Go to any southern BBQ and there are two sides you are likely to see: potato salad and baked beans. I’ve already shared my easy potato salad recipe. Today, I’m going to share my ridiculously simple BBQ baked beans recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 16 oz cans of baked beans
- 2 slices bacon
- 1 onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- salt and pepper
Prep
Prep is fairly simple for this BBQ baked beans recipe. Go ahead and open your can of beans so it will be ready to pour when we need it. Speaking of beans, I suggest you get a can that doesn’t already have a specific seasoning in it. You want plain beans so the flavor profile we are trying to build stands out.
Next, measure out your brown sugar and have your BBQ sauce handy. Choose a sauce of your liking, though I would avoid a sweet sauce as we are already adding brown sugar.
The final prep step is to cut your vegetables and bacon. Start with your vegetables, and dice them fairly small. This is just my recommendation, as a lot of people don’t like big chunks of onions in their beans. You can cut them bigger if that is your preference, it won’t affect the recipe.
Having a good chef’s knife is crucial to getting the job done efficiently. The OXO chef knife is a great option, offering decent quality at a very affordable price. I have used one for years, and it has served me well and stood the test of time.
For one can of beans, a quarter cup of onions should suffice. I would bump it up to a half cup for two cans or more. The same goes for bell peppers.
The bacon is mainly needed for the flavor its rendered fat brings to the dish. If you want bacon in the final product, go ahead and dice it up as well. If you don’t want bacon in the dish, leave it whole so you can easily remove it before serving the beans.
How To Cook BBQ Baked Beans
Get a saucepan on the stove and turn the heat up to medium-high. Place your bacon in the pan and cook until some of the fat has rendered out. Next, go ahead and add your veggies. Season them with salt and pepper.
Once the veggies are nice and soft, you can pour in the beans. Let them warm up a bit before adding the brown sugar and BBQ sauce. Five minutes should be enough. After you’ve added these, lower the heat to medium.
The beans are technically ready to eat as soon as they are hot. However, I’d cook them at least 15-20 minutes so they can thicken up and the flavors can mingle together. You are going to want to stir the beans every couple of minutes so they don’t get too thick on the bottom and stick to the saucepan.
As with most simmering dishes, the longer you cook it, the better it will taste. You can even cook these beans in a slow cooker after you’ve sauteed the bacon and veggies.
In the market for a new slow cooker? Check out my review of the GoWise USA electric pressure cooker! It has 12 programmed settings, including one for beans. The GoWise model also has a slow cook setting. If you’ve been yearning for an Instapot, this is an excellent budget alternative.
That is pretty much it! This simple BBQ baked beans recipe will make a great addition to your summer BBQ. It would also make a good 4th of July recipe.
Simple BBQ Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 can baked beans no flavors
- 2 slices bacon
- 1 onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp bbq sauce avoid sweet varieties
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Saute bacon until fat is rendered.
- Add onion and bell peppers. Cook until soft.
- Add baked beans and lower the heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add bbq sauce and brown sugar. Stir well.
- Cook for 20-30 minutes until the beans thicken.
