My Mom’s Famous Calico Baked Beans

Get this simple recipe for my mom’s famous calico baked beans! A medley of tender beans bakes in an easy, made-from-scratch BBQ sauce. These are literally the best baked beans ever!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My husband, the BBQ King, has declared these the best baked beans in the history of ever. We’ve made these for years and have yet to find a restaurant or other recipe even come close. -Bri H.

4 Reasons to Make These Baked Beans

These calico baked beans are famous all the way from Texas to Oklahoma to Montana (all the places I lived growing up!). My mom made them for almost every gathering. They are some of the best baked beans ever!

Here’s why you should make them:

1. They are a bit more interesting and delicious than classic baked beans thanks to the 3-bean medley (pinto, cannellini, and black beans).
2. The recipe is super simple! Cook bacon, onions, and then throw everything together and bake until hot and bubbling. SO EASY!
3. These beans can be assembled and cooked in a slow cooker AND they can be made ahead of time (instructions below). In fact, the flavor gets even better with time!
4. They are the perfect side dish. Every single time I serve these or bring them anywhere, they are the first side dish gone, and I’m always swarmed for the recipe.

Ingredients Notes

• Pinto beans: Look for pinto beans canned without any additional ingredients (other than salt). Using chili beans or baked beans will alter the flavor of the overall dish.
• White kidney beans: These are often labeled as cannellini beans. They are the exact same thing, so either one will work great in this recipe.
• Black beans: All the beans can be drained and rinsed together in the same colander.
• Bacon: Chop the bacon into small pieces before cooking in the pan. Cook until golden and crisp and then remove to a paper-towel lined plate (but keep 1 or 2 teaspoons bacon grease in the pan for cooking the onion).
• Chopped onion: White or yellow onions will work just fine. I’ve used shallots before with good results, too.
• Ketchup: I always use the Heinz brand of ketchup. Different brands of ketchup will vary in sweetness and flavor, so taste as you go, and adjust salt and sugar as needed.
• Brown sugar: This ingredient lends the classic sweetness to the baked beans. Some readers have used half brown sugar and half molasses for deeper flavor.
• Chicken broth: You can sub in beef broth or water, if desired. Just make sure to taste and add additional salt, if needed.
• Vinegar: I’ve used apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar with good results. This ingredient gives a delightful, necessary tang to the sauce to offset the sweetness.
• Dry mustard: This ingredient is important, so don’t leave it out. In a pinch, you can use prepared yellow mustard in place of the dry mustard powder.
• Worcestershire sauce: Although there is only a small amount of Worcestershire sauce in the recipe, it adds a flavor kick to the sauce.
• Cornstarch: This ingredient is optional for a thicker sauce.

Bonus Tip: These beans are lightly sauced. For saucier beans, 1 1/2 all the sauce ingredients (except the cornstarch). I almost always do this, especially if I’m making the beans ahead of time.

Make-Ahead and Slow Cooker Notes

• Make-Ahead: To make these beans ahead of time, follow the recipe through step #6. Stir all the ingredients together and refrigerate, covered, for up to 48 hours. When you are ready to enjoy them, scoop the beans into an oven-safe dish and bake per the recipe.
• Slow Cooker: The beans, cooked bacon and onions, and sauce can be stirred together and cooked on low in a slow cooker for 3 to 4 hours. 
• Beef: Lots of readers (and my mom, who gave me this recipe) add cooked, crumbled ground beef to the beans for a heartier/meatier version.

These calico baked beans are exceptional! My mom made these all the time while I was growing up. They were her signature dish (and people went crazy for them every time she brought them anywhere).

I’m honored to carry on that tradition. They are truly some of the best baked beans on the planet. Thanks, mom!

My Mom’s Famous Calico Beans

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

4.67 stars (56 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 15-ounce can pinto beans
• 15-ounce can white kidney/cannellini beans
• 15-ounce can black beans
• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup ketchup
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon apple cider or red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional for a thicker sauce)

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 3-quart baking dish (see note).
• Drain and rinse all the beans (you can dump them all in the same colander). Set aside.
• In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Scoop the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate. Remove excess bacon grease from the pan, leaving 1 to 2 teaspoons in the pan to cook the onions in the next step.
• Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and add the beans and cooked bacon.
• To the pan, add the ketchup, brown sugar, broth, vinegar, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and cornstarch, if using. Stir to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
• Scrape beans and sauce into the prepared baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 to 60 minutes.
• Serve the beans warm. The beans will thicken as they cool.

Notes

Sauce: These beans are lightly sauced. For saucier beans, 1 1/2 all the sauce ingredients (except the cornstarch). 

Slow Cooker Variation: The beans, cooked bacon and onions, and sauce can be stirred together and cooked on low in a slow cooker for 3 to 4 hours. 

Baking Dish: I use a 3-quart baking dish for these beans which is a little smaller than a 9X13. If you are using a 9X13-inch, decrease the baking time by 10 to 15 minutes so the beans don’t dry out.

Alternately, if you have an oven safe pan (like this one), you can use it to cook the bacon, saute the onions, and assemble the beans – and then cover with the lid and bake right in the same pan. 

Author: Mel

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Method: Bake

Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 452kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 1109mg, Fiber: 14g, Sugar: 20g

Recommended Products

Over-the-Sink Colander

White Ceramic 9X13-inch Dish

12-Inch Nonstick Skillet

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from my mom’s recipe

Recipe originally posted August 2014; updated June 2026 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.

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