Sweet, spicy, and smoky, this twist on an American classic is packed full of flavor.
If you’re looking for a delicious smoked side dish to go with your brisket or ribs, there’s no better choice than these BBQ baked beans. They’re easy to make from scratch and have the perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavors that are beloved in Southern barbecue.
And these go perfectly as a side to pretty much any low and slow smoked meat. They deliver a beautiful level of heat, while they have just the right amount of sweetness to cut through the rich and salty flavors of big, smoked meat.
This is a slight twist on American smokehouse beans, where the practice of putting molasses to beans is popular, especially in Boston baked beans.
While similar recipes start with soaking and draining pinto beans (or the like) from scratch, I wanted to make this recipe faster and easier so I’ve jumped straight to baked beans.
Once these beans are done, they’ll have a sweet smell from the wood, while the long smoke time will make them thick and tender. All the added ingredients like onion and bacon will have blended in, and the skillet will have been on the smoker for long enough for all the added sugars and spice to have done their magic and melded in.
I made this as part of a platter, so made this on my charcoal kettle grill to one side while I had my meat going on my offset smoker. This helped save a load of space and let me just let the beans do their thing for a couple of hours while I got to work elsewhere. I had my kettle set up for the snake method, which is a reliable coal setup for good, solid high-ish smoker temperatures.
Quick Tips
- Make sure you go with thick–cut bacon for this recipe. It’s far less likely to dry out than regular bacon, and will impart much better flavor into the beans.
- Prefer a little less heat? Simply halve the amount of chili powder down to ¼ teaspoon
- If you’re smoking a hunk of meat at the same time as these beans, namely ribs or brisket, place a foil pan underneath to collect drippings as they cook. You can mix these drippings into the beans for an added layer of smoky, meaty flavor.
- Check on the beans every 30-60 minutes and add more liquid if they start looking dry. Baste or stir the beans to redistribute the liquid.
Smoked Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 cans baked beans
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and diced (or 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced)
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp chili powder adjust for desired heat
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Fire up smoker to 250-275°F (120-135°C). If you are using a grill, set it up for 2-zone cooking, with the temperature at 225°F on the indirect side.
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add the bacon and cook until browned and crispy. Remove the bacon from the skillet (keep the oil in the pan) and put to one side.
- Add the onion and jalapeño pepper to the oil and cook until soft, about 5 minutes
- Add the baked beans (undrained), crispy bacon, brown sugar, ketchup, BBQ sauce, and spices to the pot. Stir well to combine.
- Place the skillet in your warmed-up smoker. Stir occasionally and smoke uncovered until the flavors have melded and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 hours.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the smoker (the handle will be hot) and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving
