Take your plain baked beans recipe to the next level with these delicious BBQ Beans! Convenient canned navy beans are baked in a luscious tomato sauce with onion, bacon, and seasonings for an absolutely scrumptious side dish.
Today I’m taking the usual baked beans up a notch with my BBQ beans recipe. The prep for this recipe is just a little longer than my standard baked beans recipe, but they are so worth the effort! This recipe is just loaded with onion, bacon, and tomato goodness, along with some brown sugar, barbecue sauce, and herbs. Yum, yum.
You can use almost any white bean in this recipe, but I prefer navy beans. Cannellini or white northern beans work also. And I do use canned beans, but you can certainly use dried beans. Be sure to soak them overnight and rinse well before cooking.
These beans go with so many meals! Try them with a homemade burger, with hot dogs, or pulled pork barbecue sandwiches. They even work alongside a platter of fried chicken…whatever you like. Heck, I’ve eaten the leftovers right by themselves.
— This post was originally published on January 22, 2019. It has been updated with additional information.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 1 Hour, 25 Minutes
Servings: 8
Primary Ingredient(s): Onion, bacon, beans, tomato sauce, brown sugar, barbecue sauce, rosemary
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Absolute genius to place the bacon & onions in the baking dish and cook in the oven!“
— Miss P
What Makes This Recipe Special
These beans have a depth of flavor that goes far beyond simply opening a can and warming the contents. They start with baking bacon and onion in the oven, giving the finished dish a savory base that stops it from being too sweet.
Once the bacon and onion are ready, the beans go in with a sauce that has a lovely balance of tangy tomato with brown sugar and barbecue sauce. The added rosemary isn’t overpowering, just enough to make you think, “Now what is that?”
After a slow bake, the sauce thickens up and the beans are seasoned all the way through, not just coated on the outside. It’s the kind of side dish that disappears first at a cookout, but it’s just as good as part of a simple weeknight supper.
Ingredient Notes
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- Beans — Use any small-ish white beans that you like – navy beans, cannellini beans, and great northern beans all work well. My preference is navy beans.
- Barbecue Sauce — I recommend a sweet barbecue sauce such as Kraft original or Sweet Baby Ray’s.
- Red Pepper Flakes — Adjust the amount up or down to suit your preferred heat level.
- Fresh Rosemary — In my opinion, it’s the rosemary that really makes this recipe so delicious. If you don’t have fresh, substitute one teaspoon of dried.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Cook BBQ Beans
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the Bacon and Onion
- Place the onion and bacon in a 9×13 baking pan and drizzle with olive oil.
- Cook for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onion has softened and the bacon has browned lightly.
Add Beans and Other Ingredients
- Add the beans, tomato sauce, and water, the brown sugar, barbecue sauce, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Stir together until well combined.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 1 hour or until the beans are tender.
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Spice up your beans even more by adding a finely diced jalapeno or a couple of minced chipotles in adobe.
- Add a bit of “tang” by stirring in a couple of tablespoons of yellow mustard.
- If you don’t have light brown sugar on hand, you can make a substitute with 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses stirred together. No molasses? Try a tablespoon of maple syrup or honey.
Storing Leftovers
Cover tightly and keep in the refrigerator for about 5-6 days. Reheat slowly on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can also freeze them for up to six months.
Questions About BBQ Beans
Of course, you can. To use dried beans for the recipe, you’ll need 1 1/2 cups of dried beans to equal 3 15-ounce cans. Rinse the dried beans and check through them for any bad beans or foreign material. Place in a bowl with enough water to cover by two inches. Cover and let sit for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse briefly, and proceed with the recipe. Note that even after soaking, dried beans may need more time to become tender than canned beans.
Canned beans are definitely soft but not fully cooked. The long cooking time allows for the beans to cook thoroughly and for the luscious tomato sauce to cook, thicken, and develop all its flavors.
I prefer navy beans, but you can use any variety of beans you like.
Yes! You can make BBQ beans a day or two in advance. They’re actually even better on the second day.
More Recipes You’ll Like
British Style Beans on Toast
Red Beans and Rice
Pinto Bean Cakes
Great Northern Beans with Tomatoes
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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BBQ Beans
Ingredients
- ½ large red onion thinly sliced
- 4 slices bacon cut crosswise
- Olive oil
- 45 ounces canned beans navy, cannellini, or great northern beans, lightly drained (3 15-ounce cans)
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the onion and bacon in a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil.½ large red onion, 4 slices bacon, Olive oil
- Cook for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onion has softened and the bacon has browned lightly.
- Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.45 ounces canned beans, 16 ounces tomato sauce, ½ cup water, ¼ cup light brown sugar, ⅓ cup barbecue sauce, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, Salt and pepper
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 1 hour or until the beans are tender.
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use any small white beans you like. Navy, cannellini, or great northern all work well.
- I recommend a sweet barbecue sauce such as Kraft Original or Sweet Baby Ray’s.
- Cover tightly and keep in the refrigerator for about 5-6 days. Reheat slowly on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can also freeze them for up to six months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Absolute genius to place the bacon & onions in the baking dish and cook in the oven! I usually sauté those and then mix everything together in the baking dish. You just saved me a step, and one less pan to wash.
I really do love baked beans, especially with BBQ chicken. That’s just such a classic combination.
Can’t wait to try this.
Miss P
You know I’m all for fewer pans to wash!
If the canned beans are already cooked, why do we bake them for 1hour? I usually use dry uncooked beans.
As I said in the post, you can certainly use dry beans. Just soak them and add in where the canned beans are added in the recipe. They come out just about the same though you may find they need some additional time. The baking time creates the lovely rich, sticky sauce and combines all the flavors.