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A cast-iron skillet filled with smoked baked beans on burlap with fresh thyme to the side.
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Smoked Baked Beans (With Optional Bourbon)

Your summer barbecue party isn’t complete without a side of these smoked baked beans! After cooking low and slow in the most incredible BBQ sauce with loads of bacon, these baked beans balance just the right spicy, sweet and smoky notes. You’ll never go back to canned baked beans after one bite.
Course Side Dishes
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 12 people
Calories 348kcal
Author Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • 12-inch cast-iron skillet or 9-inch-by-13-inch disposable aluminum pan
  • Smoker any type
  • Wood pellets, chips or chunks preferably a lighter wood, such as applewood, cherrywood or pecan

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces bacon cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 sweet yellow onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves grated or minced
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of tomato sauce
  • 1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste
  • 1 cup coffee
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses not blackstrap
  • ¼ cup real maple syrup
  • ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 (15-ounce) cans of navy beans drained, can substitute white cannellini beans or your favorite variety
  • ¼ cup bourbon optional

Instructions

  • Prepare the smoker with a water pan and heat to 225 degrees. Place bacon pieces in a cold cast-iron skillet and turn the heat to medium. Cook until the bacon grease renders, and it starts to crisp up on the edge while the center remains mostly translucent. The bacon will be about halfway cooked. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Add the diced onion to the rendered bacon grease. Cook until softened, about four to five minutes. In the last 30 seconds, add the garlic, stirring constantly.
  • Pour in the tomato sauce and tomato paste, stirring to make one cohesive mixture. Stir in the coffee, apple cider vinegar, molasses, maple syrup, dark brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and spices until combined. Turn off heat.
  • Stir the drained beans into the sauce. Lay the bacon pieces directly on top of the beans.
  • Place the beans in the smoker uncovered. Smoke for three hours, maintaining the temperature.
  • After smoking, pour in the bourbon if desired. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • If you need to use the oven instead of the smoker, you can bake the beans at 325 degrees for an hour or up to two hours if you prefer a thicker sauce.
  • If you have to use a heavier, bolder wood, like mesquite, you may want to smoke the beans for a shorter time and taste test it every half hour. If you’re happy with the smoke infusion, you can move it to the oven to finish cooking.
  • Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for three to four days in the refrigerator. 
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1scoop | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 267IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg