Light up the grill to make a batch of creamy Smoked Baked Beans – the perfect BBQ side dish along with smoked baked potatoes! This easy smoked beans recipe is loaded with flavor.
Smoked Baked Beans
This amped up version of smoked baked beans takes as little as an hour to infuse a hit of smoke to enhance the flavor.
Slow smoked beans pair well with these popular smoked recipes: Smoked Chicken Legs, Smoked Chuck Roast, Smoked Tri Tip and Picanha.
This ain’t basic beans, y’all. Fire up the smoker and let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
This smoked baked beans recipe is highly adaptable, so dress it up how you like. Hate pineapple? Leave it out. Love bacon? Double up! Other than the beans themselves, everything is optional/flexible!
Baked Beans From Scratch
If you prefer to use a batch of beans made from scratch to make smoked baked beans, have at it. We have some instant pot bean recipe options that will work well.
Keep in mind the overall flavor differs vastly from Bush’s Baked Beans, so taste as you cook and adjust any seasoning or sugar, as needed.
Baked Beans on the Grill
You can use an electric, charcoal or gas grill to make smoked baked beans with canned beans. Consult the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full instructions. Here’s a quick overview:
Gas Grill – To make on a gas grill, keep the heat at 225°F. Create smoke by using a smoker box filled with wood chips/chunks.
Charcoal – To make on a charcoal grill, pre-heat the coals and dump them in the center of the grill. Open the vents, as needed, to maintain the temperate at 225°F. Create smoke by placing wood chunks directly on the pre-heated coals, right before cooking.
Pellet/Electric Smoker (Traeger baked beans) – To make pellet grill baked beans, pre-heat your smoker to 225°F. Follow the manufacture’s instructions to get an even smoke.
Bake In The Oven
Don’t have a smoker but want to grub down on this delicious BBQ bean recipe? No problem. Bake the beans in the oven at 325°F for 60-90 minutes. To get the smokey flavor, add 1 tsp of liquid smoke before baking.
Supplies
Energy Source – Charcoal, pellets, propane, etc.
Smoking Wood – Chunks, chips or pellets.
Smoker Box – You’ll need one to impart the delicious smoky flavor if using a gas grill. We’ve used this one from Amazon in the past.
Cast Iron Skillet – If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, use a disposable aluminum foil pan.
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Wood Recommendations
When making smoked baked beans alongside a protein, the protein itself should dictate the wood varietal. It’s the star of the show so should be smoked accordingly.
If making solo, use any wood you like. Every single wood option works well with smoked beans.
Variations
Baked Beans With Ground Beef
Baked beans with hamburger is a quick and easy variation to make! Just brown a pound of hamburger and add it to the beans before smoking.
Beans and Franks
Who doesn’t love some hot dogs and beans? Both are classic Memorial Day Recipes. To make, just dice up 2-3 hot dogs and add them to the beans before smoking.
Make it a full meal by serving it alongside Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken and chili corn on the cob. Or if you’re vegetarian, opt to smoke these vegetarian baked beans.
Add-in Ideas
As mentioned, this recipe is highly customizable so adjust to your personal preference. Here are some add-in ideas to get you thinking:
- Double Smoked Ham
- Baked Ham
- Cowboy Candy with Pineapple
- Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Smoked Sausage or Smoked Kielbasa
- Barbecue Sauce
- Molasses
- Maple Syrup
Can You Freeze Baked Beans
Yes, baked beans are freezer friendly. Keep in mind the bacon won’t be very crispy upon re-heating. To re-heat, put the beans in a large pan or skillet and cook over low until warmed through out.
Expert Tips
- If using a cast iron, make sure it’s well seasoned as this dish is pretty acidic. We usually use a disposable foil dish for easy clean up.
- These beans are on the thicker side. If you like it thinner, just add a splash of pineapple juice. Start with 1/2 cup and work your way up until your desired consistency is reached.
- For a lighter smoky flavor, only smoke for 1 hour vs. the full two hours.
- For a bit more zing, use this Dijon Mustard recipe in place of yellow mustard.
Drink Pairings
BBQ baked beans pair well with: Merlot, Riesling, Zinfandel and Bourbon.
Smoked Baked Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 slices bacon, diced (*Note 1)
- ½ cup white onion, diced
- ½ cup bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
- 55 oz Bush's baked beans
- 8 oz pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve the juice) (*Note 2)
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Pre-heat the smoker to 225°F and load with your wood or pellet of choice.
- Pre-heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the diced bacon and saute until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate using a slotted spoon.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno to the skillet and cook until softened, approx. 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- If using the cast iron skillet – add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.If using a disposable pan – transfer the bacon, pepper/onion mix and the rest of the ingredients to the pan and stir to combine.
- Transfer the skillet/disposable pan to the smoker and smoked for a minimum of one hour, up to three hours.