Smoked Baked Beans

Sticking traditional baked beans in the smoker delivers the perfect backyard BBQ side dish. The perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and spicy will have your guests raving about the best baked beans they've ever tasted!

Course Side

Cuisine Southern

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 40

Servings

Calories 515kcal

Author Imma

Equipment

1 smoker

Ingredients

4-6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 3-4 chunks
1 medium onion, diced
½ jalapeno, diced
½ bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon (15g) minced garlic
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons (30ml) apple cider vinegar
½ cup (135g) ketchup
1 tablespoon (16g) mustard
¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
3 tablespoons (45ml) Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons (40g) molasses
¾ cup (180g) barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon (12g) Creole seasoning
black pepper to taste

Instructions

Fry the bacon over medium heat in a large cast-iron skillet for about 3 minutes until some of the fat renders. Don't cook the bacon until crispy because it will finish cooking in the smoker. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same skillet, sauté the onion, jalapeno, bell pepper, and garlic in the bacon fat until soft and translucent.
Add the beans to the skillet, along with the apple cider vinegar, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, barbecue sauce, Creole seasoning, and pepper. Stir well.
Place the partially cooked bacon on top of the beans.
Place the skillet in the pellet grill or on a charcoal grill and smoke for 2-3 hours or until the beans' flavors have melded together.
Occasionally check the liquid level, and if the beans start drying out, add more barbecue sauce or water to keep them moist.
Serve hot, and enjoy!

Notes

Use your favorite BBQ sauce for more sweet or smoky layers of flavor, or make your own. And, as always, feel free to adjust seasonings and ingredients to taste.
I used the beans I had in the pantry. Navy beans, Great Northerns, and white kidney beans are traditional choi
Check the liquid level often. If the beans start drying out, add more barbecue sauce or water to keep them moist.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the ingredients used in the recipe.

Nutrition