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A delicious smokey flavor fills this huge pot of slow-cooked Smoked Baked Beans that are surrounded by a thick sweet and tangy bacon rich sauce. This classic recipe is perfect for pot-luck dinners and backyard barbecues.
One common southern side dish you often see floating around at potluck dinners and backyard barbecues are baked beans. Life in the south runs slightly slower and often so does our cooking. Making a pot of these deliciously sweet and rich in Smokey flavor smoked baked beans is one way to celebrate summer.
Best of all, this recipe is super simple with basic ingredients. Though the beans are cooked slowly, the actual process of cooking them is extremely easy. You’ll also have plenty for a picnic or to freeze for later meals.
And if you’re wondering what to serve with these delicious beans then try these baked ribs and cornbread for one amazing meal.
Ingredients in Smoked Baked Beans
- Dry Navy Beans: these small oval beans have a velvety texture and are creamy and soft. I personally think they make the best beans for making smoked baked beans.
- Bacon: though the bacon is an optional ingredient, especially if you’d like it to remain vegetarian, it adds such a distinct flavor to the recipe that I highly recommend using it.
- Yellow Onion: these onions become slightly sweeter when cooked over a longer period, which brings a softer flavor that pairs well with the syrup and molasses.
- Tomato Paste: adding this into the mix thickens the sauce surrounding the beans and the acidity balances the sweet flavors.
- Maple Syrup: the syrup also thickens the base of this recipe and adds an earthy-sweet flavor.
- Molasses: the molasses brings a robust and sweet flavor that is also a thickening agent for the recipe. It also has smokey notes that boost the overall flavor.
- Broth: the broth is used to create the sauce surrounding the beans as well as cook them.
- Liquid Smoke: to add even more smokey flavor to this delicious recipe a couple of drops of liquid smoke will do the trick. This sauce smells just like a barbecue pit and adds that delicious smokey flavor you get when smoking your food. It is optional but adds such a delicious flavor.
- Spices: garlic powder, salt, and pepper are all the spices in this recipe that bring it all together. You can add more or less based on your taste preferences.
How to Make Baked Beans from Scratch
- Soak the Beans: place the dried beans in a large pot or bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak overnight. Drain the beans before cooking, but reserve the liquid for later use.
- Cook the Bacon and Onions: sauté the bacon and onions in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Heat the Sauce: add the maple syrup, molasses, and beans and stir to coat and cook for 1 more minute before adding the soaking liquid, broth, and spices.
- Slow Cook: preheat the oven to 250ºF and place the pot of beans into the oven to cook for 6 to 8 hours, or until the sauce becomes thick and bubbly.
Best Beans to Use for Baked Beans
There are a variety of beans you can use when making smoked baked beans and there’s really no wrong choice. I prefer the small navy beans, which is what I’ve used in this recipe. Other options to choose from are listed below.
- Navy Beans: this bean is native to America and on the smaller side with an oval flat type shape. It’s also referred to as a pearl haricot bean, Boston bean, white pean bean, or pea bean. This is also my bean of choice for baked beans.
- Jacob’s Cattle Beans: also known as a “trout bean” or “Appaloosa bean” is a plump red and white speckled kidney-shaped bean. This bean holds its shape well during long and slow cooking processes.
- Soldier Beans: This white bean is related to the navy bean and is also referred to as “red-eye.” The name comes from the red markings that resemble old-fashioned toy soldiers.
- Yellow-Eyed Beans: It’s said these beans are essential for New England baked beans, but they’re also great in soups, dips, and casseroles.
- Great Northern Beans: Also known as “common beans,” these larger white beans are delicate with a nutty flavor and are great in soups, stews, and casseroles. They’re a great substitute for navy beans.
Equipment Needed for Making Baked Beans
Not much is needed to prepare this delicious side dish. I always recommend having a good Dutch oven in your kitchen collection and it’s perfect for this recipe. Below are some of the other items you’ll need.
- Heavy-bottomed Pot or Large Dutch Oven: I absolutely love my Dutch ovens and this is my favorite brand. I use them so much I have multiples in each size.
