Smoked baked beans with bacon are one of my absolute favorite BBQ side dishes.
We're combining black and pinto beans with crispy bacon, tossing in our signature BBQ sauce, then firing up the Traeger at 225 degrees.
Simple, yummy, and hearty.
These smoked baked beans will elevate your BBQ game and have your family and neighbors singing your praised at your next backyard BBQ cookout.
How To Make Smoked Baked Beans With Bacon
This smoked baked beans recipe really couldn't be much easier.
We're taking a mix of black and pinto beans, then combining it with crispy chopped bacon. We'll mix in a smoky, sweet sauce, and then then let the Traeger do its thing for a few hours, as we give it the occasional stir.
What I especially love about these smoked baked beans is that they're so full and hearty, they really can act as its own meal.
The Ingredients
- Black beans. For that hearty, earthy base.
- Pinto beans. To add a creamier, milder flavor.
- BBQ sauce. We used our signature BBQ sauce.
- Thick-cut bacon. Rich, smoky, and salty.
- White or yellow onion. Adds a nice crunch for texture.
- Brown sugar. For a caramel-like sweetness.
- Apple cider vinegar. Acidity to help balance the sweetness.
- Smoked paprika. For added smoky warmth.
- Salt & pepper. To taste.
The Directions
1. Preheat your smoker to 225°F. For this cook, we used cherry pellets.
2. Heat up a large cast iron pan over medium heat, and cook the diced bacon until it's nice and crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the skillet.
3. Add the diced onion to the skillet with the bacon grease and cook over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Combine the rinsed beans, bacon, onions, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper in a large cast iron pan, and mix well.
5. Place the cast iron skillet on your smoker. Smoke for for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the beans are heated through.
6. Remove the beans from the smoker and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
- To Store. You can refrigerate these smoked baked beans for 3-4 in the fridge. Just make sure to place hem in an airtight container first.
- To Freeze. If you want to freeze these beans, you can do so for up to 3 months. Just make sure they're air-tight when you do so.
- To Reheat. To reheat the beans, first thaw them in the refrigerator if they were frozen. Then, you can reheat the beans in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave using a microwave-safe container.
What To Serve With Smoked Baked Beans
- Smoked chicken thighs. The beans pair nicely with these juicy, tender chicken thighs.
- 321 ribs. The sweetness and tanginess of the beans go perfectly with tender 321 ribs.
- Smoked pork belly. The smoky and sweet beans pair great with this pork belly recipe.
Recommended Tools
- Traeger Grill. I love my Traeger 780 for all things smoking, but you can use the smoker of choice.
- Pellets. I've really been digging the pellets from BBQ'ers Delight.
The Best Smoked Baked Beans (On The Traeger)
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans drained & rinsed
- 2 cans pinto beans drained & rinsed
- 8 oz bacon diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce unsalted & cubed
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 225°F.
- Heat up a large cast iron pan over medium heat, and cook the diced bacon until it's nice and crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the skillet.
- Add the diced onion to the skillet with the bacon grease and cook over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Combine the rinsed beans, bacon, onions, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper in a large cast iron pan, and mix well.
- Place the cast iron skillet on your smoker. Smoke for for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the beans are heated through.
- Remove the beans from the smoker and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
