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You don’t have to buy canned baked beans again; make delicious Homemade BBQ Baked Beans at home – perfect for your next cookout.
Looking for a delicious and easy side dish? These Homemade BBQ Baked Beans are the perfect side dish for any occasion! They’re easy to make and taste amazing.
I love the balance of flavor in this baked beans recipe. They’re not too sweet, and the bacon adds a ton of flavor. Serve these beans at your next BBQ and watch them disappear! Everyone will love their sweet and smoky flavor.
Even people who don’t like beaked beans have loved this recipe. So if you’re looking for an easy and delicious side dish, give these Homemade BBQ Baked Beans a try!
Why This Recipe Works
- The bacon and smoked paprika give these beans a delicious smoky flavor.
- The molasses, ketchup, and brown sugar in the sauce give the beans a sweet and tangy element.
- Dry mustard and soy sauce add a touch of spice and depth of flavor.
- The vinegar adds brightness and enhances all the other flavors of the sauce.
Best Beans For Baking
When making baked beans, I like to use a mixture of navy and cannellini beans for a variety of textures. Navy beans (also known as haricot beans) are small white beans that become soft with a creamy-like consistency, while cannellini beans (also known as white kidney beans) are more prominent with a slightly firmer texture. Other great choices are Baby Lima Beans, Great Northern Beans, pinto, and flageolet.
Ingredient Notes
Beans – I use canned white beans in this recipe, but you can use soaked dried beans if you prefer. I recommend soaking them in cold water overnight.
Onion: I like to use a white onion in this recipe, but you can use any onion you have on hand. Shallots make an excellent alternative.
Garlic: I used fresh garlic in this recipe, but you can use garlic powder if you prefer.
Bacon – I recommend using thick-cut smoked bacon for this recipe, which gives the beans a ton of flavor, but you can use whichever bacon you like best.
Molasses – You can find molasses in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
Brown Sugar – I used light brown sugar in this recipe, but you can use dark brown sugar if you prefer.
Soy Sauce – I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce to be sure the beans aren’t too salty. You can use Worcestershire sauce as a substitute.
Vinegar – I used white vinegar in this recipe, but you can use any vinegar you have on hand. Just beware that balsamic vinegar is much sweeter than other types.
Ketchup – I used regular ketchup in this recipe, but you can use sugar-free ketchup if you prefer.
Smoked Paprika – This gives the beans a delicious smoky flavor. You can find it in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
Step By Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°. Then in a large oven-safe skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. You want to keep about two tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan and remove the excess.
To the bacon fat, add the onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the garlic to the pan.
Cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). At this point, if the onions and garlic are sticking to the pan, you can deglaze with a little bit of water or chicken broth (about a quarter cup will do). Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add molasses, ketchup, and soy sauce.
Followed by the brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to the pan and stir until well combined.
Salt sparingly at this point as the mixture will reduce when baked, intensifying the flavors and salt levels.
Add the beans to the pan, mix well and add the cooked bacon.
Stir to combine and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Finish with vinegar and parsley.
Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed before serving.
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions
To Make Ahead: Prepare the beans with the sauce. Then instead of baking, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat, bake the beans as directed.
To Freeze: Allow the baked beans to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a baking dish until warmed in the oven.
Erren’s Top Tips & Variations
- For crispy bacon, don’t preheat your pan. Add the bacon to a cold pan and heat them simultaneously.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, cook in the pan you have, and then pour the mixture into a 3-quart baking dish to bake.
- To use dried beans instead of canned, I recommend soaking them in cold water overnight.
- If you want the beans to be extra smoky, add a little liquid smoke to the sauce.
- Salt sparingly before baking as the mixture will reduce when baked, intensifying the flavors and salt levels.
- If you want a little bit more of a kick, you can add some cayenne pepper to the beans. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more to taste.
- For a vegetarian version of this recipe, you can omit the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of water or chicken broth to deglaze the pan. You can also add extra smoked paprika to give the beans more flavor.
Rate This Recipe
Recipe
Homemade BBQ Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lb bacon (chopped)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 56 oz white beans (four 14oz/400g cans navy/haricot or cannellini beans)
- 3 tablespoons dark molasses
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Add the olive oil and chopped bacon to a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until crisp and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels using a slotted spoon.
- Remove excess fat leaving two tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.
- Add the onions to the pan with the bacon fat and cook until softened and translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add the molasses, ketchup, and soy sauce. Stir into the cooked onions and garlic.
- Add the brown sugar, dry mustard, and smoked paprika to the pan and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
- Stir in the beans and cooked bacon until combined.
- Bake covered for 45 minutes to an hour until heated through and bubbling.
- Finished with vinegar and parsley, taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed before serving.
Tips
- For crispy bacon, don’t preheat your pan. Add the bacon to a cold pan and heat them simultaneously.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, cook in the pan you have, and then pour the mixture into a 3-quart baking dish to bake.
- To use dried beans instead of canned, I recommend soaking them in cold water overnight.
- Salt sparingly before baking as the mixture will reduce when baked, intensifying the flavors and salt levels.
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