Smoked Baked Beans

Who knew baked beans in the smoker could be so amazing? They come out perfectly smoked, slightly sweet with a hint of spice, and there’s bacon! These beans are hands-down the best picnic side dish for summer gatherings – so good you’ll want to eat them by the spoonful!

You’ll love that there’s minimal prep work involved. Many recipes out there have you sautéing veggies and pre-cooking the beans on the stove before smoking, which just creates extra work and mushy results. Let the smoker do its job… I guarantee everything from the beans to the onions will cook perfectly.

This recipe works with any pellet smoker (I use a Pit Boss vertical smoker), or check out the alternative cooking methods. They’re great for when weather takes a turn for the worse or if you run out of time before party guest show up. You can make these in the slow cooker, oven, or on a gas or charcoal grill.

Smoked Baked Beans Ingredients

These smoked beans are 9 simple ingredients, and I guarantee the majority are in your pantry right now. Below are a few notes and potential substitutions.

• Canned Baked Beans: I recommend using original recipe or types that do not have other added flavors and ingredients. Basic canned beans is what we want.
• Bacon: Choose whatever bacon you like, I use thick cut bacon from the local butcher. Also, cook the bacon how you prefer and rough chop it.
• Onion: I recommend using a small, mild, white onion. Chop it into small bite sized pieces.
• Green Bell Pepper: Again, chop it into small bite sized pieces. They should be similar in size to the diced onion.
• Honey BBQ Sauce: I use Sweet Baby Ray’s but feel free to use your favorite. If you decide to use regular BBQ sauce, adding a little bit of honey to the mix adds great flavor.
• Ketchup: I recommend using salt free and sugar free ketchup so you get a true tomato flavor. There is enough sweet and salt from the honey BBQ sauce.
• Mustard: I recommend full flavored mustards like Dijon, spicy, or whole ground mustard. Yellow mustard will work as well, I just like it the least.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Used to add a savory umami flavor to the beans. You can also use soy sauce, beef broth, or even apple cider vinegar in it’s place.
• Dry Rub Seasoning: My go to for this recipe is Pit Boss Sweet Heat rub but anything with the spicy-sweet profile will be just fine.

Important Smoker Equipment You’ll Need

• Pellet Smoker: I use a vertical pellet smoker by Pit Boss but any wood pellet smoker or pellet grill will work.
• Wood Pellets: I use Competition Blend pellets by Pit Boss, it is a combination of maple, hickory, and cherry wood. Other great options include oak and pecan wood.
• Cast Iron Skillet: I love using my Lodge cast iron because it evenly distributes heat and stays warm throughout the smoking process.

How to Make Smoked Baked Beans

Here’s a quick overview of how to make these smoked beans with any pellet smoker. You’ll see just how simple they are.

1. PREP YOUR SMOKER: Add wood pellets to the hopper and fill your water pan with cool water. Preheat the smoker for 20 to 30 minutes prior to smoking the baked beans.

2. MIX TOGETHER THE BAKED BEANS: To a lightly greased skillet add the canned baked beans, bacon pieces, onion, green bell pepper, honey BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and dry rub seasoning. Stir everything together until well combined.

3. SMOKE: Let the baked beans smoke for 2 to 3 hours (stirring every hour) or until warmed through. Serve them hot, at room temperature, or cold out of the refrigerator. They are super delicious no matter how you serve them!

Find the complete recipe instructions with measurements below.

Storing Information

Always store leftover Smoked Baked Beans in an airtight container and in the refrigerator. They will last up to 7 days.

Feel free to eat them cold out of the refrigerator, at room temperature, or rewarmed on the stove top or in the microwave. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months if you want.

Remix Your Beans: Fun Variations

USE YOUR FAVORITE BBQ SAUCE. This recipe uses honey BBQ sauce but feel free to use your favorite. I also like these beans with my homemade Apple Butter BBQ Sauce, Blackberry BBQ Sauce, or Cherry BBQ Sauce. If the BBQ sauce you choose is not sweet, I recommend adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey to this recipe.

ADD JALAPENOS or use them in place of green bell peppers, it adds a wonderful spice note! Feel free to keep the seeds in or remove them (depending on the spice level you want). Don’t worry about sautéing them ahead of time, they will cook down enough as they smoke.

MAKE THIS RECIPE INTO SMOKED COWBOY BAKED BEANS by adding ground beef. For every 1- 28 ounce can of beans I recommend a half pound of ground beef (brown it prior to adding to the mixture and smoking).

Serving Suggestions for a Crowd

I love making these Smoked Baked Beans because they’re easy and everyone loves them.

If you’re making them for a party with 3 or more sides, I recommend planning on a 1/4 cup per person. If it’s for dinner or a small dinner party with 1 to 2 sides, I recommend a 1/2 cup per person. When I follow this rule I always have more than what I need, but that’s better than running out of baked beans (in my opinion).

Another thing, you can easily double or triple my recipe by hitting the 2x and 3x buttons in my recipe card below. I also recommend using disposable aluminum pans for ease. If you have a large enough cast iron skillet, go for it. Just note that it will be very heavy to handle.

Flexible Cooking Methods for Any Situation

There’s nothing worse than bad weather or bad timing. I have had many days where summer storms pop up and I cannot use my smoker. I have also hosted BBQs where I didn’t leave myself enough time to smoke the sides.

It’s no problem though, you can also make these baked beans in the slow cooker, oven, or on a separate gas or charcoal grill. I do recommend adding a half teaspoon of liquid smoke so you do not miss out on any of the smoky flavor.

BAKED BEANS IN THE SLOW COOKER: Cook it on low, stirring every 20 minutes, until it is warmed and delicious.

BAKED BEANS IN THE OVEN: Follow the same instructions as if you were smoking it. Same temperature, same amount of cooking time, stir every hour too.

BAKED BEANS ON THE GAS GRILL OR CHARCOAL GRILL: Fill a smoker box with wood chips and preheat grill to 300-350 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir the beans every 15 minutes until warmed.

More Smoked Dishes To Serve With Your Beans

• Smoked meats like Smoked Hot Dogs, Smoked Pork Butt or Smoked Turkey
• Burgers, sandwiches, and sliders like these Pulled Pork Sliders or Apple Butter BBQ Pork Sliders
• Smoked Cream Cheese
• Smoked Cheez Its – customize them with your favorite seasonings
• Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Smoked Queso Dip
• Or browse all my smoker recipes.