Smoked BBQ Baked Beans

Bacon, onion, brisket trim, and three kinds of beans smoked in a pan under the meat until thick, sweet, and smoky.

Prep

20 minutes

Cook

2.5 hours on the smoker

Rest

10 minutes

Equipment

• 12-inch cast iron skillet or 9x13 foil pan
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Smoker at 275F (or oven at 325F)
• Wooden spoon

Ingredients

• 6 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, diced small
• 1 green bell pepper, diced small
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb chopped smoked brisket or pulled pork (leftovers are perfect)
• 1 can (28 oz) baked beans (Bush's Original), undrained
• 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup BBQ sauce (the Only BBQ Sauce recipe)
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp BBQ rub
• 1 tsp coarse black pepper

Method

1. 01

   RENDER THE BACON (8 min): In a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until the fat has rendered and the bacon is just crisp on the edges. Do not fully crisp — it will finish in the smoker.

2. 02

   SWEAT THE VEG (7 min): Add the diced onion and bell pepper directly to the bacon fat. Cook 5-7 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 30 more seconds until fragrant.

3. 03

   BUILD THE POT: Add the chopped brisket or pulled pork, the undrained baked beans, drained pinto beans, and drained kidney beans. Stir gently to combine — do not smash the beans.

4. 04

   SAUCE IT: Add the BBQ sauce, brown sugar, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, BBQ rub, and black pepper. Stir until every bean is coated. Taste — the raw mix should already taste like something you'd eat.

5. 05

   FIRE THE SMOKER: Bring the smoker to 275F with any wood you have on hand (pecan, hickory, and oak are all great here). If cooking indoors, use a 325F oven.

6. 06

   SMOKE UNCOVERED (2 to 2.5 hours): Place the skillet on the smoker, ideally on a lower rack UNDERNEATH a piece of meat that's dripping (brisket, ribs, pork shoulder) — the drippings baste the beans. If you don't have meat cooking, that's fine, they'll still be great. Stir every 45 minutes so the top doesn't crust too hard.

7. 07

   CHECK CONSISTENCY: The beans are done when the liquid has reduced to a thick, glossy sauce that coats the back of a spoon — usually 2 to 2.5 hours. If they're still soupy, cook another 30 minutes uncovered. If they've gone too tight, splash in 1/4 cup water or beef stock.

8. 08

   REST (10 min): Pull off the smoker and let sit 10 minutes. The sauce thickens more as it cools.

How to serve

• Serve alongside brisket, ribs, or pulled pork sandwiches — this is the sidekick that ties the tray together.
• Leftovers on top of a baked potato with cheese and sour cream is a full meal.