Our Favorite Saucy, Smoky Baked Beans.
Okay hi! It’s basically officially summer so let’s just start doing the whole baked beans thing.
Because it’s time! It’s really time.
Even if you are making them for yourself. You’re worth the good beans, I’m telling you.
If you’ve been here long enough you may remember when I didn’t even like these summer favorite beans.
Times have changed!
Years ago I made these bourbon beans and they hooked me. Seriously, hooked me! They turned me into a baked bean lover and now I’m convinced that no outdoor cookout, barbecue or summer meal is complete without a side of baked beans.
Now.
While I do really love these slow cooker bourbon baked beans, this here is the recipe I’ve found myself making more often for the last few years. Probably since I’ve had kids and had a little less time on my hands.
Also, I should warm you that it’s kind of semi-homemade. I mean, it’s definitely semi-homemade. Not kind of.
But they are so easy!
While my slow cooker beans recipe uses dry beans (so, like, the entire recipe is from scratch), I actually used canned baked beans in this one and I LOVE them. Since making this, I’ve become quite the baked bean snob over here. I’ve tried many different brands and varieties but for this particular recipe, I always come back to the Bush’s Grillin’ Beans. Specially, we love the southern pit bbq or the bourbon bacon flavor. They are so good in this recipe!
That being said, you can use whatever can of baked beans you can find. Just throwing out my random recommendations in case you want them.
I find that this recipe yields a thicker, more syrupy baked bean, in a really good way if that makes sense. Don’t let it scare you off! They are not overly sweet, but they are obviously still sweet.
However, there is enough dijon, smoked paprika and chipotle in here that it’s no overwhelmingly sweet.
Yes. So much flavor.
I have adapted this over the years from Ree’s recipe. Her’s are absolutely amazing, they just make a ton of baked beans! And even when we have a party or I take the beans somewhere, I don’t need that many. Lots of people in my family have an aversion to baked beans – hey, even I had one up until the last decade!
My mom still puts cut up hot dogs in her baked beans and I just… cannot. I mean, I love a good hot dog. We ate hot dogs this past weekend; felt like summer. I just don’t want them cut up in my baked beans!
P.S. if any of you have been around long enough, do you remember when I discovered my obsession with baked beans and loved putting them on top of poached or fried eggs, on toast? That was SO GOOD. Def doing it again.
Anyway.
This makes a “nice” sized amount, even if I just make them for our family. We eat, save a bit for leftovers and freeze the rest if I don’t give it away. It’s perfect!
Give me a plate of these with a smash burger and I’m good to go!
Baked Beans
Favorite Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 2 sliced bacon, diced
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 TO 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 (22 ounce) cans baked beans (I love Bush’s Grillin’ Beans for this recipe)
- 2 slices bacon, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat a large (oven safe, if you don’t want to transfer) skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until it’s brown and crisp and most of the fat is rendered.
- Stit in the onion, pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until everything softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard and brown sugar until combined.
- Stir in the baked beans directly from the can. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat. I suggest tasting the beans here and adding more salt, pepper or heat if desired. If you'd like, you can lay a few strips of bacon on top of the beans here too!
- Place the skillet (or transfer to an oven-safe dish) in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly and syrup. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
- You can make these ahead of time - cook them in the skillet then let cook to room temperature and cover, placing in the fridge. Bake the next day (or whenever you’re ready!).
- These also freeze well!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Oh so saucy.
92 Comments on “Our Favorite Saucy, Smoky Baked Beans.”
I tend to like traditional sweet beans. These had too much vinegar for me.
How many people does that feed
This is the baked bean recipe I’ve been looking for! Will be my “go to” from now on.
Just made these today. They are AMAZING! A little kick with the chipotle, and with the sweet and tangy, it is Delicious. This one stays in the keeper pile of recipes :-)
My family loved them and are asking me to make them again for Father’s Day!
