BBQ Baked Beans Recipe

These BBQ baked beans are sweet, smoky, hearty, and perfect for cookouts, potlucks, burgers, ribs, smoked pork, and summer dinners. They’re made with dried Great Northern beans, bacon, onion, ground beef, brown sugar, BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, mustard, and liquid smoke for a rich baked bean recipe that tastes like it cooked beside the grill all afternoon.

Unlike canned baked beans that only need warming, this version starts with dried beans and slowly bakes in a Dutch oven until the sauce thickens and the beans turn tender. The bacon and ground beef make them extra filling, while the BBQ sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and mustard give the beans that sweet, tangy, smoky flavor everyone expects from a good barbecue side dish.

• These BBQ baked beans are made with dried beans, so they have more texture and flavor than a quick canned version.
• Bacon, ground beef, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and liquid smoke give them a sweet, smoky, savory flavor.
• They’re perfect for summer cookouts, holidays, potlucks, tailgates, and backyard BBQ dinners.
• The recipe bakes low and slow in a Dutch oven, which helps the sauce thicken and the beans turn tender.
• They can be made ahead and reheated before serving, which makes them perfect when you already have a bunch of other cookout food going.

• Dried Great Northern Beans: Great Northern beans are mild, creamy, and hold their shape well after soaking and baking. Since this recipe starts with dried beans, they absorb more flavor as they cook in the BBQ sauce mixture.
• Bacon: Bacon adds smoky, salty flavor to the beans. Cooking it with the onion first builds the base of the recipe before the sauce ingredients go in.
• Onion: Onion adds sweetness and depth to the sauce. As it cooks with the bacon, it softens and blends into the beans.
• Ground Beef: Ground beef makes these BBQ baked beans heartier and gives them more of a cookout-style flavor. It also makes the dish more filling than a regular baked bean side.
• Ketchup and BBQ Sauce: Ketchup gives the sauce a tomato-based sweetness, while BBQ sauce adds smoky, tangy flavor. Use a BBQ sauce you already like because the flavor will come through.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar gives the beans that classic sweet baked bean flavor and helps the sauce thicken as it bakes.
• Dry Mustard: Dry mustard adds tang and balances the sweetness from the brown sugar and BBQ sauce.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar cuts through the richness and keeps the sauce from tasting too sweet.
• Apple Juice: Apple juice adds a little sweetness and helps build the sauce.
• Reserved Bean Cooking Liquid: After simmering the beans, save 2 cups of the cooking liquid. This helps loosen the sauce and gives the beans enough liquid to bake until tender without watering down the flavor.
• Liquid Smoke: Liquid smoke gives the beans a smoky BBQ flavor without needing a smoker.
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper: Salt and pepper bring everything together and keep the beans from tasting flat.

These BBQ baked beans are made in a Dutch oven with soaked dried beans, bacon, ground beef, onion, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, apple juice, and liquid smoke. The beans bake low and slow until tender and saucy.

• Add the dried Great Northern beans to a large bowl and cover them with water. Soak overnight in the refrigerator.
• The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Add them to a large pot and cover with fresh water. Simmer for about 1 hour, or until the beans are just tender. Drain the beans, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and onion, then cook until the bacon is crisp and the onion has softened.
• Add the ground beef to the Dutch oven and cook until browned, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain excess grease if needed.
• Add the ketchup, brown sugar, kosher salt, dry mustard, apple cider vinegar, apple juice, BBQ sauce, liquid smoke, black pepper, and 2 cups reserved bean cooking liquid. Stir until combined.
• Add the cooked beans to the Dutch oven and stir until they are evenly coated in the sauce.
• Cover the Dutch oven and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours.
• Remove the lid and stir the beans. Bake uncovered for another 30 minutes, or until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened.
• If the sauce gets too thick before the beans are done, stir in a splash of water or reserved cooking liquid as needed and continue baking until tender.

• Soak the beans overnight so they cook evenly and soften properly.
• Use a Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot with a lid. It holds heat well and helps the beans bake evenly.
• Do not rush the baking time. The low, slow bake is what helps the beans turn tender and lets the sauce thicken.
• Reserve 2 cups of the bean cooking liquid after simmering the beans. This gives the sauce enough liquid for baking without making the directions confusing.
• If the beans are not tender after the first bake, add a splash of water or reserved cooking liquid, cover, and continue baking until soft.
• Use a BBQ sauce you like. The sauce flavor comes through, so this is not the time to use one you already think tastes suspicious.
• Let the beans rest before serving. The sauce thickens more as the beans sit.

BBQ baked beans are a classic side dish for grilled and smoked meats. Serve them with burgers, hot dogs, ribs, pork chops, brisket, grilled chicken, BBQ chicken wings, smoked turkey, or steak.

They also work well with summer sides like potato salad, coleslaw, cornbread, pasta salad, macaroni and cheese, or grilled vegetables.

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