Smoked Baked Beans

Who knew baked beans in the smoker were so good! They are perfectly smoked, slightly sweet with a little spice, and there’s bacon! Literally the best picnic side dish to serve all summer long. I could eat them alone and by the spoonful… they are that good.

Make these baked beans with any kind of pellet smoker, I use Pit Boss. If you don’t own a smoker, there are more cooking methods (gas or charcoal grill, slow cooker, and oven).

Why You’ll LOVE This Smoked Baked Beans Recipe

• THERE’S BACON: Who doesn’t love baked beans with bacon?! Especially smoked baked beans with bacon.
• NO REFINED SUGAR: A lot of recipes call for brown sugar, not these baked beans! We use the sweetness from Honey BBQ sauce to sweeten our beans. You could also use regular BBQ sauce with a few tablespoons of local honey.
• MINIMAL PREP WORK: A lot of recipes require sautéing veggies and cooking the baked beans on the stove before throwing them in the smoker… I’m not sure why because it just adds another step and everything becomes mushy. Let the smoker do the work, I guarantee everything from the beans to the onion will be cooked perfectly.
• SMOKED LOW AND SLOW: Smoking these baked beans low and slow means there is a lot of time for the smoke to infuse into the beans and the sauce. Stirring every hour will help with that as well.

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.

Equipment Needed:

• Pellet Smoker: I use a vertical pellet smoker by Pit Boss but any wood pellet smoker or pellet grill will work. You can also use your gas grill or charcoal grill with a smoker box and wood chips for the same result.
• 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. I do not recommend using mesquite or hickory because they are a tad too strong for baked beans.
• 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 Baked Beans in the Smoker

Here’s a quick overview of how to make smoked beans with any pellet smoker, the recipe card will have full details.

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 or until warmed through. Be sure to stir them every hour too!

4. STIR AND SERVE: This smoked baked bean recipe can be served warm out of the smoker, at room temperature, or even cold out of the refrigerator. They are super delicious no matter how you serve them!

Storing Information

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

What to Serve with Smoked Baked Beans

These smoked baked beans with bacon are the perfect, hearty side dish to A LOT of different things.

• Smoked meat like Smoked Hot Dogs, Smoked Pork Butt, smoked beef brisket, or smoked turkey
• Burgers and sandwiches
• Sliders: Pulled Pork Sliders, Cheesy Ground Beef Sliders, Apple Butter BBQ Pork Sliders
• BBQ chicken or even Chicken Wings

Fun Variations:

FEED A CROWD by doubling or even tripling this recipe. You can also smoke them in a disposable aluminum pan for easy prep and even easier clean up.

USE YOUR FAVORITE BBQ SAUCE and swap out the honey BBQ sauce. I recommend adding a few tablespoons of local honey so you don’t miss out on the sweet note. You could also use maple syrup or brown sugar.

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).

Other Cooking Methods

No smoker? No problem! You can also make these baked beans in the slow cooker or in the oven. Feel free to add a half teaspoon of liquid smoke so you do not miss out on any 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.