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Savory BBQ Style Baked Beans with Crispy Bacon

BBQ style baked beans - featured image
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A quick and easy baked beans recipe featuring smoky crispy bacon and tangy BBQ flavors, perfect as a comforting side dish for gatherings or casual meals.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup dry navy beans (about 200g), soaked overnight or 3 cups canned beans, rinsed and drained
  • 6–8 strips thick-cut crispy bacon
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups water or broth

Instructions

  1. Prepare the beans: If using dry beans, soak them overnight in cold water. Drain and rinse before cooking. For canned beans, skip soaking and rinse well.
  2. Cook the bacon: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon strips and cook until crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Remove bacon, drain on paper towels, and crumble once cooled. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the skillet.
  3. Sauté onions and garlic: In the same skillet with bacon drippings, add chopped onion. Cook until translucent and slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
  4. Combine ingredients: In your oven-safe dish or Dutch oven, add soaked beans, sautéed onions and garlic, tomato paste, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine evenly.
  5. Add liquids: Pour in 2 cups of water or broth, stirring gently. The liquid should just cover the beans; add a bit more if needed.
  6. Add bacon: Stir in half of the crumbled bacon, reserving the rest for topping.
  7. Bake the beans: Cover the dish with a lid or foil and bake in a preheated oven at 325°F (165°C) for 1.5 to 2 hours. Check occasionally—if it looks too dry, stir gently and add a splash of water.
  8. Final touch: Remove the cover, stir gently, sprinkle reserved crispy bacon on top, and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes to get a nice crust on top.
  9. Serve and enjoy: Let the beans cool slightly before serving.

Notes

For a vegetarian version, omit bacon and add smoked paprika plus a dash of liquid smoke and sautéed mushrooms. If using canned beans, reduce baking time to about 45 minutes. Keep beans covered most of the time while baking to retain moisture. Crisp bacon separately and add half to the beans and reserve some for topping to maintain texture.

Nutrition

Keywords: baked beans, BBQ baked beans, bacon baked beans, side dish, comfort food, easy recipe, smoky baked beans

Find it online: https://grubella.com/savory-bbq-style-baked-beans-with-crispy-bacon-easy-recipe-for-perfect-side-dish/