We just made these for the first time for my husband’s bourbon and smoker inspired birthday party and they are FANTASTIC! We used one can each of the southern pit bbq and the bourbon bacon flavor Grillin Beans and cooked them in the smoker. Thank you for the recipe!!
Made these beans for a party and they were a hit! I will be making them again.
Can’t wait to try the Bourbon baked beans 😃
I made this in my IP and did my usual “add a bit more of this and that” as I went and it turned out really good!
Can these be made in a slow cooker? If so how?
Thanks
How many servings? suggestions for slow cooker?
These were amazing!
If you’re looking for a way to make canned baked beans better go with this recipe because you won’t go wrong.
These are the BEST baked beans I have ever had! Yum! Thank you!
This recipe is a keeper! I omitted the garlic and added cooked ground beef before baking. The beans were good the first day and even better the second. I will be making this dish again. Thanks!!
These are really good. I’m making again for company so making ahead. Should they be baked before freezing?
yes i would bake fully before freezing. then defrost and just reheat!
Can’t wait to try! Can you tell me what type of bbq sauce you tend to use? Thanks!
Best Semi homemade bake beans.
Can I use the Bushes bourbon beans for this recipe?
yes!
I can’t find your slow cooker recipe using dry beans. I’d love to get that recipe please
These are the BEST baked beans I think I’ve ever eaten! I made the recipe exactly as written except that I used 1/4 tsp of regular chili powder instead of the chipotle. I used the Bushs Grillin Beans as suggested both the Bourbon Bacon flavor and the Southern Pit BBQ flavor. I was a little wary of the amount of spices in this but I was wrong. I say make this exactly as written! You won’t be disappointed!
Can I leave this in my crockpot ?
My family raved over this bean recipe! Another keeper! I haven’t found one that wasn’t yet! Thank you so much for sharing!
Going to make these for a tailgate this weekend!!! Sounds amazing!!!! Thank you!!!🥰🥰
This is an awesome recipe that is easily customizable based on the amount of time you have & the ingredients you like. You can brown some ground beef or turkey to add in. You can omit the apple cider vinegar or chili powder. You can cook it in the oven, instant pot, or crockpot. Everyone loved these baked beans and I will definitely make them again.
Sounds great, I can’t wait try this recipe.
I have electric pellet smoker that I can set the heat on, and I’ll bet these would be screamin good smoked as they bake.
Thank you for the recipe. :)
The BEST baked beans I have ever had! Bar none!
I will definitely be making this recipe again…and again.
My family loved these so much for dinner we’re making them again for lunch. The recipe easily feeds 2 grown men and 2 smaller eaters. It’s delicious!
Going to try this with dried beans in the slow cooker – any advice! Thanks.
These beans are spectacular!! I made a double batch for a cookout, Bourbon Grillin’ per recipe, and used a whole package of bacon with used Bourbon bbq sauce. We’re happy we have a little left over because they’re going to be what’s for breakfast, this morning!
The flavor was excellent, but the texture was off. Specifically, after 28 minutes in the oven, the sauce was reduced too much aka too thick, and the beans were sort of mushy. I guess I should have expected this given that I started with beans that were already fully cooked. I ended up stirring in an additional half can of beans straight from the can to offset these effects of overcooking. Next time, I’ll only bake 15 or 20 minutes. That said, the person for whom I made the dish LOVED them!
Excellent recipe! Mine turned out with a bit of heat because I was out of Dijon & had to use spicy brown mustard instead. Everyone liked the little bit of kick. This will be my new go-to baked beans recipe!
Going to make these beans this afternoon. The one thing that is not clear is if one is to pour in all of the beans plus the juice they come with from the can?
Based on one person’s dry experience, I’m guessing you put in the liquid from the can?
Yum! Everyone loved this recipe for favorite baked beans! My daughter asked for the recipe, so I sent it to her. I am sure I will be making this again! We had BBQ ribs and deviled egg homemade potato salad with it.
My son tried this in Nori teriyaki and he wants me to cook the same recipe. Will gonna try this one. Thanks for sharing