- Measuring Cup: simple measuring cups are all you need for this recipe.
- Measuring Spoons: these are a kitchen staple so a basic set is all you need.
- Wooden Spoons: I’m constantly using wooden spoons in baking so I love to have a full set but a basic wooden spoon will work perfectly.
How to Cook Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker
If you’d like to cook the smoked baked beans in the slow cooker then you just need to make a few adjustments.
- Place the dried beans in a large pot or bowl and cover them with cool water. Let soak overnight before cooking. Drain the liquid and reserve it for later use (optional see notes below).
- Cook the bacon and onion in a skillet for about 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the tomato paste, maple syrup, and molasses, and cook an additional 1 minute.
- Place the mixture into the slow cooker and drain the beans, making sure to reserve the soaking liquid. Add the beans to the slow cooker and measure the soaking liquid. If it doesn’t equal 4 cups add vegetable broth until it does and pour into the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
Note: If you can’t soak the beans overnight then increase the broth to 4 cups. The beans will take a little longer to cook so on low it will be closer to 7 hours and high closer to 4.
How to Cook Baked Beans in the Instant Pot
If you’re short on time or just want a quicker way to make smoked baked beans then using your Instant Pot is a great option. Follow the steps below and you’ll have a tasty side dish in minutes.
- Place the dried beans in a large pot or bowl and cover them with cool water. Let soak overnight before cooking. Drain the liquid and reserve it for later use (optional see notes below).
- Set the Instant Pot to SAUTÉ and place the chopped bacon and onion in once heated. Cook until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Place the maple syrup and molasses. Measure the soaking liquid. If it doesn’t equal 4 cups add vegetable broth to equal 4 cups. Lastly, add the spices, and beans into the Instant Pot and place the lid on with the valve set to seal. Set it to MANUAL cook for 45 minutes.
- Allow the steam to release naturally until the pressure subsides for 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
Note: if you’re not able to soak the beans overnight then increase the amount of broth used to 4 cups and increase the cooking time to 60 minutes.
How to Store Smoked Baked Beans
Place the leftover beans in an air-tight container and keep them stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
How long do you cook smoked baked beans?
The actual cooking time depends largely on your oven and the actual oven temperature. I like to use an oven thermometer to determine the exact temperature before cooking. If your oven heats to exactly 250ºF it should take just over 6 and a half hours to cook.
Can you freeze baked beans?
Yes. To freeze baked beans let them cool entirely before placing them into a freezer-safe air-tight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months.
To thaw, place them in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and cook them in an oven-safe pot for 30 minutes, or until the beans begin to bubble.
Do you have to soak dried beans overnight?
Soaking the beans overnight is not a necessary step, however, it will cut the overall cook time down. These are slow-cooked beans so if you can’t do this step just know it will likely take closer to 8 hours to finish cooking the beans. The other benefit of soaking beans overnight is the texture. This step helps to soften the beans and decrease the number of ones that split open during the cooking process.
Can you make smoked baked beans ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the baked beans ahead of time, however, they tend to be a tad drier the next time they’re heated up. To avoid this texture add some additional tablespoons of maple syrup and molasses. Taste to check the dryness and add more as needed.
Smoked Baked Beans
Equipment
- Large Stock Pot or Dutch Oven with lid
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dry Navy Beans
- 1 lb Bacon chopped
- 1 large Yellow Onion diced
- 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
- 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke optional
- 1 cup Broth
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Place the dried beans in a large pot or bowl and fill with just enough cold water to cover the beans. Let soak overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 250ºF and drain the beans but reserve the soaking liquid and set aside.
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the bacon and onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes transluecent and fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste, maple syrup, molasses, liquid smoke (if using), and beans and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Measure the soaking liquid and add enough broth to equal 4 cups total of liquid. Pour into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Stir the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper into the beans and remove from the heat.
- Cover the pot and place in the preheated oven to cook for 6 to 8 hours until the liquid becomes a thick sauce and the beans are super soft.
