Warm side
Smoky Baked Beans
Start with canned beans and build the sauce around them. Sweet onion, a little brown sugar, and mustard give the beans enough flavor to stand beside grilled meat without needing bacon or a long soak.
- Makes
- About 8 side servings
- Preparation
- About 15 minutes
- Cooking or chilling
- About 45 to 60 minutes
Get everything ready
Ingredients
About 8 side servings
What you need
Saucepan or skillet, shallow 2 quart baking dish.
Time to cook
Method
Heat and soften the onion
Heat an oven or smoker to 325°F. Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until softened.
Mix the beans
Combine the onion, drained canned beans, BBQ sauce, water, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, paprika, and pepper in a shallow 2 quart baking dish. Use cookware rated for your oven or smoker.
Bake until bubbling
Bake uncovered for about 45 to 60 minutes, stirring once halfway through. The sauce should bubble and thicken. If the beans look dry before they are hot, stir in a little more water.
Taste and serve
Taste once the beans are hot. Add salt only if needed because canned beans and BBQ sauce vary. Let the dish stand for a few minutes before serving.
Before you make it
Use canned beans
This recipe is designed for fully cooked canned beans. Dry beans need separate preparation and will not soften properly with this method.
Choose your sauce
A sweet BBQ sauce makes sweeter beans. If yours already has plenty of sugar, start with one tablespoon of brown sugar and add more only after tasting.
Making a larger batch
Use additional shallow dishes so the beans heat evenly. A much deeper pan changes the cooking time and how quickly the sauce thickens.
Cooking times and serving counts are estimates.
Serving and leftovers
Keep cold food at 40°F or below and hot food at 140°F or above. Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to 165°F. Use a food thermometer for meat rather than relying on color.
USDA food handling guidance covers cooking temperatures, holding food, and refrigeration.