BBQ Baked Beans (Sweet, Smoky, With Bacon)
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Cook chopped bacon and onion in a dutch oven, stir in canned navy beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard and a splash of vinegar, then bake at 325 F for about 2 hours until the sauce is thick and the beans are tender and smoky.
BBQ baked beans are the side dish every cookout plate needs: navy beans simmered with bacon, brown sugar and tangy sauce until thick, smoky and glossy. They take 15 minutes of prep and 2 hours in the oven, and they taste like they cooked all day.
Why you’ll love it
- Thick, glossy sauce that coats every bean.
- Crispy bacon and rendered fat for a smoky base.
- Sweet and tangy in balance, not just sweet.
- Fifteen minutes of prep, then the oven does the work.
- Better the next day, so it is the perfect make ahead side.
Ingredient notes
Navy beans: the star. Canned navy beans, drained and rinsed, stay firm and creamy through a 2 hour bake. Rinsing matters, since the canning liquid makes the sauce starchy and dull.
Bacon: the smoky base. Thick cut bacon, cooked crisp in the pot, gives the beans their fat, their salt and their smoke. Leave the rendered fat in the pot, since it flavors the whole dish.
Brown sugar and molasses: the sweetness team. Dark brown sugar gives the sauce its body and molasses adds a deep, dark note that keeps the sweetness from tasting flat. Together they build the glossy, thick sauce.
Barbecue sauce: the tangy backbone. A cup of your favorite barbecue sauce gives the beans their tomato tang and their smoke. Pick a sauce you like on its own, since its flavor carries the dish.
Mustard and vinegar: the balance. Yellow mustard adds a sharp bite and apple cider vinegar brightens the whole pot. Without them the beans would be sweet and one note, so do not skip either one.
The low bake rule that makes or breaks it
Two rules decide these beans, and both are about time and heat. First, bake them low at 325 F for the full 2 hours. High heat scorches the sugar on the bottom of the pot, while a low bake thickens the sauce gently and lets the beans soak up the smoky flavor. Second, take the lid off for the last 30 minutes if the sauce still looks thin. The open pot lets the sauce reduce and thicken, while a lid left on traps steam and keeps the beans soupy. When the sauce coats a spoon and the beans are tender all the way through, the pot is ready.
Variations
- Smoker baked beans: cook the pot on the smoker at 250 F for about 3 hours, stirring once an hour, for beans with real smoke flavor.
- Spicy baked beans: add 1 teaspoon of cayenne and a diced jalapeno with the onion for beans with a warm kick.
- Vegetarian baked beans: skip the bacon and cook the onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika for the smoky note.
- Maple baked beans: swap the brown sugar for maple syrup for a deeper, woodsy sweetness that suits the smoke.
What we learned testing it
- A 2 hour bake beat a 1 hour bake clearly. The longer bake thickened the sauce properly and let the beans soak up the smoky flavor, while the short bake stayed thin and tasted like sauce on beans.
- Bacon cooked in the pot beat bacon cooked separately. The rendered fat flavored the whole dish, while the separately cooked bacon just sat on top.
- Navy beans beat pinto beans for this recipe. The navy beans stayed firm and creamy after 2 hours, while the pintos broke down and turned mushy.
Read how we test recipes.
BBQ Baked Beans (Sweet, Smoky, With Bacon)
Makes About 8 cups, about 8 servings · 2 hr 15 min total · Easy
Ingredients
Equipment
Dutch oven or oven safe pot · Wooden spoon · Knife · Cutting board · Measuring cups
Instructions
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Crisp the bacon and onion
Cook the chopped bacon in a dutch oven over medium heat until it is crisp and the fat has rendered, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, about 5 minutes more. Leave the bacon fat in the pot, since it flavors the whole dish.
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Stir in the beans and sauce
Add the navy beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, molasses, smoked paprika and black pepper to the pot. Stir well so the sauce coats every bean and the sugar dissolves into the liquid. Taste and add a little more vinegar or sugar to balance the sweetness.
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Bake low until thick
Put the lid on the dutch oven and bake at 325 F for about 2 hours, stirring once halfway through. The beans are done when the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon and the beans are tender all the way through. Take the lid off for the last 30 minutes if the sauce still looks thin.
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Rest and serve hot
Rest the beans for 10 minutes off the heat so the sauce settles and thickens a little more. Stir once more and serve hot, straight from the pot, next to pulled pork, ribs or brisket.
Notes
- Drain and rinse the canned beans. The canning liquid makes the sauce starchy and dull, while rinsed beans let the barbecue sauce shine.
- Do not skip the bacon fat. It is the smoky base of the whole dish, and beans cooked without it taste flat and one note.
- Balance the sweetness at the end. A splash more vinegar brightens the beans, while a spoonful more brown sugar rounds them out, so taste before serving.
- Bake the beans low and slow. High heat scorches the sugar on the bottom, while 325 F thickens the sauce gently without burning.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Navy beans
- Use great northern beans or cannellini beans instead. Both stay firm through a long bake and soak up the sauce well.
- Thick cut bacon
- Use chopped smoked sausage or diced ham instead. Both add smoky saltiness, though the beans will be a little less rich without the bacon fat.
- Dark brown sugar
- Use maple syrup or honey instead. Maple adds a deeper flavor that suits the smoke, while honey makes the sauce a little glossier.
Storage and make-ahead
Store leftover beans in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container, or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat with a splash of water until hot, stirring often so the sugar does not stick and scorch.
Frequently asked questions
How long do bbq baked beans take to bake?
About 2 hours at 325 F, with a stir halfway through. The beans are done when the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon and the beans are tender all the way through.
Can I make bbq baked beans on the smoker?
Yes. Put the pot on the smoker at 250 F for about 3 hours, stirring once an hour. The beans pick up real smoke flavor and the sauce thickens beautifully.
Do I have to soak dried beans for this recipe?
No. This recipe uses canned navy beans, drained and rinsed, so it comes together in 15 minutes of prep. Dried beans need soaking and a much longer cook, so save those for another day.
How do I keep baked beans from getting too sweet?
Balance the brown sugar with the vinegar and mustard. Taste the sauce before baking and add a splash more vinegar if it tastes too sweet, since the sauce concentrates as it bakes.
Can I make bbq baked beans ahead of time?
Yes. Bake them a day ahead, cool and refrigerate, then reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water. The flavors get even better overnight.
