout the beans. If using fresh pineapple, mince it finely so it blends into the sauce rather than leaving large chunks.
- Canned pork and beans: Use plain pork and beans in tomato sauce as the base. Avoid flavored varieties like maple, brown sugar, or hickory smoked, as they'll compete with the homemade sauce.
- Ketchup: Provides the tomato base and classic barbecue-style flavor.
- Brown sugar: Adds rich molasses sweetness that balances the tangy ketchup and Worcestershire sauce while complementing the pineapple.
- Worcestershire sauce: Just a few tablespoons add savory depth and umami, tying the sweet, smoky, and tangy flavors together into a well-balanced sauce.
Guided Instructions
Brown the Bacon. Finely dice and pace the bacon into a large skillet or multi-purpose cooker insert.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occassionally, until the bacon is browned and has rendered most of it's fat. Low and slow is key here. You want flavorful bacon and rendered fat, not crispy bacon with burned bits.
While the bacon renders its fat and browns, finely dice the green pepper.
And the onion.
Saute the Vegetables: You should have 1 to 1/12 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan. If needed, add a little neutral oil, or a spoonful of saced bacon fat, (if you have some on hand). Add rhe onions and green pepper and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 5 - 7 minutes.
Add the Beans and Pineapple: Stir in the beans and partially drained crushed pineapple. Mixing the pineapple with the vegetables first helps distribute the sweet-tart flavor throughout the beans.
Build the Sauce: Add the ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until evenlly mixed.
Choose Your Cooking Method:
- Multi-Purpose Cooker or crockpot: Set to slow-cook low for 3 hours or high for 1 hour.
- Oven: Heat the oven to 300ºF (149ºC) and cook, covered, for 1 hour.
FAQ
Yes. Green bell pepper is my first choice because its fresh, slightly earthy flavor balances the sweetness of the pineapple and brown sugar while complementing the smoky bacon. Red, yellow, or orange bell peppers will work just fine, but they'll make the beans a bit sweeter overall. If that's a flavor profile you enjoy, feel free to substitute your favorite.
Absolutely! In fact, they're even better after a day or two in the refrigerator, giving the sweet, smoky, and savory flavors time to meld. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, then reheat gently on the stovetop or in a 325°F (165°C) oven until hot before serving.
Yes! The beans are still delicious without the bacon. For a hint of smoky flavor, add a few drops of liquid smoke or a pinch of smoked paprika. You can also sauté the onion and green bell pepper in a little olive oil instead of the bacon drippings.
Storage
- Cool Completely: Allow the beans to cool to room temperature before storing them.
- Airtight Container: Transfer the beans to an airtight container to maintain freshness.
- Refrigerate: Store the container in the refrigerator. Leftover beans will keep for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing Option: For longer storage, you can freeze the beans. Place them in a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag. They will keep for up to 2-3 months.
- Reheat Properly: When ready to eat, reheat the beans on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
