Baked beans are one of the greatest side dishes to provide with your BBQ.
They go well with smoked meats, but one of the finest aspects of baked beans with BBQ is how effectively they absorb smoke.
In this recipe, I’ll show you how to create smoked baked beans and how to make them as sweet, savory, or spicy as you prefer.
Contents
- Smoked baked beans
- What are the best beans for baked beans?
- Canned vs dried beans
- How to make smoked baked beans
- Ways to customize your baked beans
- More bbq side dish ideas
- Smoked Baked Beans Recipe
- FAQs
- What is the best wood for smoking beans?
- What can you add to baked beans to make them tastier?
- Is there bacon in Bush’s baked beans?
- What’s the difference between baked beans and Boston baked beans?
- What wood is not good for smoking?
- What wood gives the most smoke flavor?
- How do you pimp up baked beans?
- What is the secret to good beans?
- What makes baked beans better?
- What is the white stuff in a can of Bush’s baked beans?
Smoked baked beans
When it comes to taste, beans are a blank slate, and adding a coating of smoke just enhances them. Why not let the beans simmer low and slow with the pork butt or brisket in the smoker?
These smoked baked beans acquire a light coating of flavor that contrasts with the sweetness of the meal, but not so much that it overpowers or adds an ashy flavor.
Can these beans be baked in the oven? Sure, but you’ll lose out on the smokiness that elevates the meal. If you’re stuck with only the oven, a sprinkle of liquid smoke wouldn’t hurt.
These quick baked beans may steal the show at your next BBQ, whether you have a pellet grill or a wood burner.
What are the best beans for baked beans?
Navy beans are widely used in baked bean dishes, but you don’t have to follow suit.
Great northern, kidney, butter, pinto, or borlotti beans are also suitable. You may even mix and match them for different textures and tastes.
Keep in mind that various beans cook at different rates. A firm bean, such as kidney, will hold up better over low and slow heat than a creamier bean, such as pinto or butter beans.
Canned vs dried beans
This dish may be made using either canned or dry beans. Canned beans are the most convenient and time-saving option.
If you have the time to soak your beans overnight and then cook them the following day, it is well worth the effort since the texture of dry beans is better than canned and you can regulate the amount of salt in them.
I used two 16oz cans of navy beans for this recipe.
How to make smoked baked beans
I’m going to offer my baked beans recipe, then give you alternatives to customize it by increasing the spice, sweetness, turning vegetarian, or tripling the meat!
I suggest cooking your bacon and caramelizing the onions in a cast iron pan, such as this Lodge cast iron 12 skillet, before adding the rest of the ingredients and placing the pan directly on the smoker.
You may use a dutch oven or begin in a cast iron skillet and move to a foil pan, but cast iron is more handy and maintains a uniform temperature throughout the cooking process.
1. Prep your ingredients while your smoker heats up
Begin by preheating your smoker to 250°F. You don’t have to be precise, but if you cook at a higher temperature, you may need to add a little more water to keep the beans from drying out.
Any type of smoke wood will work fine for beans.
While your smoker heats up, dice your onions and bacon, and wash your beans.
2. Brown the bacon, onions & garlic
Preheat your cast iron pan and add the chopped bacon. Allow the fat to render and stir periodically.
Add half a chopped onion and two minced garlic cloves to the pan once the edges begin to crisp up. Stir to mix and spread the bacon grease evenly.
Cook until the bacon is crisp and the onions are soft and beginning to caramelize.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients
Turn off the heat and stir in the beans, molasses, brown sugar, black pepper, ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and water.
Stir in all of the ingredients until fully blended. The beans have now been transferred to the smoker.
If you’re serving the beans with a main course, you may leave the bean mixture to sit until you’re ready to finish it on the smoker.
4. Smoking the beans
Place the pan with the bean mixture immediately on the grill grates. Allow the beans to smoke for 90 minutes, or until they are bubbling and syrupy.
If you like your beans with a thinner, runnier sauce, add a little water and stir after 30 minutes. After an hour, keep an eye on the beans since the mixture might thicken fast.
Remove the beans from the smoker and set aside for ten minutes to cool. You now have a hot pan of sweet, smoky baked beans ready to go with your main course.
Ways to customize your baked beans
Now that we’ve established the framework for your quick smoked baked beans, let’s look at some interesting variations you may attempt.
1. Place beans under the meat to catch drippings
If you’re already smoking meat, capturing some of the drippings to add to the baked beans is a terrific choice. It infuses the beans with a rich meaty taste and complements the smokiness in the meal.
You may trap the fat in a separate container and swirl it into the beans, or you can set the pan immediately underneath any meat that is already generating fat.
Make careful not to add too much, or the smoked beans may develop a coating of fat on top. Approximately two teaspoons of drippings should enough.
2. Sub the bacon for a vegeterian side
Because it’s not all about the meat at westjeffoxroast.com, here’s a method to make these smoked beans vegetarian. Cook the onion and garlic in coconut or avocado oil instead of bacon. Continue the recipe as usual after adding some chopped green and red bell peppers.
The peppers retain some crunch and lend a moderate taste to the finished result, making it a full vegetarian alternative.
3. Bulk the beans up with chopped brisket or pulled pork
Okay, let’s go back to the heart of the matter. Smoked beans are an excellent medium for grilled meats. Try adding a cup of smoked protein and see how the beans taste.
This dish works well with rough chopped brisket, hand pulled pig, or diced chicken. The bean foundation serves as a sweet BBQ sauce for the meat, while the meats provide smoky flavor to the beans.
burned ends, particularly pork belly burned ends, are an excellent addition. If the pieces are too big, they will overpower the beans.
If you’re a bacon fan, you can always add extra: cover the bottom of the pan with three slices of thick bacon and top the beans with four additional pieces, one for each serving. At the conclusion of the cooking time, raise the temperature to 400°F for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the bacon on top.
4. Experiment with different bean combinations
Change vary the texture of your meal by using various varieties of beans, such as pinto, kidney, great northern, borlotti, or butter beans, as previously stated. Just make sure your combos cook at the same time.
5. Ramp up the heat
Masochists, try adding in some raw spicy peppers of your choosing. Add 1 cup chopped raw jalapenos or habaneros. If it isn’t spicy enough for you, add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes or Korean gochugaru.
You may use whichever spicy pepper you choose as long as you keep your audience in mind. Have it all if you have a strong tolerance for hot meals.
6. Add a sweet touch
This one is ideal for folks who like combining sweet and salty flavors. Close to the end of the cooking time, sprinkle 1 tsp brown sugar over the top of the smoked beans. Increase the heating to 400°F and keep an eye on the sugar topping to ensure it does not burn.
You may also use a torch to Brulee the sugar for a crispy sweet topping.
More bbq side dish ideas
- Easy Smoked Mac And Cheese
- BBQ Corn Ribs
- Garlic and Rosemary Smoked Potatoes
- The Best Pasta Salad For BBQ
