The first time I attempted these legendary Durgin Park Baked Beans, I visited Boston for an unexpectedly canceled conference due to a massive snowstorm. Stranded in my hotel room with unexpected free time, I decided to make the most of it by trying to recreate a dish I’d fallen in love with during my first visit to the historic Durgin Park restaurant years earlier.
I called the concierge, who helped me secure the ingredients and even loaned me a sturdy Dutch oven from the hotel kitchen. As the snow piled against the windows and the wind howled through the streets of Boston, the rich aroma of molasses, bacon, and slowly cooking beans gradually transformed my sterile hotel suite into something that felt remarkably like home.
What began as a way to pass the time became a delicious connection to Boston’s culinary history—these beans have been served at Durgin Park since 1827, when the restaurant first opened in Faneuil Hall Marketplace. This recipe takes time, but you will love the Boston baked beans, they are sweet-savory result transforms humble ingredients into something extraordinary that connects us to generations of Bostonians. Trust me, your patience will be rewarded!
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Why This Recipe Works
The magic of this Boston tradition, these baked beans, lies in the slow transformation during those six hours in the oven. The baking soda pre-treatment helps soften the beans’ skins, allowing them to absorb flavor while maintaining their shape. Meanwhile, the molasses caramelizes slowly, the bacon fat renders its smoky essence, and the mustard provides a subtle sharpness that balances the sweetness. The result is a complex harmony of flavors that is impossible to achieve with quicker cooking methods. You can’t get better-tasting beans than this classic recipe.
Ingredients
- Pepper – Provides gentle background warmth and dimension
- Dry white beans – Navy beans or Great Northern Beans are recommended as they provide a hearty base with a creamy texture that absorbs surrounding flavors
- Baking soda – Softens the bean skins and helps reduce potential digestive issues
- Yellow onion – Creates a savory foundation layer and natural sweetness
- Bacon – Contributes smoky depth and rich fat that permeates the entire dish
- Sugar – Balances the molasses and adds caramelized sweetness
- Dark Molasses – Delivers the signature dark sweetness and color unique to New England beans
- Dry mustard powder – Adds subtle sharpness and complexity that balances the sweet elements
- Salt – Enhances all flavors and helps beans absorb surrounding seasonings
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Check the water level every 2 hours and add a small amount to keep the beans from drying out. Be careful not to add too much water.
- Place the dry white beans in a large bowl and cover completely with cold water, allowing at least 2 inches of water above the beans. Let soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- Drain and rinse the soaked beans thoroughly under cold running water the next day.
- Transfer the beans to a large pot and add enough fresh water to cover by about 1 inch. Add the teaspoon of baking soda and stir gently.
- Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. You’ll notice some foam developing on the surface, this is normal.
- Drain the beans in a colander and rinse well with cold water. At this stage, they should still be quite firm.
- Preheat your oven to 300°F.
- Spread the chopped onion evenly across the bottom of your 3-quart ovenproof casserole dish.
- Sprinkle half of the chopped bacon over the onion layer.
- Add all the partially cooked beans on top of the bacon layer.
- Distribute the remaining bacon pieces evenly over the beans.
- Combine the sugar, molasses, dry mustard powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly until well blended.
- Pour this sweet-savory mixture evenly over the beans and bacon. Do not stir.
- Carefully add just enough water to cover the beans, not disturbing the layers barely.
- Cover the casserole dish with its lid or tight-fitting aluminum foil (now, if you are lucky, you should use your bean pot.)
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 6 hours.
Chef’s Notes
The key to exceptional baked beans is patience. Don’t rush the cooking time or try to increase the temperature. The slow, gentle heat lets the flavors meld beautifully without breaking the beans into mush. If your casserole doesn’t have a tight-fitting lid, use aluminum foil and then place a baking sheet on top to weigh it down slightly—this helps prevent too much moisture loss.
Storage and Reheating
- Reheating: Warm gently in a 300°F oven, covered, adding a tablespoon or two of water if needed
- Refrigerator: Store cooled beans in an airtight container for up to 5 days
- Freezer: Freeze in portion-sized containers for up to 3 months
Authentic Durgin Park Baked Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds dry white beans
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 pound chopped bacon divided use
- 8 tablespoons sugar
- 2/3 cup molasses
- 2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cover the beans with water and let them soak overnight.
- The next day, drain and rinse the beans and place them in a pot with enough water to cover. Add the baking soda and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse. The beans should not be fully cooked at this point.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Place the chopped onion in the bottom of a 3-quart ovenproof casserole dish. Add half the bacon, followed by all the beans, and top with remaining bacon.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, molasses, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well and pour this mixture over the beans. Without stirring, add just enough water to the casserole to barely cover.
- Cover the dish and bake for 6 hours. Check the beans occasionally as you may need to add a little water, but be careful not to add too much.
Nutrition
Love beans? Try these recipes!
- Baked Beans with Smoked Sausage
- BBQ Baked Beans
- Calico Beans
- Chili’s Black Beans
- Cracker Barrel Baked Beans
- Pappasito’s Charro Beans
- Popeyes Red Beans and Rice
Check out my easy side dish recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes on CopyKat!
I purchased the original recipe along with a bean pot at the restaurant in 1964. This is it, except it substitutes bacon for the original salt pork, diced 1”x 1/2”, which makes a world of difference. These beans are so good, it prompted me to buy the pot & recipe for my mom, as I was on a high school church fellowship trip to Boston. I have made it many many times since then (I’m 76). I have crockpot cooked it and pressure cooked it, but it never comes out quite like slow baking. It does not foam! Read the recipe and rinse off the baking soda parboil solution!
I have been making this recipe for 1o years and it is absolutely the best one out there. Do not change a thing!
Their recipe also uses cinnamon and clove
The original recipe uses 1 lb. very lean salt pork cut into 3/4 inch cubes vice bacon. Watch the beans closely when bringing to a boil with the baking soda as it will quickly boil over. Expect allot of foam.
Mom used 1 lb. of beans and cut back on the Sugar, salt, and pepper. I eliminate the salt and use half the sugar.
These sound delicious…how about using a crockpot?
That sounds like a great idea.
These were great I took them to a family reunion and everyone loved them!