Knockwurst recipes might be hard to come by, and I know it's a big claim to say these are the best baked beans ever -- but really, they are! This knockwurst and beans combination has been in my family for years, and they were the most delicious when my mom made them.

Terra Cotta round dish with knockwurst and beans.

When I came to the knockwurst recipes in my Grandmother's recipe collection, my jaw dropped. For real!

My mom used to make this knockwurst and beans recipe regularly, and I loved it. Unless you're someone who doesn't eat meat, I promise, you will too.

This knockwurst recipe is no joke! It's a bunch of crazy tasty ingredients that marry together in a low oven all day long. All day!

I know what you're thinking -- as you eye the bacon below in the photos below . . .

No, this is not the healthiest recipe in the world, it's knockwurst and beans, after all. Knockwurst! If it's not often, and not too much, it's okay! In my humble opinion, of course. 😉

Unlike my Grandmother's Stuffed Cabbage recipe, this one I only changed a tiny bit -- less molasses. (Not to worry, there's still plenty!)

How to Make it

- Preheat the oven to 225℉, and adjust a rack to the center.

- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the beans, draining only about ½ of the liquid from each one before doing so.

- In an approximately 5 quart Dutch oven, or other oven proof pot, add about ⅓ of the bean mixture. Then as evenly as possible, drizzle about a third of the ketchup, half of the molasses, and 1 tablespoon of the Worcestershire sauce on top. Next sprinkle about ½ cup of the onions. Add one layer of the bacon on top of the onions, so that the ingredients are covered completely. (You can cut the bacon strips in half if necessary.)

Large red Dutch oven filled with beans with a layer of bacon on top.

Large red Dutch oven filled with beans with a layer of bacon on top, with some raw diced onion poking through.

- Repeat the above layering process two more times, but on the last time, there will be no molasses.

- Cover the pot and place it on a baking sheet in the preheated 225℉ oven for 7 hours. Remove it from the oven, add the knockwurst and then bake for 1 more hour.

Large red Dutch oven filled with knockwurst and beans with some dripping off the sides.

What makes this one of the best knockwurst recipes?

The bacon is the key! I absolutely love how the bacon cooks in whole strips -- seeping its smoky, salty juices into the beans as it becomes soft and tender.

More Must-Try Comforting Recipes with Beans

I hope you enjoy knockwurst and beans as much as my family and I do. It's a treat.

Baked Beans with Knockwurst and Bacon in a round terra cotta bowl.

Knockwurst and Baked Beans Recipe

Valentina K. Wein

This knockwurst and beans combination has been in my family for years, and they were the most delicious when my mom made them.

5 from 4 votes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 20

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 689 kcal

Equipment

5 to 6-quart Dutch oven

Ingredients

2 (15-ounce cans) black beans
2 (15-ounce cans) kidney beans
⅔ cup ketchup, divided
⅓ cup molasses, divided
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
1 ½ cups yellow onion, finely chopped, divided
12 ounces bacon (about 9 strips)
4 knockwurst, cut into ½-inch slices

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 225℉ (see notes), and adjust a rack to the center.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the 4 cans of beans, draining only about ½ of the liquid from each one before doing so.
In an approximately 5 quart Dutch oven, or other oven proof pot, add about ⅓ of the bean mixture. Then as evenly as possible, drizzle about a third of the ketchup, half of the molasses, and 1 tablespoon of the Worcestershire sauce on top. Next sprinkle about ½ cup of the onions. Add one layer of the bacon on top of the onions, so that the ingredients are covered completely. (You can cut the bacon strips in half if necessary.)
Repeat the above layering process two more times, but on the last time, there will be no molasses.
Cover the pot and place it on a baking sheet in the preheated 225℉ oven for 7 hours. Remove from the oven, add the knockwurst and then bake for 1 more hour.

NOTES

* I'm sure you could also make this recipe in a slow cooker. Believe it or not, I don't own one. (Gasp!)

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

NUTRITION

Keywords comfort food recipes for fall and winter, meals to make ahead

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Comments

Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction

January 22, 2016 at 7:40 am

This looks absolutely delicious, such a perfect meal!

- valentina
  
  January 22, 2016 at 12:23 pm
  
  Thanks, Marsha! Delicious it is! 🙂
  
Kavey

January 22, 2016 at 8:50 am

Really like the idea of a bacon lid as it's cooking, very cool!

- valentina
  
  January 22, 2016 at 12:23 pm
  
  This is definitely a case where the bacon makes it better! 😉 Thanks for visiting.
  
Elaina Newton (@TheRisingSpoon)

January 22, 2016 at 11:41 am

This looks ah-mazing! I love savory side dishes and sausage; however, I've never had knockwurst before. I think I need to fix that ASAP.

- valentina
  
  January 22, 2016 at 12:24 pm
  
  Thanks so much Elaina -- hope you try it & love it. 🙂
  
Stephanie Weaver, MPH

January 22, 2016 at 3:43 pm

This sounds amazing. Will try it at some point when I'm eating beans again, or maybe for a special occasion like a bbq.

For some reason, I thought I had added you to my Feedly long ago... just now realized I hadn't! Pinned and will pin your stuff from now on. Hope you are well.

- valentina
  
  January 22, 2016 at 4:37 pm
  
  Thanks, Stephanie! Appreciate it. Hope you're back on the beans soon. 😉 xo
  
April @ Girl Gone Gourmet

January 23, 2016 at 5:04 am

This looks so good! It's so cold here right now and all I'm craving is warm and cozy comfort food like this 🙂

- valentina
  
  January 23, 2016 at 9:51 pm
  
  Yes, it's super warming. Hope you try it. Thanks for visiting! 🙂
  
sippitysup

January 23, 2016 at 2:13 pm

Over the top is my middle name! GREG

- valentina
  
  January 23, 2016 at 9:51 pm
  
  🙂 love it, Greg.
  
David

January 24, 2016 at 10:21 am

Such comfort food! Should we ship some to the east coast? 🙂

- valentina
  
  January 24, 2016 at 3:02 pm
  
  An excellent idea, David. 😉 xo
  
Rick Roy

May 25, 2018 at 2:59 am

This is a wonderful recipe! My oven is broken so I used a dutch oven on the stove with low heat and had no problems at all. I snuck some out for a snack at 4 hours and it was good ... but at 8 hours, it was better. I'm looking forward to leftovers for lunch today.

- valentina
  
  May 25, 2018 at 3:48 pm
  
  Hi Rick, Thanks so much for sharing -- you made my day! 🙂 This is one of my all time favorites and I'm so happy you liked it too! Cheers and have a great weekend. ~Valentina
  
Dennis

June 04, 2025 at 4:35 am

This looks great. To make it in a slow cooker would you guess on low for 6-8 hours? Thanks.

- Valentina
  
  June 04, 2025 at 11:33 am
  
  Hi Dennis, Thanks for writing in. Yes, I think 6 to 8 is pretty accurate -- at a low temp, like 200 F. That said, the recipe has not been tested this way, but I think it should work well. Hope you love it! 🙂 ~Valentina
  
  - Dennis
    
    July 10, 2025 at 7:31 am
    
    This worked out great - just cut back on the amount of beans. Delicious thank you!
    
    - Valentina
      
      July 10, 2025 at 8:04 pm
      
      Hi Dennis. Thanks so much for writing in. Thrilled you liked this. Goes way back to my grandmother. 😀 ~Valentina

Knockwurst and the Best Baked Beans

How to Make it

What makes this one of the best knockwurst recipes?

More Must-Try Comforting Recipes with Beans