Barbecue Baked Beans
These barbecue baked beans are a quick & easy side dish. There’s a rich & tangy bbq sauce, chunks of leftover smoked meat & plenty of tender beans.
These barbecue baked beans are a really good bbq side dish! The sauce is rich, tangy & flavourful and there’s chunks of leftover smoked meat stirred through, as well as plenty of your choice of bean (I like red kidney beans).
These baked beans are cooked on the stove but if you wanted to take them to another level, you could cook them on your bbq & make them into a batch of pit beans. Whichever way you cook them, they’ll taste delicious & go great on a homemade bbq/smoked meat platter, on top of a baked potato or with some grilled meat. They’re super versatile & really easy to make. Plus, we’re using tinned beans so they take less time to make than if you were using dried beans.
For more side dishes & sauces, take a look at our collection of sides! There’s lots to choose from here, from homemade chips, to cornbread, slaws, pickles & loads more. And for more barbecue recipes, check out our collection of main courses.
What You’ll Need
- Beans – I used red kidney beans but navy beans, pinto beans & cannellini beans will work as well.
- Onions – I like to use red onions for homemade baked beans, as they add a touch of sweetness to the sauce. White & brown onions will work as well, so will shallots.
- Barbecue Sauce – We’re making our own barbecue sauce base but you could use a ready made bbq sauce instead & thin it out with some extra stock.
- Chicken Stock – Chicken stock adds extra flavour to our beans but veg stock will also work.
- Smoked Meat – I like to stir some leftover smoked meat into my baked beans but this is optional! This could be pulled pork or lamb, smoked brisket, pork belly or bacon.
How To Make Barbecue Baked Beans
As we’re using tinned beans, these barbecue baked beans only take around 30 minutes to make from scratch & there’s no need to soak the beans as well. Plus, they can be made several days in advance then reheated on the stove when needed. Here’s how we make them…
- Caramelise Onions
First, we add diced red onion into a large saucepan with a splash of veg oil then cook over a medium-low heat until they’re soft & caramelised. Then once cooked, we add in some grated garlic & cook for another 30 seconds. - Cook Out Spices
Next, we stir smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper & tomato paste into the onions then cook out for another minute. - BBQ Base
To make the bbq sauce base, we add chicken stock into the pan, along with ketchup, sugar, treacle, honey, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce & soy sauce. Then we stir everything together & simmer for 5 minutes or so, until the sauce has started to thicken. - Add Beans
Now we add drained & rinsed beans to the sauce then continue cooking until the sauce has thickened. This will take another 5-10 minutes. - Stir In Smoked Meat
To finish the beans, we stir in some smoked meat then let it warm through for another few minutes. At this point we can give the sauce a taste as well, to check the seasoning then add in salt & pepper as needed.
Tips & Tricks
- Use tinned beans, as they won’t need to be cooked from raw.
- Cook the onions low & slow, so that they caramelise and add more flavour to our baked beans.
- Cook your baked beans on your barbecue, to add an extra smokey flavour.
- Add some leftover smoked meat to your baked beans, for added flavour & texture. This could be pulled pork, smoked brisket, pork belly or bacon.
Serving Suggestions
These barbecue baked beans work really well as part of a barbecue/smoked meat platter, like you’d get in an American BBQ joint! They also go great with jacked potatoes, on toast or with grilled sausages. They’re good with pretty much anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
The great thing about homemade baked beans, is that you can use pretty much whatever type of bean you like! Some good options are red kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans & cannellini beans. If you’re using tinned beans, you’ll need to give them a rinse under cold water before using, as they will have been stored in salted water.
To cook barbecue baked beans on an Aga, use the simmering plate.
Barbecue baked beans will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. Or alternatively, they can be stored in the freezer for several months.
Yes, barbecue baked beans can be cooked in a smoker, in fact they’ll taste even better! To cook baked beans in a smoker, bake them for an hour or so a 300°f/150°c once the beans have been added in. The base & sauce can be inside or on a barbecue.
To give your baked beans at bit of a kick, add in some cayenne pepper, chilli powder or hot sauce (like sriracha).
More Barbecue Recipes To Try!
- Smoked Pulled Pork
- Smoked Pulled Lamb Shawarma
- Smoked Pork Belly
- Smoked Ham Hocks
- Black Garlic Hanger Steaks
- BBQ Lamb Kofta Meatballs
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Barbecue Baked Beans
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
- Microplane/Grater
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 2 Red Onions (Finely Diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (Grated)
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 500 ml Chicken Stock
- 350 g Tomato Ketchup
- 75 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 75 g Black Treacle
- 50 g Honey
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbsp French's Mustard
- 2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 750 g Red Kidney Beans (Drained Weight – See Notes)
- 300 g Leftover Smoked Meat (Pulled/Chopped – See Notes)
Instructions
- Set a large saucepan over a medium-low heat, add in the vegetable oil then leave to warm up for a minute.
- Next, add the diced onion into the pan with a pinch of salt then cook, stirring frequently until soft & caramelised. This will take around 10 minutes.
- Once the onions are ready, stir in the grated garlic, cook for another 30 seconds then stir in the dried spices & herbs and the tomato paste.
- Cook the spices out for a minute then stir in all of the remaining ingredients apart from the beans & smoked meat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then cook for 5 minutes or so, until it's starting to thicken.
- Next, add the drained beans to the sauce then continue cooking until the sauce has thickened. This will take another 5-10 minutes.Make sure to stir the beans regularly!
- To finish, stir the smoked meat into the beans then cook for another 4-5 minutes to warm through. Give the sauce a taste, to check the seasoning then season with salt & pepper as needed.
