The BEST Easy BBQ Baked Beans

With just 7 simple ingredients, you can whip up a batch of the best ever, easy bbq baked beans. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, barbecues, and more!

This BBQ baked beans recipe brings a flood of summer memories along with it. After coming home from a full, hot day of swimming and diving and flipping and flirting at the pool, It seems like there was always a pot of bbq baked beans on the stove. Loaded with bacon, green bell pepper and onion, there was always a wooden spoon sitting to the side of the pot, tempting me to take a bite as they simmered and bubbled their way toward dinner. They’re the perfect companion to my favorite garlic burgers, grilled chicken or the baby back ribs, and they never disappoint.

Those pork and beans were always bubbling hot. Literally bubbling. When my mom wasn’t looking, I’d sneak a spoonful, then blow, and blow, and blow as I debated how long I could hold out for that first bite. Inevitably, I couldn’t take it one. second. longer. before taking the baked bean plunge way too soon, scorching and blistering the roof of my mouth, and leaving it totally raw. It made for a challenging second bite. But you can bet your barbecued baked bean dollar, it was 100% worth it and I was always up for the task. And still am.

Which Beans Are Used in Baked Beans?

If you’ve ever wondered what variety of bean is in a traditional can of baked beans, it’s the navy bean. In this recipe, a big can of pork and beans is the starting point. My mother-in-law said her mother-in-law’s recipe called for Great Northern beans, and some people use pinto beans, so if you’re up to it, feel free to experiment or mix and match. Also, if you’re feeling extra ambitious, you could use dried beans, but because my mom has always used canned for this recipe, I do too.

What’s in BBQ Baked Beans?

All you need to make this easy BBQ baked beans recipe are 7 simple ingredients (3 of which you probably already have on hand). The sweet, savory, and tangy flavors marry and get all happy, and this is the best treatment you can give a humble can of beans!

Here’s what’s in these BBQ Baked Beans:

• Bacon. Chop the bacon before cooking it in the same pot as you will for the beans.
• Green bell pepper
• Yellow onion
• Pork & beans. Because Mom always did.
• Barbecue sauce. Make it homemade, or store-bought is fine.
• Brown sugar
• Yellow mustard. It’s the tangiest of the crew.

How to Make Baked Beans

There’s nothing wrong with a can of baked beans, but there’s also nothing wrong with sprucing those beans up a bit! With only 7 ingredients and some time on the stove for all the flavors to get happy, this recipe is so easy to make. I guarantee it’s the side dish your friends and family will be requesting for years to come.

• Add the sliced bacon to a large Dutch oven and cook until it begins to crisp. There’s no need to add oil to the Dutch oven because the bacon releases its own fat.
• Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, and reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings.
• Cook the diced onion and bell pepper in the reserved drippings until the veggies soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add the pork & beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, crumbled bacon, and mustard to the Dutch oven.
• Bring the baked beans to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour until thickened.

Can I Halve This Recipe?

This recipe makes enough to serve a group for potlucks and makes a great take along dish for a summer get together. If you’re preparing for a smaller crowd and don’t want leftovers, go ahead and halve the recipe, but know this: These beans are awesome eaten straight from the fridge the next day and only get better with time.

To cut the recipe in half, everything divides pretty easily, but use just 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar.

Can I Make Baked Beans From Scratch?

If you’d rather not use pre-made, canned pork and beans, I’m sure you could make these bbq baked beans completely from scratch. However, canned is what my mom always used so I’ve never made them any other way.

Tips for Making the Best Baked Beans

Be generous with the bacon. Because those smokey bits are the best part, use a whole package of bacon in this recipe. Feel free to use less if you prefer.

Skip the cheap stuff and use a good quality barbecue sauce. Even though it’s mixed in and cooked down but is the main flavor builder, I still use a high quality barbecue sauce in this recipe. Make it from scratch, or buy a decent brand like Stubb’s. Since this recipe calls for mustard and brown sugar for extra flavor, I use regular barbecue sauce instead of mesquite or honey flavor.

Yellow mustard adds a vinegar tang to the dish. If you’re not a fan of tang, or vinegar, or mustard, start off with 1 teaspoon instead of 1 tablespoon, and build your flavor from there.

Good Side Dishes to Eat With Baked Beans

• Baked Potato Salad
• How To Make The Best Grilled Corn On The Cob
• BLT Pasta Salad with Avocado
• Dill Cucumber Salad
• How to Make the Best Creamy Coleslaw

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a  star rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

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4.07 from 82 votes

The Best BBQ Baked Beans

With just 7 simple ingredients, you can easily whip up a batch of the best ever bbq baked beans. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, barbecues, and more!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword baked beans

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 361kcal

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon , sliced
• 1 green bell pepper , seeded and diced
• 1 medium yellow onion , diced
• 53 ounces pork & beans (a 3-pound can)
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mustard

Instructions

• Bring a dutch oven or large pot to medium high heat and add the sliced bacon. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon begins to crisp. Drain the bacon slices on a plate lined with a paper towel, and reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the pan, discard the rest.
• Add the green bell pepper and onion to the bacon drippings and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables soften, stirring often.
• Add the pork & beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar and mustard and stir to combine. Stir in the crumbled bacon.
• Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour. Stir occasionally so the beans don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 1030mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg

More Bean-Packed Recipes You’ll Love

• Classic Three Bean Salad
• Green Beans with Browned Butter Almondine
• Outrageous Herbaceous Chickpea Salad
• Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad
• Dilly Beans (Pickled Green Beans)

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