Chef John's Classic Boston Baked Beans
Chef John's Classic Boston Baked Beans balance deep molasses sweetness with smoky bacon and a hint of mustard for a rich, slow-cooked flavor. The tender navy beans develop a glossy, caramelized crust that makes each spoonful hearty and comforting. Serve this crowd-pleaser at weekend cookouts, potlucks, or alongside grilled meats for a timeless New England side.
- Prep15 mins
- Cook2 hrs 30 mins
- Serves6
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John's Classic Boston Baked Beans, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactPoor
- 39 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 8 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 92 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 28
- Heart Health
- 44
- Metabolic
- 52
- Digestive
- 22
- Inflammatory
- 44
- Performance
- 43
- General Wellness
- 1
Put the navy beans in a large bowl, cover with several inches of cool water, and let them soak overnight.
- 2
Drain the beans; place them in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with 6 cups water, the baking soda, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve the bean-cooking liquid.
- 3
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
- 4
Put the beans in a clean Dutch oven; add the bacon, onion, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper. Pour in enough hot reserved bean-cooking liquid to cover the beans, then stir.
- 5
Cover the Dutch oven and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Check the liquid level and add more reserved bean-cooking liquid to cover the beans. Return to the oven and continue baking until the beans are tender and almost all the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour.
- 6
Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Uncover the beans and continue baking until the top forms a flavorful crust, 20 to 30 minutes more.
- Calories 343.87 kcal Moderate 17%
- Protein 17.82 g Good Source 36%
- Carbohydrate 48.42 g 18%
- Total Fat 10.8 g Moderate 14%
- Saturated Fat 4.11 g High 21%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 20.08 mg Moderate 7%
- Sodium 742.28 mg High 32%
- Dietary Fiber 11.25 g Good Source 40%
- Total Sugars 32.77 g --
- Added Sugars 9.94 g Moderate 20%
- Calcium 59.02 mg Low Source 5%
- Iron 2.63 mg Moderate 15%
- Potassium 587.98 mg Moderate 13%
- Vitamin A 1.4 mcg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin C 16.22 mg Moderate 18%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Mustard
- Onions 🧅
About This Recipe
Chef John's Classic Boston Baked Beans is made with 11 ingredients and serves 6. It takes about 2 hrs 45 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Baking Soda, Black Pepper, Dark Brown Sugar, and Diced Yellow Onion. Each serving provides about 343.87 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chef John's Classic Boston Baked Beans made of?
- The main ingredients are Baking Soda, Black Pepper, Dark Brown Sugar, Diced Yellow Onion, Dried Bay Leaves. The full list of 11 is above.
- How long does it take to make Chef John's Classic Boston Baked Beans?
- About 2 hrs 45 mins in total: 15 mins to prepare and 2 hrs 30 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 343.87 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John's Classic Boston Baked Beans easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 11 ingredients and 6 steps.
- Is Chef John's Classic Boston Baked Beans healthy?
- Chef John's Classic Boston Baked Beans has an easyChef Pro health score of 43/100. Per serving, it provides 343.87 calories and 17.82 g of protein, or 36% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 742.28 mg (32% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 4.11 g (21% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 9.94 g (20% of the Daily Value). It contains Mustard and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required