Summer BBQ Baked Beans (Print Version)

Tender beans in a sweet, smoky sauce with crispy bacon, ideal for summer cookouts.

# Components:

→ Beans and Main Components

01 - 4 cups canned navy beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
04 - 1 green bell pepper, finely diced

→ Sauce

05 - 3/4 cup ketchup
06 - 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
07 - 1/4 cup molasses
08 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
09 - 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
02 - In a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving approximately 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan.
03 - Add diced onion and green bell pepper to the pan. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
04 - Stir in drained beans, cooked bacon (reserve 2 tablespoons for topping), and all sauce ingredients. Mix until fully combined.
05 - Bring the mixture to a simmer, then remove from heat.
06 - If not using an oven-safe pan, transfer mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle reserved bacon over the top.
07 - Bake uncovered for 1 hour until beans are bubbling and sauce has thickened.
08 - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The bacon fat does something special to the vegetables—it gives them a richness that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.
  • You can prep this in fifteen minutes, then let the oven do the heavy lifting while you tend to burgers and corn.
  • It tastes even better the next day, which means less stress on the actual cooking day.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—that cloudy liquid is starch that will make your sauce gummy and taste metallic if you leave it in.
  • If your sauce looks too thin at the baking time mark, you can sneak back to the oven for another 15 minutes; it continues to thicken as it cools and sits.
03 -
  • Save about 2 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat before cooking the vegetables—that fat carries flavor in a way oil never can, and it's the reason people will ask what makes your beans taste so good.
  • If your oven runs hot, check the beans around the 50-minute mark so they don't reduce too fast and start sticking to the sides of the pan.
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