Baked beans are one of those great all-rounder side dishes that go with so many meats.
However, I think they are great as a meal in their own right.
Smoking the baked beans takes an old favorite and gives it a whole new lease on life.
The combination of sweetness and spicy heat on a smoky base gives you a baked bean dish that’s out of this world delicious.
This baked beans smoker recipe is amazingly easy to prepare, and most ingredients can already be in the pantry.
A few minutes to throw together and a bit of time on the wood pellet grill and you’ll be rewarded with great sweet and smoky flavors. So crack out your pit boss pellet smoker and get smoking!
Ingredients:
1 can pork and beans (28oz)
½ pound of slices of bacon
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/8 cup molasses
1 red or yellow onion, chopped
1 can chili beans
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
¼ cup yellow mustard
Method:
- Preheat the smoker to 250°F.
- Cook up the bacon in a cast-iron skillet pan, long enough to render the bacon fat but not enough to crisp it. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, a disposable aluminum foil tray will work just as well.
- Once done, remove and place on a piece of paper towel to drain and cool.
- In the same pan, and using the bacon drippings, cook the chopped onion and jalapeno for 3-5 minutes to soften and the onions become translucent.
- Tip in the beans, brown sugar, mustard, and molasses.
- Stir the bean mixture to thoroughly combine.
- Position the cooked bacon strips over the top of the mix.
- Place in the smoker, beside or under whatever meat you are smoking.
What Temperature and Time to Cook
To get the best flavor in your smoked baked beans smoke at a lower temperature for a longer period to infuse extra smoke flavor. Ideally, about 2 hours on 225°F.
If you require the beans quicker than that, go for 250°F for an hour and a half. The higher temp gives a faster cook time, and will still have smoky flavors.
The longer they are left, the more intense the smoky flavor will be. Smoke until all the bacon fat has rendered away, and the sauce has thickened up.
Wood Pellet Recommendation
No doubt you will already have some form of meat smoking in the pellet grill, so using whatever chips or wood chunks you’ve chosen is perfectly fine for these beans.
Ideally, a flavor like a mild fruit like applewood or cherry wood, or a nut wood like pecan is great to use. The subtle flavor will give the desired smokiness, without overpowering the beans.
If a more intense and distinctive smoke flavor is what you’re after, something like a mesquite or hickory blend will give the desired result.
To Cover Or Not To Cover
As the beans are only smoking for a short amount of time, it’s not necessary to cover them.
Uncovering will allow the extra liquid to evaporate, thickening up the sauce, and allowing the glorious smoke flavors time to infuse through the dish.
Usually, when smoking side dishes there is already some kind of meat smoking in the pellet grill. Placing the pan underneath the meat can catch some of the lovely drippings and add to the flavor combination.
Some Flavor Alternatives
You can go mad here and add anything you like to the bean mix.
Experiment with different flavored cans of beans and types of bean mixes, like kidney beans, chickpea, or a 3 bean mix.
Dashes of sauces such as barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, a squeeze of hot sauce for a bit of a kick, or even a cheesy sauce for a bit of bacon/cheese taste.
Or different flavors like red green peppers, fresh cloves of garlic chopped in, diced tomatoes, or diced chilies for a spicy flavor.
How to Serve
Smoked baked beans are fabulous on their own, or served as the perfect side dish to your barbecue meat. They are the perfect accompaniment to just about anything at all.
But if you fancy something a little different and a little more filling, you could try heaping the beans on a mound of chips, with some sour cream and guacamole.
Or try layering with some smoked turkey or shredded b-b-q chicken, fresh crunchy slaw, potato salad, and fresh sweet kernels of corn.
Even mixing through a bit of minced or chopped beef for a bit of extra oomph will take this side dish to the main meal status.
With a few basic pantry ingredients, this baked beans recipe is very easy to throw together.
In next to no time at all, you’ll have a tasty, smoky meal that is sure to become your most requested classic recipe!
Pitboss Baked Beans
Equipment
- Pitboss Grill
Ingredients
- 1 can pork and beans
- ½ pound slices of bacon
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ⅛ cup molasses
- 1 red or yellow onion, chopped
- 1 can chili beans
- 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 250°F.
- Cook up the bacon in a cast-iron skillet pan, long enough to render the bacon fat but not enough to crisp it. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, a disposable aluminum foil tray will work just as well.
- Once done, remove and place on a piece of paper towel to drain and cool.
- In the same pan, and using the bacon drippings, cook the chopped onion and jalapeno for 3-5 minutes to soften and the onions become translucent.
- Tip in the beans, brown sugar, mustard, and molasses.
- Stir the bean mixture to thoroughly combine.
- Position the cooked bacon strips over the top of the mix.
- Place in the smoker, beside or under whatever meat you are smoking.
Smoke On!
Charlie
Author: Charlie Reeves
Hi, I’m Charlie, I am head taste tester at Simply Meat Smoking! I love it grilling, smoking, and getting out in the yard with the kids! The family also love to test all my recipes (especially my EXTRA CRISPY pulled pork, smoky pork loin, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill)
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling adventures with you!
You can read more on our About Us page.
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