BBQ Baked Beans
Sweet, smoky, with chunks of bacon. The pot that's always empty first. At every cookout I've ever hosted, the baked beans are the first side dish to run out. Not the potato salad, not the corn, not th
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon (diced)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cans (28 oz each) navy beans or pork and beans (drained)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
Stovetop and oven method
- Cook the diced bacon in a Dutch oven until crispy. Remove half the bacon and set aside for topping. Add diced onion to the bacon fat and cook until softened (5 minutes). Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add drained beans, brown sugar, BBQ sauce, mustard, Worcestershire, vinegar, and cayenne. Stir to combine. Transfer to the oven (covered) at 325°F for 1.5-2 hours until thick and bubbly. Top with reserved crispy bacon before serving.
Smoker method
- Follow the same steps on the stove, then transfer to a foil pan. Place on the smoker at 225°F (alongside your meat) for 1.5-2 hours. The beans absorb smoke flavor the same way mac and cheese does — the starchy surface captures the wood smoke beautifully. Leave uncovered for the last 30 minutes so the top gets slightly caramelized.