Barbecue Baked Beans Recipe
My mom was always in charge of making the beans for our family barbecues, and this recipe reminds of the barbecue baked beans she made. There isn’t anything fancy about this recipe, and I can’t recall her ever measuring the ingredients. My mom tasted as she went (I’m sure that’s why she’s such a good cook); and when the beans were just right, they were ready for the smoker.
The one thing that was always the same with her beans was the ShowBoat brand pork & beans. I will beat that just about every household in the south has a can of these somewhere in the pantry. She would drain several cans of pork & beans (leaving the hunks of fat) into a large pan or dutch oven and then start adding the ingredients that turns them into barbecue beans.
Brown Sugar and Sweet Onion always went in along with ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire. She would add whatever sauce was on sale or in the fridge and follow that with BBQ seasonings from the spice cabinet. We didn’t have any fancy rubs back then, so lots of time she would concoct her own.
Once the beans tasted up to her satisfaction they went on the smoker for about 3 hours. There wasn’t any specific time or temperature but the beans were always ready when it was time to serve the meat.
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Barbecue Baked Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 75oz Showboat Pork & Beans (5-15oz cans)
- 1 Vidalia Onion diced
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce (use your favorite brand or what’s on sale)
- 1/2 cup Ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
- 1/2 cup BBQ Rub (any bbq rub will work for beans)
Instructions
- Prepare charcoal smoker or other grill for indirect cooking at 250-275 degrees. Use your favorite wood for smoke flavor.
- Drain the pork & beans and pour into an aluminum pan.
- Add the diced onion, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, BBQ Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, and BBQ Rub.
- Gently fold to incorporate the ingredients and cook smoke uncovered for 2.5-3 hours or until onions are soft and liquid has thickened slightly.
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Malcom, put in some smoked bacon to this recipe and then you will have a perfect baked bean recipe, trust me, I do it all the time!
yeah, my wife always adds bacon but I’m not crazy of the texture of the bacon after it’s cooked in the beans.
i always cook my bacon first.. and add cooked hamburger meat in it
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put in whole pieces on top then remove it when ready to serve, i also add a little liquid smoke to the mix, mustard powder and bbq sauce.
Leave the bacon out and use chopped brisket or beef rib trimmings that have already been smoked.
Going to give these beans a try on the 4th What kind of wood would be best for smoking the beans
Malcom, What about a nice big green pepper diced into all that tasty goodness?
I made this as part of my “Killer Hogs” 4th of July. Cooked your pork butt, a brisket and 3 racks of ribs. I did put bacon in the beans, but cooked it prior. Made the recipe the night before and it went in the smoker when the big meats came out. They were sweet and delicious and went quickly. Thanks Malcom. Love your site, love your products.
Is the mustard crucial to this recipe? I can’t stand the taste or smell of it. Is there something you would recommend subbing it with?
just omit it
Going to try it and throw in my leftover brisket/pork butt.
Hey Malcolm. I just wanted to let you know these are the best bbq baked beans I’ve ever had. I’ve made them several times and I followed your recipe exactly and they were fantastic. I recently made a trip to Seattle for my oldest son’s wedding. For his reception we did pulled pork on his drum smoker and also did these beans. Let me just say you have a lot of fans in the PNW of these beans. They went quick. Thanks.
Hey Malcolm. I just wanted to let you know these are the best bbq baked beans I’ve ever had. I’ve made them several times and I followed your recipe exactly and they were fantastic. I recently made a trip to Seattle for my oldest son’s wedding. For his reception we did pulled pork on his drum smoker and also did these beans. Let me just say you have a lot of fans in the PNW of these beans. They went quick. Thanks.
I fixed these for a pot luck dinner at a camp ground. I did not have any to bring back. There were at least 4 other pans of beans and mine was the only one empty. Oh did I mention I doubled the recipe.
Tried a half batch of this recipe and it was awesome! How many people would you say a half pan would serve? We have a couples shower coming up and I’d love to serve these beans!
★★★★★
I use most of these ingredients but try using about a half cup of molasses, now them some baked beans
I’m thinking of trying to make BBQ Beans but I have some pork belly. I was thinking of smoking it then adding some of it to the beans . Any thoughts or advice?
Krazy tasty!!! Made these several times and they are amazing. First time they lasted less then an hour and then boom kall gone. I have made a few batches with some modifications, ie adding a couple diced jalapeños and diced cooked kielbasa sausage!
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I love these beans! I’ve done these a few times, they are always a hit! Thanks Malcolm and crew!
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I am in the process of getting these wonderful beans together. They were a hit the first time I made them. Made them in the oven, so I added liquid smoke to get a smokey flavor.