Smoked Baked Beans (With Bacon & Brown Sugar)

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These Smoked Baked Beans are the perfect barbecue side! Slow smoked and simmered in thick, rich bbq sauce with dark brown sugar and savory bacon – these beans might even outshine your brisket! That’s how good they are.

Smoked baked beans are a staple for any summer cookout! And the best baked beans are smokey, warm and incredibly sticky – with a sweet barbecue sauce & bits of savory bacon within.

In this recipe, we slow smoke our beans until they reach a soft, almost creamy texture, and they absorb the depth of flavors from our key ingredients like the garlic & chili rub, brown sugar, mustard and the umami of the bacon bits.

These smoked baked beans are excellent accompaniments to barbecued meats (like Tender Smoked Baby Back Ribs, Fall-Off-The-Bone Smoked Beef Ribs, Perfectly Moist Smoked Chicken Breast, Smoked Shotgun Shells), or grilled fruits & vegetables (like Grilled Corn On The Cob, Grilled Pineapple), offering a sweet and smoky contrast to the typical savory and tangy barbecue flavors.

But not only that, these beans are easy to make and they are so good that you can even eat them just on their own – any time of the year!

What Are The Best Beans To Use For Smoked Baked Beans?

I’ve found that the best beans to use for this recipe are Bush’s Pinto Beans. But make sure you get the plain pinto beans, not the pre-made baked beans – as we’ll be doing all of the seasoning and slow-smoking ourselves, to make this delicious barbecue side dish.

The Ingredients for Smoked Baked Beans

• 3 cans Pinto Beans (rinsed & drained)
• 3 Jalapeño Peppers (seeded & diced)
• 1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Whole Dijon Mustard
• 2 tablespoons Woodinville Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup
• 1 bottle Stubbs Sticky Sweet BBQ Sauce (18 oz)
• 1 package Bacon (thin strips)
• 2 tablespoons Traeger Garlic & Chili Pepper Rub

The Equipment Needed

• Cast Iron Skillet
• Traeger Ironwood Wood Pellet Grill (or any other quality smoker)

How To Cook Smoked Baked Beans

This smoked baked beans recipe is easy to make – but to do it right, you have to smoke low and slow. The key is to get all of the ingredients mixed and placed on a smoker and to let it stew for 3-4 hours – so that all of the robust flavors in the ingredients get a chance to incorporate together. This low and slow smoking method also allows the sauce in the dish to reduce and firm up – giving you that sticky and smokey baked beans experience.

Prep Your Ingredients

Mince your bacon into small 1/2 inch pieces and also seed and dice your jalapeño peppers as well. (Leave seeds in, if you like it spicy.)

In your skillet, add in your bacon and jalapenos, and sauté on high heat for a few minutes. The bacon and the jalapenos don’t have to cook all the way, we just want a little bit of nice caramelization to form on top.

Combine Your Ingredients

Turn off your heat, and to your sautéed bacon and peppers, pour in your drained pinto beans.

Afterwards, mix in all of the remaining ingredients and give everything a good stir.

How Long To Smoke Your Beans

Heat your smoker to 250°F.

Place your skillet directly on your smoker and smoke low and slow for 3-4 hours.

Check in on the beans every 30 minutes and give them a quick stir.

When the sauce in your skillet has reduced about 30% and your beans are sticky and syrupy – the smoked baked beans are done.

Remove your baked beans from the smoker and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Serve alongside brisket or smoked ribs and enjoy!

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