Brown sugar, barbecue sauce, and smoky hardwood come together in these Smoked Baked Beans. Sweet, savory, and smoky, they're a hearty side for backyard barbecues or meaty mains.
Why You'll Love This Smoked Baked Beans Recipe
Smoked baked beans are a delicious and versatile dish. They a great side for picnics, family gatherings, and cookouts, and they go with all sorts of grilled meats, such as burgers, hot dogs, and steaks. Smoked baked beans can be easily made in a smoker or your conventional oven.
- Delicious on their own as a side dish, hot or cold.
- Can be served as a main course or a side dish.
- Smoked baked beans can be made ahead of time and brought to picnics.
Ingredients Overview
I used dry Pinto beans, but white Navy beans or Great Northern beans are also popular for baked beans. You can also use canned beans, just be sure to drain off the excess liquid so your smoked baked beans don't get too soupy.
Dry Beans to Canned Beans Ratio
1 pound of dried beans = 4 cans of drained, canned beans (15.5 to 16 oz per can).
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Smoked Baked Beans
This recipe is easy to make and produces beans that are smoky, sweet, and delicious. You can bake them in your oven, or smoke them in your Traeger smoker grill along with our Double Smoked Ham and classic potato salad, and serve them side by side for a feast!
Pro Tip
The recipe card includes cooking instructions for making these baked beans in the your conventional oven, in case you don't have a Traeger or smoker.
Step 1: Using a cast iron skillet, saute the bacon until almost crisp, reserving one strip of uncooked bacon to cut and top the baked beans before final cooking.
Step 2: Lower heat to medium, and add the diced onion, diced green bell pepper, and minced jalapeno to the cast iron skillet. Cook until the peppers brighten in color, onions fragrant, and softening, about 4 - 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the cooked pinto beans to the skillet of bacon, onions, and peppers.
Step 4: Stir in the brown sugar, barbecue sauce, water, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt to blend all ingredients.
Step 5: Preheat your conventional oven to 225 F, or preheat your Traeger smoker grill to 225 F, with the lid down.
Step 6: Cut the last piece of uncooked bacon into 1" bits and scatter over the top of the skillet filled with the beans and sauce mixture.
Step 7: Bake in the oven or smoker for 2 - 3 hours, or until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened. Remove from oven or smoker and serve hot or cold!
Serving Suggestions
These beans are a classic BBQ side dish that can be made ahead of time. These smoky, sweet, and hearty beans are great hot or cold. Serve these beans with your favorite BBQ meats, such as Instant Pot St Louis Ribs, Instant Pot Pork Butt, or Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders.
Serve them with hot dogs, hamburgers, Traeger Chicken Kabobs, or Barbecued Pork Ribs.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations or substitutions when making this recipe.
- Bean Swap: You can use other types of beans like pinto, kidney, or black beans instead of navy beans.
- Dry Bean Conversion: If using dry beans, substitute ⅔ cup of dry beans for every can of beans. Pressure cook them in an Instant Pot on High for 45 minutes with 1 inch of water covering the beans.
- BBQ Sauce Flavor: Experiment with different types of barbecue sauce-sweet, smoky, or spicy-to change the overall flavor profile.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making this recipe:
- Quality Bacon: Use a good quality bacon. It adds essential flavor and smokiness to the beans.
- Tender, Not Mushy: Aim for tender beans that still hold their shape. "Low and slow" cooking is key to achieving this perfect texture.
- Ample Smoke Time: Smoke the beans for at least 2 hours. This duration is crucial for developing that characteristic smoky flavor.
- Slow Cooker Option: If preferred, you can also make these beans in a slow cooker on the low setting for about 8 hours.
Storage Options
Some recommended storage options for this recipe are:
- Refrigeration: Store leftover smoked baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: For longer storage, allow the beans to cool completely, then transfer them to freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat smoked baked beans gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the microwave, stirring every minute or so, or in an oven at 300-325°F (150-160°C) until hot. If they seem dry, add a splash of water or broth.
Related Recipes
- Red Hot and Blue Potato Salad
- Instant Pot Chili No Beans
- Instant Pot St. Louis Ribs
- Texas Cowboy Beans
- BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use canned beans in this recipe. However, you may want to drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the pot so your beans don't get too soupy.
Yes, you can make this smoked baked beans recipe in a slow cooker. Simply combine all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Yes, you can make this smoked baked beans recipe ahead of time and reheat it later. Simply follow the instructions and then store the beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the beans in a baking dish and bake at 300 F for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.
1 pound of dried beans = 4 cans of drained, canned beans (15.5 to 16 oz per can).
Traeger Grilling Recipes
Get The Recipe!
Smoked Baked Beans
Equipment
- Grill or Smoker
- 9 inch Round Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb pinto beans dry or canned
- 4 oz bacon 6 slices
- 1 onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 small jalapeno cored and minced
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup barbecue sauce your favorite
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon mustard any type
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook the dry pinto beans in your Instant Pot covered in water on high pressure for 45 minutes, then drain after a natural release. Or, use 4 cans of drained, cooked Pinto beans.1 lb pinto beans
- Using a cast iron skillet, saute the bacon until almost crisp, reserving one strip of uncooked bacon to cut and top the baked beans before final cooking.4 oz bacon
- Lower heat to medium, and add the diced onion, diced green bell pepper, and minced jalapeno to the cast iron skillet. Cook until the peppers brighten in color, onions fragrant, and softening, about 4 - 5 minutes.1 onion, 1 bell pepper, 1 small jalapeno
- Add the cooked pinto beans to the skillet of bacon, onions, and peppers.
- Stir in the brown sugar, barbecue sauce, water, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt to blend all ingredients.¼ cup brown sugar, ½ cup barbecue sauce, ½ cup water, 2 tablespoon mustard, 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Preheat your conventional oven to 225 F, or preheat your Traeger smoker grill to 225 F, with the lid down.
- Cut the last piece of uncooked bacon into 1" bits and scatter over the top of the skillet filled with the beans and sauce mixture.
- Bake in the oven or smoker for 2 - 3 hours, or until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Remove from oven or smoker and serve hot or cold!
Notes
- Quality Bacon: Use a good quality bacon. It adds essential flavor and smokiness to the beans.
- Tender, Not Mushy: Aim for tender beans that still hold their shape. "Low and slow" cooking is key to achieving this perfect texture.
- Ample Smoke Time: Smoke the beans for at least 2 hours. This duration is crucial for developing that characteristic smoky flavor.
- Slow Cooker Option: If preferred, you can also make these beans in a slow cooker on the low setting for about 8 hours.
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