BBQ Beans – white beans baked with a luscious tomato sauce full of onion, bacon, and seasonings. Takes baked beans to the next level!
Today I’m taking the usual baked beans up a notch with my BBQ Beans recipe.
These BBQ Beans take a little longer to cook than my regular Baked Beans recipe, but they are so worth the wait! 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 most any white bean in this recipe, but my preference is navy beans. Cannellini or white northern work as well.
I use canned beans, but dried beans work just as well. Be sure to soak them overnight and rinse well before cooking.
MORE THAN YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BAKED BEANS
According to Wikipedia —
The beans presently used to make baked beans are all native to South America and were introduced to Europe around 1528. The dish is commonly described as having a savory-sweet flavor and a brownish- or reddish-tinted white bean once baked, stewed, canned or otherwise cooked. According to alternative traditions, sailors brought cassoulet from the south of France or northern France, and the Channel Islands, where bean stews were popular. Most probably, a number of regional bean recipes coalesced and cross-fertilized in North America and ultimately gave rise to the baked bean culinary tradition familiar today.
While many recipes today are stewed, traditionally beans were slow-baked in a ceramic or cast-iron beanpot. A tradition in Maine of “bean hole” cooking may have originated with the native Penobscot people and was later practiced in logging camps. A fire would be made in a stone-lined pit and allowed to burn down to hot coals, and then a pot with 11 pounds of seasoned beans would be placed in the ashes, covered over with dirt, and left to cook overnight or longer. These beans were a staple of Maine’s logging camps, served at every meal.
American Boston baked beans use a sauce prepared with molasses and salt pork, the popularity of which has led to the city’s being nicknamed “Beantown.”
These BBQ Beans are delicious with so many meals – burgers, hot dogs, barbecue sandwiches, fried chicken….whatever you like. Heck, I’ve had them leftover just by themselves.
Hope you enjoy this one!
BBQ Beans - white beans baked with a luscious tomato sauce full of onion, bacon, and seasonings. Takes baked beans to the next level! Click To Tweet
How to Make BBQ Beans
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the onion and bacon in a 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 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.
BBQ Beans
BBQ Beans - Beans baked with onion, bacon, tomato sauce, and seasonings.
Ingredients
- ½ large red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 slices bacon, cut crosswise
- Olive oil
- 3 15.5 oz. cans great northern or navy beans, lightly drained
- 16 oz. tomato sauce
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tblsp 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. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onion has softened and the bacon has browned lightly.
- Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.
- 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
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Related Recipes on Never Enough Thyme:
- Beans on Toast
- Red Beans and Rice
- Pinto Bean Cakes with Salsa and Sour Cream
- Great Northern Beans with Tomatoes
- Pinto Beans with Fresh Tomato Relish
- Slow Cooker White Beans with Smoked Ham Hocks
baked bean recipes From Other Bloggers:
- The Best Southern Baked Beans from Add A Pinch
- Boston Baked Beans from A Family Feast
- Honey and Cider Baked Beans from Dishing Up The Dirt
- Bourbon Peach BBQ Baked Beans from Half Baked Harvest
- Easy Spicy Baked Beans from Serious Eats
Lana Stuart is the author, photographer, cook, and occasional traveler at Never Enough Thyme. A former IT professional, she enjoys time in the kitchen and the art studio.
Miss P says
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
Lana Stuart says
You know I’m all for fewer pans to wash!
Anna Winters says
If the canned beans are already cooked, why do we bake them for 1hour? I usually use dry uncooked beans.
Lana Stuart says
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.