Traeger Smoked Baked Beans

wooden spoon in a skillet of smoked baked beans resting on a Traeger grill

Bacon, jalapeño, and a sweet and spicy sauce form a super team with canned baked beans before going on a pellet smoker for a few hours to make an ultimate BBQ side dish.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 20

Servings Servings

Calories 167kcal

Author Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

4 slices Bacon diced*
1 Sweet Onion diced
2 Jalapeño Peppers diced (remove seeds and membranes to reduce spice level)
¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 cans (22 oz each) Baked Beans**
½ cup BBQ Sauce
2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Bay Leaves

Instructions

Preheat your smoker to 250ºF with the lid closed.
Add the bacon to a large smoker-safe skillet at room temperature before placing the skillet over a medium heat. This allows the bacon fat to render evenly.
Once the bacon is just shy of crispy, about 4-5 minutes, add the onion and pepper. Cook for 4-6 minutes until the veggies soften and begin to pick up a little color.
Add the brown sugar and chili powder. Cook for 30-60 seconds, stirring everything together, until the brown sugar has softened and the chili powder is fragrant.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the baked beans, BBQ sauce, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet. Stir everything together, adding the bay leaves last.
Smoke for 2-3 hours, stirring every 60-90 minutes, until the beans are thick and saucy and have developed a smoky flavor to your liking. Remove the bay leaves and serve warm.

Notes

*If you have leftover proteins like chopped beef or smoked pork, feel free to add that to your baked beans as a replacement or an addition to the bacon.

**I used Bush's Best Southern Pit Barbecue Grillin' Beans, which have bell pepper and a brown sugar and molasses flavor profile straight out of the can. You may want to add a bit more brown sugar and extra pepper or two if you're using plain baked beans.

You can adjust the spice level of this recipe by swapping jalapeño for milder peppers like green or red bell peppers or spicier peppers like serrano or habanero.

I tested this recipe using a Traeger Pro 575 with Traeger Pro Blend wood pellets.

Nutrition