Smoked Baked Beans

Smoked Baked Beans with bacon is the summer BBQ recipe you've been waiting for. Sweet, savory, smoky - these barbecue beans are the best! They are the perfect side dish for the next time you host your friends and family.

As soon as Memorial Day rolls around, we love barbecue even more than the rest of the year. While we do use our pellet grill all winter, it is our go-to in hot weather. We are dedicated to converting all of our family's favorite recipes to cook on the grill or smoker.

Any time you are at a summer potluck or BBQ, chances are there is a tray of baked beans along with the burgers, dogs, grilled chicken, and ribs. Taking them to a new level by cooking them on a smoker is my challenge to you this summer. They will be one of the best baked bean recipes you've ever tried.

Ingredients

Bacon - We love our baked beans with a generous amount of crispy bacon. I fry it up and then cook the onion in the bacon grease to get even more bacon flavor into this dish.

Onion - I used a regular yellow onion but any type of onion will work. You can use red onion, sweet onion, Vidalia onion, or white onion.

Pinto beans - To save on time, choose canned beans and just drain and rinse them well. If you prefer to use dry beans, you will need to soak them and cook them before adding them to the recipe.

Ketchup - Using bottled ketchup keeps the prep time for this smoked baked beans recipe to a minimum.

Brown sugar - We like our baked beans on the sweet side. Slightly sweet, not overly sweet. But feel free to adjust to your own taste preferences.

Mustard - Adding yellow mustard gives the sauce a nice tang. Dijon mustard or whole grain mustard can also be used. Or use a dash of apple cider vinegar for the same tangy note.

Salt & Pepper - Kosher salt and black pepper enhance the other flavors in this side.

How to Make Smoked Baked Beans

Step One: First thing you need to do is cook the bacon. We pan fry it over medium heat.

Step Two: Set aside the cooked slices of bacon on a paper towel-lined plate. Cook the diced onion in the bacon fat.

Step Three: Chop the bacon. Combine all the other ingredients in a medium or large mixing bowl.

Step Four: Stir in the bacon and onions. If you want to set aside some bacon pieces to sprinkle on top of the beans you can.

Step Five: Transfer the bean mixture to a disposable aluminum pan or cast-iron skillet and place on the pellet smoker or wood smoker. Smoke the baked beans until they are hot and have absorbed some of the smoke flavors.

Variations

Spices - Add some garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, or even Worcestershire sauce to boost the flavor.

Spicy - Adding jalapeño pepper is a great way to kick up the heat. Just saute the jalapeno peppers along with the onions.

Extra Sweet - Want your smoked baked beans sweeter? Also, add some molasses or maple syrup in addition to the light brown sugar.

Chipotle - Mix in a tablespoon or so of chipotle pepper puree for a spicy and smoky flavor.

Vegetarian - Omit the bacon and cook the onions in butter or olive oil instead. Add in some sauteed red bell pepper or green pepper for an extra veggie.

BBQ Sauce - Swap out the ketchup for your favorite bbq sauce.

We can't wait to try smoking these Calico Beans next.

Storage

If you have any leftovers, you can refrigerate them for up to 5 days or freeze them for longer. Just store it in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge or freezer.

Common Questions

What should I serve with smoked beans?

Serving with Smoked Hot Dogs is classic. But these are also great with Cast Iron Chicken and a side of Air Fryer Cornbread.

For another easy side dish recipe, try our Loaded Green Bean Casserole Recipe.

Can you smoke canned baked beans?

Yup! Our recipe is for homemade baked beans but you can also just pour a couple of cans of grocery store baked beans into a pan and heat on your smoker.

What types of beans are in baked beans?

While pinto beans are traditionally used in this dish, you can sub in navy beans, black beans, or kidney beans. Or use a combination of different types of beans.

What type of wood should I use?

You can use almost any type of wood pellets or wood chips for this recipe. We prefer pecan, mesquite, and hickory.

How long to smoke baked beans at 225?

Cook the beans in the smoker for 1.5-2 hours. The beans are already cooked so you just want time for the flavors to meld and them to get hot.

 

Recipe

Originally Published May 25, 2022. Revised and Republished August 12, 2025.