BBQ Baked Beans (with Canned Beans)

BBQ Baked Beans are an easy side dish recipe and simple to make. BBQ Baked Beans with bacon, canned beans and delicious add-ins like bacon, onion, brown sugar and dijon mustard. Let it bake in the oven and you’re ready to serve this classic bbq summertime dish dish. 

Try these other delicious recipes with a bbq twist like my BBQ Beef Pasta Skillet, this Slow Cooker Root Beer BBQ Chicken, or BBQ Turkey Sloppy Joes. 

BBQ Baked Beans Recipe (Homemade Baked Beans with Canned Beans)

Classic homemade baked beans made with canned beans are always a hit at gatherings and summer barbecues. I love that these baked beans are simple to make thanks to the canned bean base, and delicious add-ins like bacon, onion, bbq sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and dijon mustard. 

Only a few minutes of prep time needed and then the beans cook in the oven for 1 hour of hands-off time. So much rich, hearty, thick flavor that no one will ever even know it started with a can!

Ingredients Needed

Here is the list of easy ingredients that you will need to make this recipe. I also share some tips so that you can recreate this recipe in your own kitchen with great results. 

• Bacon – 6 slices of bacon is what the recipe calls for. Cook this up in a skillet pan until it’s crispy. If you don’t want to cook bacon in a skillet pan (me!) then try baking it in the oven or use pre-cooked bacon that gets crisped up in the microwave. 
• Onion – A yellow onion is what I use but you can use a white onion or a Vidalia sweet onion. 
• Original Baked Beans – No need to drain these. Just use the entire contents from the can. 
• BBQ Sauce
• Brown Sugar – I use light brown sugar but if you prefer the darker, richer molasses flavor then use dark brown sugar. 
• Vinegar – Plain white vinegar or apple cider vinegar is best to use. 
• Dijon Mustard

How to Make Baked Beans with Bacon

Learn how to make baked beans at home with bacon, canned beans, and bbq sauce with the easy steps below. Be sure and read to the bottom of the post where I share a detailed recipe card with the full ingredient list and instructions.

• Bacon & Onion : Cook the chopped bacon in a skillet pan, over medium heat, until it’s crispy. Remove bacon (with a slotted spoon) to a paper towel lined plate. Add the diced onion into the bacon fat and cook until it’s softened and translucent. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion onto a paper towel lined plate. 
• Baked Beans : Combine the cooked bacon and onion, along with the remaining ingredients. Stir. Pour into a 9×9 baking dish.
• Cook : Cook for 1 hour, uncovered, stirring it halfway through. 

Tips For Success

Here are a few of my helpful tips!

• Don’t Drain The Beans : Add the entire contents from the can into the mixing bowl. No need to drain the excess liquid. As the beans cook in the oven, for 1 hour, it will thicken up and provides tons of flavor for the beans. 
• Do Not Cover The Baking Dish : Make sure that you cook the baked beans, uncovered, in the oven. We want the sauce to thicken up which is why we don’t want to cover it with anything, which will leave the moisture trapped in there. 
• Keep The Beans Warm For Serving : This is an awesome hack if you are taking these to a gathering, bbq, family get together, etc. Make the beans as directed and once they are baked, add them into a slow cooker and keep them on the WARM setting for several hours. 

BBQ Baked Beans FAQ’s

• Can This Be Made Vegetarian?
  • To make these baked beans vegetarian simply leave out the bacon, and sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of oil instead of bacon fat. Also make sure you are buying a vegetarian baked bean as your base. 
• Does The Bacon Become Rubbery In The Baked Beans?
  • If you are worried about the texture of the bacon in the beans, I recommend using center-cut bacon because the fatty pieces of bacon are cut off of those. They are slightly more expensive, but it will help you achieve that crisp bacon texture rather than the fatty, rubbery texture that bacon gets when it’s baked like this. 
• Can I Make This In a Crockpot?
  • Yes, if you want to cook these in the crockpot, just pour the mixture into the insert of a crockpot (rather than the baking dish) and cook on low heat for 5 hours or high heat for 3 hours. 
  • Cooking them in the crockpot will make them not as thick as if you were cooking them in the oven (uncovered). To fix this, take the lid off of the crockpot after the cook time and let the beans sit there for 20 minute so they can thicken up slightly. 
• How To Store Leftover Baked Beans
  • Leftover baked beans can be stored in an air-tight container, in the fridge, for up to 4 days. 
• Can I Make Them Ahead of Time?
  • Yes! I love to make these ahead of time and either warm them up as needed OR you can put the baked beans inside a slow cooker (on the WARM setting) and let them warm that way for several hours. This is a great option if you are taking these to a cookout, gathering, or other summertime bbq get together. 
• Variation & Substitution Ideas
  • Baked Beans : Although I prefer using original baked beans, there are several other options if you want to switch it up. Try using maple baked beans or brown sugar baked beans for a sweeter twist. You can also use Dr. Pepper baked beans (I’ve seen these in stores), or use a vegetarian baked beans and omit the bacon for vegetarian baked beans. Just make sure that you use the ounces that is called for in the recipe. You will need a total of 56 ounces of baked beans (or two 26 ounce cans).
  • Mustard : Dijon mustard is what the recipe calls for but feel free to use regular yellow mustard, spicy brown mustard, etc. Sometimes dijon mustard can be powerful, so use less if you’re wanting kids to eat the beans. Like maybe 2 teaspoons instead of 1 tablespoon. 

More Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love

• Black Bean and Corn Salad
• Ambrosia Salad
• Ranch Potatoes
• Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
• Garlic Parmesan Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Honey Butter Skillet Corn
• Tri Color Pasta Salad
• Fritos Corn Salad
• Cheesy Garlic Bread